Thompson Friday Forecast

From the Principal...Steve Morrill

The business continues at Thompson Middle School! Last week I had the privilege of watching our school’s annual Spelling Bee (results below). Spelling is not one of my strong suits which is one reason why I am so impressed with the skills of the students who participate in this event. That same afternoon, Thompson kicked off our girls’ basketball season with our first home game.

It is great to see so many of our students taking advantage of the myriad of opportunities beyond the classroom that adds to the middle school experience our students consume. If your middle schooler mentions being bored with school or not having anything school related to do, please encourage them to consider joining a Thompson club or activity. Our club options are listed on the Thompson website.

Have a great winter weekend,

Steve

Explore Forms

Explore elective forms are due back to Student Services on Tuesday, February 8th. We posted these documents at the bottom of our website along with a description of middle school electives and a video on how to fill out the form if needed. We want middle school to be a time where our students have the opportunity to explore lots of different learning pathways and our explore courses offer that opportunity.

Parent Satisfaction Survey

Every year, District 303 conducts a satisfaction survey that gives us meaningful feedback from our students, teachers and parents. As part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) we are participating in the statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about Thompson Middle School.

The Parent Survey is currently open. To take the survey, please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/?target_name=parent. We hope to have 100% of parents participating in the survey and will be periodically reminding families to complete it. Please visit the D303 5Essentials website or call the main office if you have any questions. Thank you to the entire Thompson community for your time and feedback!

Compass Academy

Imagine a school where learning occurs both inside and outside the classroom through student-directed projects, where students work in flexible spaces and have a schedule that is built around their needs and interests. This is what students experience at Compass Academy, a D303 high school program that's located at the Haines Center and is open to all interested D303 high school students. At Compass Academy, students:

Engage in “hands on” project-based learning throughout all courses
Have a voice and choice in personalized learning activities
Attend school on a schedule that is flexible and built around their needs
Can work at their own pace- whether they want to delve deeper into content or take additional time to learn a concept
Are part of a small learning community because enrollment is limited to 200 students

Even students who completed course selection for East or North with their future high school counselor can still decide to commit to Compass full-time, where they attend all classes at Compass, or part-time, where they attend some classes at East or North and some at Compass. Students who attend Compass Academy part-time or full-time can still participate in extracurricular activities at their home high school. This Compass Academy Information Video gives you more information about the Compass experience through the eyes of current students, parents, and staff.

Are you interested? If so, complete this interested student form now and someone from Compass Academy will follow up with you soon! If you have questions, please contact Director Sharon Stanley at sharon.stanley@d303.org.

TMS Homework Lab

Homework Lab is a great place for students needing a quiet location to get work done after school. The Homework Lab is open for 2nd semester and below are the remaining dates, and additional information, for the months of January and February.

Feb 8th
Feb 17th
Feb 24th

Time: 3:45-4:30

Place: Room #235

Facilitators: Miss Romano and Mrs. Polillo

iGen: Understanding the Smartphone Generation presented by Jean M. Twenge
February 9, 2022 at 6:30pm via Zoom
Click here to register - If you cannot attend, you will be able to view a recoding of this presentation which will be posted on the District website.

With generational divides wider than ever, parents, educators, and employers have an urgent need to understand today’s rising generation of teens and young adults. Born after 1995, iGen is the first generation to spend their entire adolescence in the age of the smartphone. With social media and texting replacing other activities, iGen spends less time with their friends in person. But technology is not the only thing that makes iGen distinct from every generation before them; they are also different in how they spend their time, how they behave, and in their attitudes toward religion, sexuality, and politics. As this new group of young people grows into adulthood, we all need to understand them. Members of iGen also need to understand themselves as they communicate with their elders and explain their views to their older peers. Because where iGen goes, so goes our nation—and the world.

Jean M. Twenge, is the author of more than 140 scientific publications and six books, the latest of which is iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood.