Thompson Friday Forecast

From the Principal...Steve Morrill

Dear District 303 Middle School Families:

By now you have probably heard the stories in the media about the worker shortage across the United States. This is impacting many sectors of the workforce including school bus drivers. As a district, we are fortunate to have our own bus fleet and an extremely dedicated team of bus drivers. Although not as significant as some other districts, we are also facing a driver shortage that causes some of our routes to be a little longer than usual and inhibits our ability to add routes to alleviate any potential route issues.

Our biggest challenge right now is with the middle school routes. Some buses are not arriving at school until right at 8:30 a.m. when school begins. Over the past couple of weeks we have monitored and made adjustments to the bus routes, however, we still need a few more minutes to get students to school safely and on time. In addition, as you know, Illinois is not known for the best weather, and as we approach the fall and winter, we realize that some of our route times may be increased due to inclement weather conditions. Ultimately, we do not want students to miss instructional time due to the bus schedule.

After some consideration, the best possible solution at this time is to adjust the middle school instructional day by 10 minutes. This will address all of the routing concerns we are currently experiencing and maximize and honor the time your students have with our outstanding teachers and staff.

Beginning Tuesday, September 7, the middle school hours will be 8:40 a.m. - 3:40 p.m.

In order to minimize the impact this change has on students and families:

Morning and afternoon bus route times should be approximately the same as they are now
Students whose families drop them off may arrive at school at the same time in the morning. However, you are also welcome to arrive later if that is more convenient
Afternoon pickup time will shift 10 minutes later

Thank you for your continued cooperation and understanding. Additionally, if you know anyone who might be interested in driving a bus, we are hiring! Please direct them to the District 303 website for additional information.

Dr. Jason Pearson

District 303 Superintendent

Tim Loversky

Wredling Middle School Principal

Steve Morrill

Thompson Middle School Principal

Thompson Curriculum Night Information

We would like to invite you to view Thompson Middle School’s virtual “curriculum night” materials. Below you will find the link to gain access to your child's curriculum information presented by teachers. Please "click" on the link that identifies how/where your student is currently accessing middle school. We hope that you find this information both useful and engaging.

Thompson Curriculum Night link

As always, we appreciate your partnership with Thompson Middle School.

Thompson Middle School Open House

We are excited that Thompson will be hosting a Parent-Guardian Open House on Wednesday, September 22 from 6 PM to 8 PM! This is an opportunity for parents and guardians to walk through Thompson, meet Thompson teachers, and get to know the building.

In order to maintain a safe environment for parents, guardians, and staff members, all attendees need to:

Wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth regardless of vaccination status
Avoid congregating in large groups while in the buildings
Honor that this is a parent/guardian event only. No children are allowed in the building during this event.

Upon entering the building, we will let you know where each teacher/team will be located. If you are interested in seeing your child’s classrooms, please print or screenshot your child’s schedule from the Home Access Center. Also note that this event is a meet-and-greet with teachers. The time to ask questions about your child and their progress is at Parent-Teacher Conferences which are scheduled for October 7 and 8. Please enter through the main entrance, door #1 or the Gym entrance, door #5

Thompson Safety Day

On September 2nd the Thompson community took part in our first safety day. During a safety day, students and staff practice their identified plans and behaviors in the event of crisis situations. Specifically, we take part in a fire drill, tornado drill, and a safe and secure (lock down) drill. By taking proactive measures to prepare for each of these emergency situations, we help ensure that our Thompson students are as safe as possible at all times. In order to follow social distancing protocols, staff spoke with students about the actions to be taken in the event of a lock down situation and steps to take during a severe weather emergency. Students and staff did, however, participate in a fire drill, under the watchful eye of our St. Charles Fire Department.

We will continue to run safety drills periodically throughout the school year. Parents please know that the Thompson staff is vigilant with regard to our safety policies, and we will continue to make the safety of your children a priority. If you have any questions about our safety procedures, please do not hesitate to call us at (331) 228-3100.

Pre Arranged Absence Form

Students must apply for the privilege of using pre-arranged absence days through the

Principal/Assistant Principal’s office when an absence is anticipated in advance. Pre-arranged absence forms must be completed and signed by each teacher and turned in two (2) school days prior to the date of the prearranged absence.

The building principal or designee has the authority to grant up to five (5) days of excused absence per year for the following types of absences:

❖ Career Education Visits

❖ Participation in regional and/or national contests or awards

❖ Family Vacation-qualified by the phrase “accompanied by a parent”

❖ Special Religious Events

Any date which is in excess of these five days is considered to be unexcused.

TMS Pre Arranged Absence Form

Clubs and Activities

Our Thompson Clubs are already starting! Please encourage your middle schooler to get involved with school activities away from the classroom to truly take advantage of all that middle school has to offer! Click here to see our long list of clubs/activities. Parents can subscribe by clicking here to receive our daily announcements as week to week club announcements are frequently posted.

After School Activity Bus

An activity bus is available for students involved in Thompson clubs and activities on Tuesday and Thursday after school beginning September 7th. Students should sign up during the club, telling the club adviser each day a ride is needed. The activity bus will drop students off at elementary schools or Renaux Manor. Note that drop off times can be earlier depending on the number of riders for the day. The estimated bus route and times are posted on the Thompson website under Activities.

School Fees & Food Waivers for 2021-2022

SCHOOL FEES WAIVER: The school fees waiver will ONLY be a PAPER application since there is financial documentation required for income verification. A family can only qualify for a free waiver of fees; there are no reduced fees. The application is on the district website. Questions regarding school fee waivers - Sharon Wlezien at 331-228-5417

FOOD WAIVER: Only one application needs to be completed for each household. Please include ALL family members that live in the household (even those not attending a school). Applications are posted on the district website. In addition, paper applications are available at the schools and the Administration Building as in years past. Unlike the school fees, families can qualify for Reduced. Questions regarding food waivers - Patti Townsend 331-228-6529

Families directly certified by the State of Illinois for the 2021-2022 school year will receive FREE FOOD and their FEES will be WAIVED. If your family is qualified by the state, do NOT need to complete either application. You should have received an approval letter in the mail in July.

SOS for Parents in the Trenches

October 6, 2021

Debbie Reber, NY Times bestselling author

Zoom Webinar, 6:30 pm; Recording to be posted

Click here to register!

When parents are feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and burned out, it’s hard to show up in a way that best supports their child’s development, especially if/ when our kids are struggling, too. In this practical and actionable talk, Debbie shares ten powerful “tilts,” a.k.a. practical ideas to help parents shift their thinking, responses, and actions in a way that will help them feel more confident and peaceful as they parent their unique children.

Supporting Kids Who Learn Differently: Back-to-School Edition

October 13, 2021

Debbie Reber, NY Times bestselling author

Zoom Webinar, 6:30 pm; Recording to be posted

Click here to register!

School always presents certain challenges for students who learn and think differently (kids with ADHD, dyslexia, giftedness, autism, anxiety, or other neuro-differences). But the COVID-19 pandemic has created even greater obstacles. Debbie shares ideas on how parents can best prioritize and plan in the pandemic-era school landscape. She also offers advice on how to support differently wired children’s cognitive, social, and emotional needs during this atypical time, while also taking care of one’s own emotional health and well-being.