Our Nurses are SUPERHEROES!

I would like to reiterate some information that I shared at yesterday morning’s PTO meeting. Our Thompson nurses, Diane Isbrandt, Sherri Esposito, and Amy Kashuba, are doing an absolutely brilliant job taking care of our Thompson students and staff. Daily they are more than meeting the challenges of this pandemic. They are supporting the entire Thompson family with comfort, care, and information, while simultaneously working in tandem with the Kane County Department of Health to ensure that processes and safety are in place. We are in good hands and are so fortunate to have these three gifted nurses on our team!

Halloween on the horizon at Thompson…..

One of our many traditions at Thompson includes allowing students to acknowledge Halloween by letting them to dress in costume. Especially with all of the craziness this year, our building leadership team is encouraging the tradition to continue. I am sharing this information with the Thompson community two weeks prior to Halloween in order to give students and staff time to prepare their costumes.

‘A’ students can wear their costumes on Thursday, October 29th and ‘B’ students can wear their costumes on Friday, October 30th. Here are some guidelines:

• Per CDC guidelines, students must continue to wear their approved health/safety; no Halloween masks will be allowed.

• All props/accessories that go along with the costume must remain at home.

• No eye patches or make up can be worn.

• Students must be able to sit and work at a desk.

• Costumes must be school appropriate.

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

I believe that this small “gesture of fun” can have a big impact on our students by providing them at least a small reminder of normalcy.

NASA engineer speaks to Mrs. Swayze’s science classes

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending one of Mrs. Swayze’s 8th science classes, Zoom style. Specifically, I was able to join a presentation and Q&A facilitated by Jonathan Webb. Jonathan is a Flight Operations Director working with NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Students had a first hand opportunity to spend some time with a “real life” Astronautical Engineer training to work at the International Space Station. It was a fabulous opportunity for our students to spend time with Jonathan and to learn a great deal about this type of engineering. As I told these 8th graders, it’s not every day that middle school students get to spend time with a NASA Space Engineer. Kudos to Mrs. Swayze for making this happen!

Enjoy the Fall weekend!

~ Steve

Our TMS and WMS Middle School Counselors will be offering office hours for Remote Students only. These office hours are intended to provide students academic support, time management skills, organizational skills and stress/anxiety coping strategies. The ZOOM link to meet with the counselor during the scheduled hours can be found on the Remote Academy website page.

Office Hours:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

9:00 am - 10:00 am & 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

STARTING Tuesday, October 20, 2020

District 303 offers all students enrolled in 8th grade, 7th grade AVID, and Infinity to take the PSAT 8/9 in the fall. This PSAT is a part of the SAT series of assessments that help guide students through academic measures of college and career readiness ending with the SAT taken in their junior year. The SAT can be used with most colleges as a part of the admission process.

Your son/daughter will be participating in the PSAT test on either Wednesday, October 21st (A day) or Thursday, October 22nd (B day). Like any other day, attendance is important. If students arrive late to school, they will be held in the main office until the window for one of the tests has closed.

If you are a remote student, please arrive at the Haines Center by 8:45 am the day of your test.

Below are some helpful tips to help your child as they prepare for testing day:

• Get a good night sleep

• Eat a healthy breakfast

• Be sure to charge your child’s chromebook overnight

If you have specific questions about the assessment please contact David Chiszar (david.chiszar@d303.org) You can also find additional assessment information at https://district.d303.org/departments/assessment.

Thank you-

It’s time for the Global Read Aloud! The two GRA books this year are Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park.

Students are invited to hear from the authors virtually, read the book, and join D303 students for a roundtable discussion. Information to join the author presentation and the discussion can be found below.

Stamped by Jason Reynolds (Recommended by School Library Journal for grades 7 and up)

• October 9- Meet the author live

• November 5- Participate in a 6-12 roundtable discussion

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park (Recommended by School Library Journal for grades 5-8)

• October 30- Meet the author live

• November 18- Participate in a 6-8 roundtable discussion

We hope students will join in the reading fun!

Parent University was developed in response to the need for programming to address the social and emotional needs of students in District 303. Over the last decade, the district has strived to provide information on topics that are relevant, timely, and beneficial for all parents and guardians.

October 29, 2020
Parenting The New Teen In The Age of Anxiety
Virtual
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Dr. John Duffy, a nationally recognized expert in parenting for nearly twenty-five years, wrote this book as a guide for parents raising children who are growing up too quickly and, as a result, dealing with unresolved adolescent issues that can lead to anxiety and depression. Please indicate your interest in getting a copy of the book and event by filling out this form.

November 2, 2020
Technology Talk
Sessions will be organized as follows:
7:00-7:30-Seesaw
7:30-8:00-Google Classroom
8:00-8:30-Schoology
In this upcoming Parent University session, families will familiarize themselves with the 3 digital platforms teachers may use in the district: Seesaw, Google Classroom, and Schoology. Each digital platform will have its own 30-minute session. During these sessions, families will learn how best to support their children with their classwork. They will see where assignments are posted, how teachers communicate and collaborate with their child, where students turn in their work, and the many ways teachers can utilize the platform. Please fill out this form to indicate which session you are interested in attending.

Welcome to remote learning! Remember that remote students have classes every day. Below are resources for our full remote learners:

• Remote Academy Calendar (and Bell Schedule)

• Overview and Expectations

• Teachers and Resources

You can check the attendance for any of your students at any time by logging into the Home Access Center and clicking on the attendance tab to view. Toggle between students using the arrow in the upper right hand corner.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the main office at (331) 228-3100! We are here to help!

• Monday, October 19 - Start of the 2nd Quarter
  

• Wednesday, October 21 - PSAT for 8th Grade 'A' & 7th Grade AVID 'A' Students
  

• Thursday, October 22 - PSAT for 8th Grade 'B' & 7th Grade AVID 'B' Students

• Friday, October 23 - Grades posted in the Home Access Center (HAC)

• Thursday, October 29 - Parent University "Parenting The New Teen In The Age of Anxiety"
• Monday, November 2 - Parent University "Technology Talks"
• Tuesday, November 3 - Election Day Holiday (Schools are Closed)
• Monday, November 9 - Remote Learning Planning Day (No School for Students)