Dear D303 Middle School Parents and Guardians:

Throughout the first semester, in an effort to give families a choice related to their children’s education, we provided the opportunity for students to move between learning modalities. To accommodate those shifts, it has been necessary for us to move hybrid students and staff members.

In preparation for the third and fourth quarters, we surveyed families regarding learning preferences and are using those results to adjust schedules to best fit the needs of all students. The result is that many students may see changes to their schedules beginning in the third quarter. While this is not an ideal situation, we know that it is necessary in order to meet the needs of students in the current situation.

We are in the process of rebuilding the master schedule. Remote students’ schedules will reflect an 8-period day structure that aligns with our current in-building schedule. Now, remote students will attend each class everyday like the students who are learning in-person students. We will provide families with specific details about schedules before the winter break ends in January. We understand that remote students need to engage in activities that do not involve screen time, so we are supporting teachers to further develop those strategies and share their insights into how to manage a virtual setting.

The schedule portion of Home Access Center has been temporarily taken off-line so that we can make necessary schedule changes for the second half of the year. When the schedule is ready, we will notify you that schedule shifts are complete and give you access to your child’s schedule in the Home Access Center.

As always, and certainly during these unusual times, we appreciate your flexibility and understanding.

Enjoy your weekend!

~ Steve

The members of Student Council and HOPE are sponsoring a Spirit Week starting December 14!

Monday, December 14 - Crazy Hair/Hat Day: Wear a hat, do something wild with your hair, or do both. Be Crazy!

Tuesday, December 15 - Comfy Day: Come to class in your favorite comfy clothes - fun pjs or some warm, and cozy sweats!

Wednesday, December 16 - Sports Team Day: Wear your favorite sports team jersey or dress as your favorite athlete.

Thursday, December 17 - Thunder Thursday!: Wear your Thompson spirit wear or deck out in as much blue and gold as possible!

Friday, December 18 - Happy Holidays!: Dress in your favorite holiday fashions (ugly sweaters, Elf costumes, etc.)

Take a picture of yourself participating in the Spirit Week activities. Students should have their pictures approved by a parent or guardian before submitting them to the Student Council. Submit your pictures to Mrs. McCullough (kathy.mccullough@d303.org). All pictures shared will have the chance to be posted on the Thompson MS Facebook page.

Join in on the fun!

This week our 8th graders participated in zoom meetings with their high school counselors. The purpose of the meetings was for 8th graders to get to know their high school counselors and to begin the process of their high school registration which will take place in January.

• Click here for the East presentation

• Click here for the North presentation

Schedule

8th Grade Course Selection--January 19-January 22, 2021

Directions

Students will enter course requests directly into (HAC) Home Access Center. The registration portal will remain open through 1/15/21.

• Course Registration How To Video

• HAC-course registration instructions

Worksheets

Students should complete their worksheet prior to their counselor appointment.

• East 8th grade worksheet

• North Course Selection Document

Resources

We encourage students to make use of the resources found on the East & North CCR websites to make course selections that will help them accomplish their college and career goals.

• East Academic Planning page

• North Course Selection page

Appointments

The date and period of your appointment and the virtual conference link for your counselor will be posted to the Academic Planning/Course Selection page of the CCR websites after winter break.

Future Freshmen Nights

Save the date!

• Future Saints Night is scheduled for 1/13/21. More details about the event format will be shared after the winter break.

• Future North Stars Night is scheduled for 1/14/21. More details about the event format will be shared after the winter break.

Dear Parents of 8th Graders Attending East,

Peer Leadership is an extracurricular program that matches selected incoming freshmen with juniors and seniors who make the transition into high school fun and easy and mentor them throughout the year. Because this program meets during the school day, it has to be put into a student’s schedule when registering for next year’s classes. Although we would like to be able to offer this to all interested incoming freshmen, our numbers are limited by available classroom space and our budget. Therefore, in order to start the selection process, interested students should apply using the application found at the bottom of the Friday Forecast.

