Thomas Community Newsletter
August 21, 2022
Dear TMS Families,
CONNECTION & CLARIFICATION ARE KEY! We are off to an engaging start to the school year. For the first three days, we've been focusing on connecting with your children, clarifying school expectations, and setting goals for academics and behavior. Students attended grade level assemblies with the administrators and participated in various teambuilding and getting-to-know-you lessons. Moving forward, Advisory lessons will incorporate RULER, our Social Emotional Learning curriculum.
Many thanks to the TMS PTA and Kona Ice for our Back-To-School event. Kona Ice has generously donated $500 to our PTA from this event. Between Back-To-School Night, having most students and families come in for locker setup, and our 6th-8th grade student connection time during Advisory on Day 1, students are navigating the building with ease and developing routines for successful engagement. Thank you parents for helping prepare your middle schoolers for the school year and for purchasing the treats to support our PTA.
SAFETY 1st! A special shout out to the Arlington Heights Police and Fire Departments for their support with our Day 1 Safety Drills. We completed a Soft Lockdown, a Hard Lockdown, a Shelter in Place, and a School Evacuation/Fire Alarm drill. Thomas has a tradition of doing all of these drills on the first day of school and while that may sound like a tall task, our students and staff members impressed the first responders and received high praise for the proper execution of these safety drills. Having all students and staff at TMS trained on these procedures is essential to our safety plan. Please take a few minutes to check in with your child on the details of these drills and our safety protocols.
This newsletter contains several helpful reminders that we ask that your please review. New items included in this newsletter are Get-To-Know-You slides on the NEW TMS STAFF and our Breakfast Menu. Starting on Monday, 8/22/22 students can enter TMS at 7:30 and go to breakfast until 7:45. The breakfast menu is included below.
Reminder information:
- Picture Day: Tuesday, 8/23/22 (This date is correct, 8/26 is not!)
- PTA Spirit Wear Sale: Now until 8/26/22
- 6th Grade Curriculum Night: Wednesday, 8/31/22 from 6-8 PM
- Labor Day No School: Monday, 9/5/22
- 7th & 8th Grade Curriculum Night: Thursday, 9/8/22 from 6-8 PM
- PTA Meeting: Tuesday, 9/13/22 @ 7 PM
- 6th Grade Physical Forms Due: 10/15/22
- Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences: 10/20/22-10/21/22
- 2022-2023 District 25 Calendar: linked here
The school-home connection is another essential component of student success. We are excited to meet parents and guardians at our Curriculum Night events. Thank you in advance for your partnership in supporting your child and our school community. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow with your children.
Take care,
Lori, Nick, & Greg ~ The TMS Admin Team
T-Wolf Athletics
TMS Cross Country: With over 120+ competitors on our team, coaches Mrs. Fahnoe, Mr. Kim, and Mr. Slowinski could not be more proud of these dedicated athletes. Meet dates are posted on the TMS calendar.
Daily Attendance Information
- ABSENCE REPORTING: If your child is sick or unable or attend school you MUST report this to the TMS office by filling out the Online Attendance Form OR calling the office at 847-398-4260 by 8 AM. Please be sure to report your child's absence so that we can account for all students each day.
- ARRIVAL TIME: Students should arrive at school between 7:30-7:40 AM so that they can stop at their locker and be seated in their homeroom class by 7:50 AM.
- LATE ARRIVAL/TARDIES: Students arriving late to school are unexcused unless a parent or guardian calls to report the reason for the late arrival. Students must sign in in the office upon arrival at school.
- EARLY DISMISSAL: If your child has a doctor's appointment and needs to leave school before dismissal at 2:45 PM, please be sure to report this to the TMS office by filling out the Online Attendance Form OR calling the office at 847-398-4260. Students must sign out in the office before leaving school early.
SAFETY REMINDERS WITH NEW ROUTINES:
- Unless the forgotten item is related to health and safety, please promote student responsibility and do not drop off items at school. (Students can always get a school lunch!)
- Unless the item is stored in the Health Office, items dropped off will be placed in the grade level bin located at our main entrance and distributed to students at lunch.
- There are over 1,000 people going in and out of TMS each day. Please recognize that arrival and dismissal are going to take some time. PLEASE BE PATIENT & PUT SAFETY 1st!
- Please read the TMS Drop Off & Pick Up Expectations linked below.
- Picked up does not need to occur at exactly 2:45 PM. Middle school students can cross at the crosswalks to meet you in a location that is not on Belmont Avenue or Thomas Street directly in front of TMS.
