Thompson Friday Forecast

From the Principal...Steve Morrill

We are in the midst of winter! The snow is piling up and temperatures seem to be falling by the hour. Schoolwise, we are at the midpoint of the third quarter.

One of many commonalities middle school kids and parents have is the attention given to school. Consider setting aside intentional parent/kid time to reflect with your child about their current middle school experiences. I have found that food or snacks help facilitate these chats! Creating the opportunity for your child to discuss their learning and school experiences can be highly valuable and sends the powerful message that your child’s education is important.

Not only can this exchange provide good information for parents, students often find comfort with these dialogs because they are reminded that they are not navigating their middle school experience on their own. Conversations such as these also strengthen and reinforce for students how important education is in the lives of their parents.

So as the temperature drops this weekend, consider snuggling up with your kids to have a rich conversation about things at school and then follow that with a conversation about how things are going for them in general. As I remind Thompson students each morning on the announcements, be a good listener! From a Dad with two sons away at college, someday very soon you will miss the talks with your middle schoolers and those conversations will provide you with memories for a lifetime.

Stay warm,

Steve

HOPE Week - February 16th - February 19th

HOPE stands for Helping Others Protect Each other. HOPE is a club that promotes kindness, while spreading positive messages throughout the school. It also focuses on prevention and on making healthy choices. HOPE club plays a role in HOPE Week and promotion of the “hope is greater than” message, which tells students that they will get through whatever troubles or stresses they are going through and that tomorrow will be better.

Spirit Week:

Tuesday - Tropical Day (wear tropical clothing/accessories)
Wednesday - HOPE Day (wear your HOPE shirt or wear HOPE colors-purple and teal)
Thursday - Thunder Thursday (wear TMS spirit wear)
Friday - Flannel Friday (wear your favorite flannel or comfy clothes)

2021 Illinois Council on Women and Girls

The Illinois Council on Women and Girls invites young women ages 14 through 18 to apply to join the Council’s new Girls Committee. Participants will share about their experiences and perspectives to help make Illinois a place where all girls can thrive.

Applications to the Girls Committee are due by February 16, 2021. If you have any questions or experience any technical issues accessing or submitting the application, please contact Council member Jackie Matthews at jmatthew@isbe.net or (312) 590-4327.

Middle School Exploratory/Elective Course Selections for 2021-2022

Incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th grade middle school students should have received exploratory/elective course selection sheets in the mail. These need to be filled out, signed by a parent or guardian, and returned to your elementary school (for 5th graders) or middle school by Tuesday, February 9, 2021.

Descriptions of the explore options can be found on both of the Thompson and Wredling websites under the Academics tab. Replacement forms are on both schools’ websites at the bottom of the home page as well.

Any and all current 5th grade students are welcome to sign up for Band and Choir for 6th grade, even if they did not participate in band or choir this year as a 5th grader! Students in middle school will be allowed to play band instruments and sing at school as long as the health situation continues to improve. Band Instrument selection will take place prior to the start of the 6th grade school year. More information will be communicated about the band instrument selection process this spring by the elementary school band teachers. If you have further questions, please contact the band or music teacher at your elementary school.

Please reach out to your child’s counselor if you have questions.

TMS 6th Grade Counselor 21-22: Leigh Gary
TMS 7th Grade Counselor 21-22: Christy Jolaoso
TMS 8th Grade Counselor 21-22: Chris Fedyski

We are excited to provide these learning opportunities for our middle school students!

Girls Basketball

Attention 7th and 8th grade girls! Intramural Girls basketball will be starting on Tuesday, February 9th and running through March 19th from 3:30 - 4:30pm, Tuesdays - Fridays. If you are interested in participating and improving your basketball skills, please sign up by joining the Google Classroom with the code cskwfbn.

All players will need to have a current physical and sign a waiver in order to participate. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Wilke, Mr. Patrick, Mr. Otterby, Mrs. Wainwright, or Mr. O'Connor by email or in person.

Early Release Mondays

Early release Mondays will continue next Monday and run through the remainder of the year. All students will be following the Early Release Bell Schedule (found on the Thompson website) and the school day will conclude at 2:42 pm. Buses will leave Thompson shortly after the dismissal bell. The office will be open until 4:00 pm if you have any transportation concerns.

Remaining 2021 early release Mondays:

February 8, 22
March 1, 8, 15, 22
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24

Please call the main office at (331) 228-3100 if you have any questions.

Remote Reimaged

Remote learning supervision is now being offered by the St. Charles Park District. It's for ANY middle schooler who is struggling with those hybrid/remote days and maybe not signing in, staying on task, or completing any homework. There is a fee associated with the program. For information on financial assistance or payment plans, email Cori at chedlund@stcparks.org. If any family cannot afford the tuition, please contact STC LEARN for possible additional funding.

Please contact the St. Charles Park District if you have any questions about this opportunity.

Saints Tutoring Thunder 2020-2021

The Saint's tutoring Thunder (STT) club provides students with an opportunity to receive help on homework, projects, and/or comprehension of material that they are learning in classes. The Saint's tutoring Thunder (STT) club is available for both students attending in-person or remotely. This club meets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Parents can sign their child up for this tutoring and/or students can sign up themselves!

STT allows students to meet virtually with a Thompson club supervisor and a St. Charles East Sophomore tutor from 4:15 until 5:00 pm. The Thompson club supervisor will facilitate the after school support while supervising the high school students tutoring our students.

Sign-ups are available Thursday-Monday for the following week. This ensures that we have the correct amount of tutors for our students. You can click here to sign up for Saint's tutoring Thunder club. Once your student has been signed up, they will receive an invite link in their email.

AAUW Writing Contest for 7th and 8th Grade Students

Attention 7th and 8th graders: Do you like to write? Do you have a story that you are really proud of? Or a poem that you wrote this past year? Maybe an essay or report that is awesome?

Then the 42nd Annual AAUW Creative Writing Contest could be for you! Please click on this link for more details. Entries are due by February 19, 2021.

Middle School Transfers - Request period open from Feb. 1-Feb. 26

Families who wish to submit a Middle School Transfer reques t may do so beginning February 1, 2021. Families must complete a separate form for each student they want to be transferred. Requests are granted based on space available. This means that siblings are not guaranteed placement. A written decision will be communicated to families before spring break.

Once the request is approved, a student may remain at that middle school throughout his or her middle school career, as long as the student resides in District 303.

Families of students granted permission to attend a school outside of their assigned attendance area are responsible for their own transportation. Students will return to their assigned attendance area high school regardless of the middle school attended.

The Middle School Transfer request window will close at 4:00pm on February 26, 2021. If you have questions, please contact Tammy Marsan at 331-228-2397.

D303 Remote Learning Resources for Students and Parents

All students have the opportunity to engage in optional learning experiences by visiting the D303 Remote Learning Resources page. There are a variety of learning experiences in the areas of math, digital citizenship, English Language Arts, college and career, virtual field trips, STEM, and social emotional learning. Students may engage in these experiences at any time.

Chromebook Device Exchange

The IT device exchange takes place at the Haines building (305 South 9th Street), Door #2, between 12:00 - 4:00 pm Monday - Friday. You do not need to make an appointment. If you need assistance with a broken device, please contact the live chat service during business hours or visit the IT Technical Resources site for information.