If your child is interested in the program, please fill out the application (also attached below) and e-mail it to Jim Reed, the Peer Leadership Coordinator (James.Reed@d303.org). Completed applications must be received no later than Tuesday, January 19, 2021. For more information about Peer Leadership, please attend Future Saints Night in January.

We hope to hear from you!

In October your son/daughter participated in the PSAT assessment. Just recently, the scores were shared with schools and are now available for parents and students to review. If your son/daughter is 13 years of age and entered a personal email into the questionnaire portion of the PSAT test, it is important that he/she review his/her personal email inbox to see if a message was delivered directly from College Board. These students should have a direct link to access the scores from the College Board website. Parents can also complete an account for their child to access this information. Please click here to see how to create your Collegeboard account.

Paper copies of the student score reports will be sent home after the schools have received them.

In addition, the following youtube video, Understanding Your PSAT Score Report, will help you better understand how to interpret your son/daughter's PSAT results. Please see below for additional resources that will support you as you navigate PSAT results and Collegeboard.

Finally, if any additional questions please contact David Chiszar, Director of Assessment and Accountability, at (331) 228-4911. He can be reached by email at David.chiszar@d303.org

Resources for you:

• What is in your PSAT 89 Score Report

• Why create an account in CollegeBoard

• How to read your CollegeBoard report

• PSAT/SAT Practice in Khan academy

The LRC will provide Curbside Book Service for our students from 11/30-12/18.

How it works: Contactless book pick-up and drop-off will be available during school hours in the main entrance vestibule (book cart and return bin on the right when you walk in). Place available books on hold and we will email the student when the books are ready for pick up (within 24hrs). Only three books can be checked out at a time. We will hold the book for one week.

November marks a season of Thanksgiving! Even in the current pandemic, there is so much to be thankful for in District 303. There are three ways that you can contribute to our #D303Thankful Campaign.

• Write a note of appreciation to a staff member. You may download and print our notecard template linked here or create a note of your own to share.
• Participate in our social media campaign by sharing a picture or thought using the hashtag #D303Thankful.
• Share a story, note of appreciation, or photo on Let’s Talk using the D303Thankful button.

Attention 7th and 8th graders: Do you like to write? Do you have a story that you are really proud of? Or a poem that you wrote this past year? Maybe an essay or report that is awesome?

Then the 42nd Annual AAUW Creative Writing Contest could be for you! Please click on this link for more details. Entries are due by February 3, 2021.

We want to make sure that all students and staff members are included in our yearbook this year! If you did not get your picture taken, please upload your own portrait to the Walsworth website. Remember to choose “Thompson Middle School.” In the field that says “City” make sure to add in St. Charles and then click on “Shop the Store.”

• Access code: thompsonms_123

We encourage students to also use this site to upload photos which the Yearbook staff can then add to the yearbook.

Buying a yearbook is optional and not all students choose to own one. The price of the yearbook is $25. You can check your PushCoin account to see if you have purchased one by going to 'transactions' and then adjusting the start date back to April 1, 2020. We are extending the due date for ordering books to Tuesday, January 12, 2021.

Contact Kim Walters (kimberly.walters@d303.org or 331-228-6410) if you have any questions or need financial assistance. Yearbooks which will be distributed at the end of May.

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.

December 8, 2020

Supporting the Social-Emotional Needs of Gifted Children

Virtual

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Dr. Michele Kane, professor of Gifted Education at Northeastern Illinois University.

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

• Monday, December 7 - i-Ready Reading Diagnostic - 1:45 - 3:30 pm

• Wednesday, December 9 - i-Ready Math Diagnostic - 1:45 - 3:30pm

• Thursday, December 10 - PTO Meeting (virtual) - 9:00 - 10:00am

• Friday, December 18 - End of the 2nd Quarter
  

• Monday, December 21 - Start of Winter Break - No School for Students

• Monday, January 4 - Teacher Work Day - No School for Students

• Tuesday, January 5 - School Resumes for Students

• Tuesday, January 5 - Start of the 3rd Quarter

• Wednesday, January 13 - Future Saints Night

• Thursday, January 14 - Future North Stars Night

• Monday, January 18 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - Schools are Closed