ID Lanyards & Badges Required for Adults Inside of D25 Buildings:
- NEW this year, District 25 requires all adults to wear an ID lanyard or AHSD badge clip with ID while inside district facilities.
- Lanyards will be given out in the following colors:
Staff - Green Lanyards
Guest Teachers - Yellow Lanyards
Volunteers - Red Lanyards
Mr. Vito... TMS Crossing Guard @ Thomas Street and Belmont Avenue
We thank Mr. Vito for his years of service! He shows up each day and crosses our students in the heat, rain, freezing cold, through the snow, and always with a kind heart!
We have asked Mr. Vito to try to help improve our traffic flow on Thomas Street. As such, students crossing at Belmont Avenue and Thomas Street may be asked to wait a bit longer, BEHIND THE YELLOW LINES, and cross in groups. Please discuss this with your child and remind them that they need to wait for Mr. Vito behind the yellow line until he is ready to cross them. Instructions on this are also shared in the Daily Morning Announcements.
MEET THE NEW TMS STAFF!
- Michael Kain - Zeta Resource Teacher
- Drew Martin - School Psychologist
Matt Majeski - Gamma Resource Teacher
Clare O'Neil - Teacher Assistant
Heather Rehm - Instructional Learning Program Special Education Teacher
Jacqueline Van Wyk - 8th Grade Spanish Teacher
Jackie Howard - Occupational Therapist
Katie Conomikes - Chorus Club Director
CHORUS CLUB AT THOMAS
Choir sign-ups are going well! I have 30 students signed up so far! The last day to sign up for TMS Choir is Thursday, August 25th! If you would like to join, please sign up at the link below: https://forms.gle/Lo5QTayAsofNEAYU9
The first rehearsal is Tuesday, August 30th.
Please contact our Chorus Director if you have any questions:
Katie Conomikes
Bus Information
All bus transportation questions should be directed to the District 25 Transportation Specialist:
Laura Comastro. Laura is the best person to answer your questions and resolve any issues.
847-758-4888
Additional bus information can be found at the transportation link on the District 25 website.
Lunch Money Payments
ACTION ITEMS for Student Chromebooks
Attention ALL TMS 6th Grade Parents and Parents of students NEW to District 25...
Please click this Chromebook Usage Form and complete this form for your 6th-grade student or new TMS student ASAP.
IMPORTANT HEALTH OFFICE INFORMATION
- Athletic Registration Form: This is for students that wish to participate in TMS athletics. If a student is participating in Cross Country we must have the physical by the first day of practice.
- PHYSICAL FORMS: All 6th graders will need a physical form. Physicals must be dated on or after 8/17/2021 and are due by 10/15/2022. We are unable to accept a doctor's note for a physical at a future date. The physical must be turned in by October 15th, 2022 or the student will be excluded from school.
- DENTAL FORMS: All dental forms are due by 5/15/23 and must be dated after 11/15/21.
- HEALTH OFFICE DOCUMENTS: Health Office documents can be turned into the TMS main office or can be uploaded to the TMS Health Office Form linked here.
AHSD25 School Resource Officers
School District 25 has a wonderful partnership with the Arlington Heights Police Department and we are very fortunate to have two outstanding School Resource Officers that support our schools. The SROs attend various TMS events throughout the school year as they are an essential part of our Wolf Pack.
Officer Danny Malik & Officer John O'Leary
School Resource Officer
Arlington Heights Police Department
dmalik@vah.com & joleary@vah.com
M: 847-878-2949
W: 847-368-5393
TMS PTA
MEETING DATES 2022-2023:
Tuesday - 9/13/2022
Wednesday - 10/12/2022
Tuesday - 11/15/22
Wednesday - 1/11/23
Tuesday - 2/7/2023
Wednesday - 3/15/2023
Wednesday - 4/5/2023
Congratulations to the 2022-2023 PTA Officers:
- President: Suzanne Krause
- President-Elect: **This position is open! Please contact thomasmiddleschoolpta@gmail.com if you know someone who might be interested in filling this position!
- Vice President: Nora Muenkel *Welcome to the board!
- Treasurer: Kelly Spokas
- Secretary: Deborah Oiler
Do you have questions for the PTA? Email the PTA at: thomasmiddleschoolpta@gmail.com
TMS Office Information
Monday - Friday 7 AM - 3 PM
Attendance Reporting:
Online Attendance Form: Click here to report your child's absence or late arrival or early dismissal. The other option is to call the TMS office at 847-398-4260 to report your child's attendance.
TMS Address:
1430 N. Belmont Ave. Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Phone: 847-398-4260
Fax: 847-394-6843