Patriot’s Pen Patriotic Essay Writing Competition and Veterans Day

Nationwide, the VFW sponsors a yearly youth essay competition that gives students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. This year the theme was “What is Patriotism to Me?” Thompson had 56 8th graders participate in this essay contest. Winners will be announced in December.

In honor of Veterans Day this week, I made it a priority to speak directly to our students about the importance of honoring our veterans and I encouraged our student body to find a veteran and talk to them about their service. I also acknowledged the service of Mr. Patrick Shannon, one of our Dean’s Assistants, who served in the United States Marine Corps. I would like to thank all of the veterans in our community for your service to our country.

Four Weeks Left in Second Quarter
We are half way through our second quarter which closes on December 18th before Winter break! Thanksgiving break provides a great opportunity for family discussions about academic progress and encouraging your student to finish the quarter strong. Please contact your child’s teachers or guidance counselor if you have any questions.

Thompson Guidelines for Success

Over the past several years, students and teachers have worked side by side to determine what attributes are needed in school and beyond through the work of an initiative called Guidelines For Success (GFS). This powerful work guides each and every person in the Thompson Community to be their best each and every day as we strive to demonstrate these important traits: Perseverance, Responsibility, Respect, Kindness, and Teamwork. These words are displayed around Thompson in hallways, classrooms, the cafeteria, and other learning spaces as a reminder of the qualities we all need in order to be successful.

Enjoy your weekend!

~ Steve

If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to complete the 2020-2021 Student Attendance Form for the Spring semester. We will be calling families the week before Thanksgiving Break who have not made a selection.

Unfortunately this is event has to be postponed!! We will let you know when it is rescheduled. Thank you for your understanding.

The W.E.B. Advisors

W.E.B. is hosting TRIVIA MANIA! for our 6th graders on Wednesday, November 18th from 3:35-4:15pm. Students will test their trivia knowledge on subjects such as pop culture, Harry Potter, Thompson Middle School, Geography and much more!

Students may attend in person or remotely.

• If they attend in person, all social distancing rules will apply. Students should report to the pod outside room 130. Parents should pick up students in the front of the building at 4:15pm.

• If they attend remotely, they will need a second device/phone to play.

Regardless of whether your child attends remotely or in person, he/she must fill out this permission google form. We are looking forward to a fun event!

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.

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.

The i-Ready Winter Diagnostic for both reading and math will be conducted on asynchronous learning days from Thursday, December 3 through Tuesday, December 8th. We are asking students to complete one diagnostic assessment on each of their asynchronous days during this time frame.

• December 4th Reading Diagnostic
• December 8th Math Diagnostic

• December 3rd Reading Diagnostic
• December 7th Math Diagnostic

The information provided from this diagnostic will be used to help teachers plan for future instruction and will provide opportunities for students to work on their personal pathway. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s counselor for assistance. Thank you all for your assistance in making sure your child completes this important assessment!

We need your students in school, hybrid or remote, to learn. Being present is simply the most critical component to a student’s academic success. Our goal is to support your child and family by making sure that your student is present and active in their daily education, both synchronously and asynchronously. Please refer to the D303 Student Handbook for more detailed and additional information.

Examples of Excused Absences:

• Illness (3 consecutive days may require a physician's note)

• Medical/dental appointments

• Required state/county court appointments

• Serious family emergency (i.e. funeral, family illness)

• Family vacations, sporting events that have been pre-arranged with administration approval

Examples of Unexcused Absences (hybrid or remote):

• Oversleeping/needing rest

• Excessive issues with chromebook not working

• Excused (per legal guardian) with no reason

• Arriving 10 minutes after the beginning of class / leaving 10 minutes before the end of class without acceptable reasons

Communication from parents is essential in maintaining accurate attendance records. We know that times are challenging right now. If your student is struggling with attendance, please let us know how we can help.

The St. Charles Learning Equality and Resource Network’s mission is to help St. Charles School District 303 students access equal learning and academic opportunities regardless of obstacles created by race, culture, primary language, financial circumstances, family situation, or personal hardship. Their goal is that every student within the St. Charles School District has an equalized opportunity for academic achievement.

They help with tutoring, academic enrichment, childcare relief/student supervision, home study supplies, and other academic needs. Be sure to take a look at their website to learn more or make a donation. We appreciate the work that they do for our community!

We are now allowing parents and students to sign up for our Saints tutoring Thunder (STT) club. This club will meet on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Saint's tutoring Thunder (STT) club will provide students with an opportunity to receive help on homework, projects, and/or comprehension of material that they are learning in classes. The Saint's tutoring Thunder (STT) club is available for any student, whether attending in-person or fully remote.

STT allows students to meet virtually on Google Meets with a St. Charles East Sophomore tutor from 4:15 until 5:00 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Thompson club supervisor will facilitate the after school support while supervising the high school sophomore students tutoring our students.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Shane Darnell, Assistant Principal.

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 7, 2020
9 MANERAS DE REFORZAR EL APRENDIZAJE DE LOS NIÑOS EN TIEMPOS DE CUARENTENA - presentation will be in Spanish
Virtual
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Ferney Ramírez Hernández, author of “Padres Exitosos” (Successful Parents) - Los districts no son los únicos responsables del éxito académico de los hijos, los papás también lo somos. Sobretodo, en éstos tiempos que las escuelas tienen un acceso limitado, debemos asumir un liderazgo positivo para que el aprendizaje continúe en casa, de una manera eficaz. En este taller daremos a los padres algunas sugerencias y recomendaciones para saber cómo hacerlo.

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.

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!

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, November 23 - Thanksgiving Break - non-attendance week
  
• Monday, November 30 - School Resumes

• Thursday, December 3 - i-Ready Reading Diagnostic (asynchronous) - 'B' students

• Friday, December 4 - i-Ready Reading Diagnostic (asynchronous) - 'A' students

• Monday, December 7 - i-Ready Math Diagnostic (asynchronous) - 'B' students

• Tuesday, December 8 - i-Ready Math Diagnostic (asynchronous) - 'A' students

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