Good afternoon Thunder families. I hope everyone has had a fun and restful summer and is gearing up to return to Thompson over the next couple of weeks. As you can see below we have a bunch of fun activities and events planned over the next couple of weeks, which culminates with the first day of school on August 14th (more on that in future Forecasts).

As the calendar turns from July to August, Back to School ads become rampant (it actually starts even earlier than that nowadays). Back to school shopping reminds me of a tremendous Clark family misadventure that we embarked on last year at this time. At Target there was a display for writing utensils where kids could sign their name (think graffiti wall). My oldest daughter took advantage of this. A few days later my wife took both our daughters with her to Target to pick up a few additional items. While there my youngest daughter showed my wife where her sister had signed a few days prior. I’d like you to imagine my wife’s horror when she saw that our oldest had signed her name with the following message: “Follow me on Snapchat at…(and provided her name and Snapchat handle). To further compound the issue, her Snapchat handle was my wife’s work email address. Long story short, my oldest daughter lost Snapchat for the year and my wife now has a personal email address. She looks sweet, but man, middle school kids do some dumb stuff!

I hope you all enjoy back to school season in your own fun ways 😃

This school year at Thompson, all students will be required to store their bookbags and cinch sacks in their designated lockers during the entire school day. This decision has been made after careful consideration, and it aims to create safer classrooms and hallways for everyone.

The safety and well being of our students are of the utmost importance to us, and this measure will help reduce the risk of tripping hazards, unauthorized access to personal belongings, and the potential for unsafe items being brought into classrooms. By keeping the pathways and classrooms clear, we can better respond to emergencies and ensure a more organized and conducive learning environment.

We understand that students may have become accustomed to carrying their cinch sacks throughout the day, but we believe this small adjustment will significantly enhance safety and security on campus. We kindly request your support in explaining the importance of this new procedure to your children to help them prepare for the change. In addition, this change in procedure does not apply to students who have accommodations for book bags or cinch sacks in their IEPs or 504s.

As we gear up for the new academic year, we want to inform you about an important update to our school’s morning procedures for students who arrive via drop off, walking or biking. To ensure the safety and proper supervision of all our students, we have made some changes to the school entry time and designated entry points.

Starting this school year, students who arrive at Thompson before 8:20 am will not be allowed to enter the building. Instead, we have designated the outside area near the Gymnasium (Door 4) as the waiting area for early arrivals. Students who walk, bike, or are dropped off before 8:20 am will gather in this location until the building opens at 8:20.

Students who are dropped off between 8:20 and 8:40, will enter Door 3 as they have in the past.

The safety and well-being of our students are of utmost importance. By implementing this new procedure, we aim to create a secure and organized environment for all. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter.

Middle School Breakfast - $1.75
Reduced Breakfast - $0.30*

Middle School Lunch - $3.50
Reduced Lunch - $0.40*

Milk - $0.60 (when purchased separately from meals)
Other a la carte items (besides milk) - prices vary

Organic Life, the K-8 Food Service provider is looking for candidates to serve as Cashiers, Food Service Workers & Lunchroom Supervisors for the 2023-2024 school year in School District 303. Please contact Patricia Burton at 331-228-5242 or patricia.burton@d303.org for more information.

Your 6th grader is invited to kick off the 2023 - 2024 school year with an orientation event hosted by the 8th grade leaders of WEB club (Where Everybody Belongs). This student-only event will include team building and preparation activities for their 6th-grade year.

To prepare for the morning, please have your student(s) find their team number on their schedule (picked up at material pick up). If possible, please have your student(s) wear the color that corresponds with their team number:

• 6-1: Grey

• 6-2: Blue

• 6-3: White

• 6-4: Gold or Yellow

Parents/guardians can drop off and pick up their child in the south parking lot off of Indiana Street and enter through Door #5. No sign up is necessary. We look forward to seeing and meeting your incoming student(s)!

Fall i-Ready diagnostics are taken by students to gather baseline academic data in order for us to develop targeted instructional plans of action. A similar assessment will take place in the winter and again in the spring. Students will be taking their Fall i-Ready diagnostics on Tuesday, August 22nd and Thursday, August 24th. Our bell schedule will be modified on both of these days. Makeups will take place the following week.

A physical examination is required for entrance (first day of school) into preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade.

Please access District 303's Health Department's Web Page for specific grade level vaccine requirements (including meningococcal vaccine requirements for high school students) and State of Illinois forms. The health history portion of the physical examination form must be completed and signed by a parent in order for the physical to be valid. An appointment card must be submitted to the health office indicating that a physical exam or immunization is scheduled in the event a student's age makes them ineligible for a vaccine prior to the first day of school or the student is scheduled for a physical exam shortly after the first day of school.

The State of Illinois requires that all students entering school for the first time from out of state shall have/submit a physical examination/vaccine record within 30 days of enrollment in school.

All exams must be dated within one year prior to the date the student enters school.

Physical Examinations may be acquired through your primary medical provider. If you do not have a primary medical provider, you may contact Kane County Health Department for referrals to local health clinics that provide such services.

Completed exams and immunizations may be mailed to Thompson or dropped off at the school.

SCHOOL FEES WAIVER: The school fees waiver will ONLY be a PAPER application since there is financial documentation required for income verification. A family can only qualify for a free waiver of fees; there are no reduced fees. The application is on the district website. Questions regarding school fee waivers - Wendy Sedwick at 331-228-4927

FOOD WAIVER: Only one application needs to be completed for each household. Please include ALL family members that live in the household (even those not attending a school). Applications are posted on the district website. In addition, paper applications are available at the schools and the Administration Building as in years past. Unlike the school fees, families can qualify for Reduced. Questions regarding food waivers - Patti Townsend 331-228-6529

• Thursday, August 3 - Material Pickup and Picture Days 1:00 - 7:00 pm
• Tuesday, August 8 - Material Pickup and Picture Days 1:00 - 7:00 pm
• Wednesday, August 9 - 6th Grade Orientation - 9:00 - 10:30 am
• Monday, August 14 - First Day of School
• Tuesday, August 22 - i-Ready Diagnostic
• Thursday, August 24 - i-Ready Diagnostic
• Wednesday, August 30 - Early Release for All Grades
• Friday, September 1 - Institute Day - No school for students
• Monday, September 4 - Labor Day - Schools are closed
• Tuesday, September 5 - Curriculum Night - 6th Grade parents/guardians 6:30 pm
• Wednesday, September 6 - Curriculum Night - 7th and 8th grade parents/guardians 6:30 pm