Next Wednesday, October 30th, Thompson is very fortunate to welcome Josh Ochs. He will be speaking to all of our students during a whole building assembly in the afternoon.

With a background in marketing at Disney, Josh Ochs helps students all over the country create a positive online presence. In his presentation at our school, he will discuss the impact that social media has on their lives and that everything they post on social media can be discovered by parents, teachers, colleges and employers. He shows families and teens practical examples they can use to shine online by posting photos of community volunteer projects and extracurricular activities.

Some of the key messages from his presentation include:

• Helping students find their screen time purpose so it does not just become a pastime

• How middle school students can build a personal brand before they start using social media

• Strategies that high school students and parents can use to impress colleges and future employers with their online brand

• How to use Instagram as an extension of a student resume

• How to quickly change your Google search results in a positive way

• Provide guidelines for students and parents about how to make good choices with social media

• The best and worst apps for kids

• Best ways to stay safe and use technology correctly

The District 303 Parent University Committee is pleased that Josh will also present to parents on October 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the Thompson Middle School cafeteria. Parents (and students!) are invited to attend.

After his visit, all families in District 303 will receive a free one-year subscription to Digital Driver’s Ed, that includes videos on topics such as when should I get my child a cell phone, when should my children be on social media, how do colleges search for students and how to find out if your child has a second/fake Instagram account.

Watch some of his videos at SmartSocial.com.

Enjoy your weekend!

~Steve

The PTO webstore to purchase Thunder spiritwear is now open until November 19th! Please click here to view the options provided by The Hairy Ant. Please choose ‘gift’ at checkout to have your items delivered to school and kept in the main office without your child seeing the spiritwear. Items will be delivered to Thompson on December 10th.

Thompson Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences will take place on Monday, November 25th from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm and Tuesday, November 26th from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm. Like previous years, signup is via a link in the Home Access Center until November 20th at midnight.

Sixth grade students/parents will be meeting with their Tutorial teacher (typically the 2nd hour teacher for 6th graders) for a 15 minute conferences. 7th grade, 8th grade, PE, Foreign Language, Music, and Explore teachers will be available for eight minute conferences (with a two minute passing period). Sign up instructions are attached below.

Students that had their pictures retaken will receive a new Ticket Code for their image if they were photographed on the original picture day. Please check with your student to see if they have this ticket card or an updated picture packet. You can also contact Color Portraits, our new vendor, at cphelpcenter.com. Please contact the main office at 331-228-3100 with questions or if you need a ticket code.

Thursday, October 31st is Halloween. Students will be allowed to dress in their Halloween costumes at Thompson. We would like to remind the students to dress appropriately and to follow the guidelines listed below:

• Costumes must be school appropriate

• Costume/Hair/Make-up must be completed prior to the arrival at school or entering the bus. No spray cans are allowed on the bus or at school.

• Costume accessories, if applicable, should not depict or display anything hurtful, harmful or have the opportunity to be utilized as a weapon.

• The student’s identity should be visible and easily recognizable (i.e. no masks.)

• The classroom learning environment should not be compromised due to a student’s costume.

October 30, 2019

Digital Citizenship

Thompson Middle School Cafeteria

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Join us for an evening with national digital citizenship speaker Josh Ochs, who will also be spending time at both middle and high schools. Josh talks to students about their future and how their digital footprint can have an impact. Josh shows parents how they can protect their children on 40+ popular apps. He’ll walk parents through the dangers of each app, where teens might be hiding their activity from parents, and how parents can keep their children safe.

Josh has Parent University resources that will be available to all District 303 families for the entire school year. Watch videos, learn about the latest apps, and find out how to keep your children safe at your convenience.

Register Here

• Wednesday, October 30 - Digital Citizenship Parent University - Thompson - 6:30 pm

• Friday, November 8 - End of the M2 Health Rotation
• Wednesday, November 13 - School Improvement Half Day - Students are dismissed at 12:10 pm
• Thursday, November 14 - PTO Meeting from 10:00 - 11:00 am
• Wednesday, November 20 - Pick-a-Time Conference Scheduler closes at midnight
• Monday, November 25 - Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm - No school for students
• Tuesday, November 26 - Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences - 8:00 am - 12:00 pm - No school for students
• Wednesday, November 27 - No school for students (office will be open)
• Thursday, November 28 - Friday, November 29 - Thanksgiving Break
• Friday, December 20 - End of the 2nd Quarter