Thompson Friday Forecast

From the Principal...Steve Morrill

Next week is the first significant break from school since the school year began fourteen weeks ago. I hope this time away from Thompson will provide families an opportunity to reflect with their middle schooler regarding the first several months. I encourage you to talk with your child about several things...highlights from the year so far, new interests or skills your child has developed, and any school challenges that they are continuing to navigate. In terms of the conversation about “challenges,” support your child to have a problem-solving mindset and grow their self-advocacy skills. Encourage your child to connect with their “trusted adult” as they work through challenges.

I wish you and yours a restful, memorable Thanksgiving week with those who are important to you.

~Steve

High School Counselor Visits for 8th Grade Students

On Tuesday, November 30th, all 8th grade students will be meeting with their high school counselors for a 45 minute presentation. For this meeting, students will need their Chromebooks as they will be learning how to locate information on the high school websites in preparation for course registration which will take place in mid-January.

We will be hosting these meetings during 2nd period from 9:30 - 10:16 am.

Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Ms. Chris Fedyski, 8th grade counselor, Ms. Lindsay Mortensen, Assistant Principal, or Mr. Sam Pasholk, Student Support Coordinator working with our remote students.

i-Ready Mid-Year Diagnostics

The i-Ready Mid-Year Diagnostics for both reading and math will be conducted after Thanksgiving Break. Our testing schedule is:

Thursday, December 2nd 8:40-10:40am - i-Ready Math Diagnostic
Monday, December 6th 8:40-10:40am: i-Ready Reading Diagnostic

Diagnostic makeups will take place from Tuesday, December 7th - Friday, December 17th. The information provided from this diagnostic will be used to identify student growth and help teachers plan for future instruction and will provide opportunities for students to work on their personal pathway. Please click here to access an informational letter from Mr. Dave Chizsar, the D303 Director of Assessment and Accountability. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s counselor for assistance.

TMS Spelling Bee

The buzz around Thompson Middle School is that there will be an informational meeting on Tuesday, November 30th and Tuesday, December 7th in room #112 for any student who is interested in participating in this year’s TMS Spelling Bee. At this meeting, students will be given more details, a permission slip, and a practice guide to support them as they prepare for this big day!

The Spelling Bee will take place in the Thompson LRC on Tuesday, January 25th beginning at 4:00 pm. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Michelle Gupta at Michelle.gupta@d303.org.

Toys for Kids

The Salvation Army is sponsoring its annual Jim Wheeler Toys For Kids program. This program collects and distributes toys for the needy children of the Tri-City area. The program is named in honor of the late Jim Wheeler who was the creator and driver behind this effort.

Please consider purchasing an unwrapped toy for a child and placing it in the toy collection box in our main foyer by Tuesday, December 7th. Thank you for your support!

Volunteers Wanted for the Book Fair

We need volunteers...we need YOU! The Thompson LRC is hosting a Scholastic Book Fair from November 30-December 8. Sign up now and get ready for a fun and rewarding volunteer experience.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c48a5aa28a7f94-tmsbook

As a public school district, we are required to comply with the Governor’s Executive Order relative to COVID-19 mitigation steps in all district buildings. These steps will keep our students, staff members, and volunteers safe while they are in our schools. All volunteers must:

Provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test received within 72 hours of arriving to volunteer
Bring documentation to the front office upon arrival
Wear a properly fitting mask at all times while in the building
Complete the Volunteer Information Form prior to the first time you volunteer

E-Learning Plan and Emergency Days

The School Board has approved an E-Learning plan that gives the district the option to offer remote learning in place of emergency days. Currently, our last day of school is Tuesday, May 24, which is the week before Memorial Day. As we move into the winter months, we want to update you on the plan for how the district will manage emergency days and e-learning days.

If we experience inclement weather, the first three days will be “snow days” that will be made up at the end of the school year on May 25, 26, and 27 as needed.
Subsequent emergency days will be remote days so the last attendance day will still be before Memorial Day.
If there is a long stretch of inclement weather (blizzard, polar vortex, etc.), we may split the days into “snow days” and e-learning days so as to not have too many non-attendance days in a row.