Thomas Timberwolves
School Community Newsletter 10/13/2019
Dear Parents and Guardians,
October is a busy month at TMS. We recently celebrated our award-winning PTA for the recognition earned by the Northwest Cook Region PTA! Way to go TMS PTA!
This newsletter is filled with many informational notes and invitations for activities that we hope you will consider attending. Here are 4 events that TMS is hosting:
- 10/23: Drug Prevention Assembly and Parent Coffee & Discussion
- 10/24 & 10/25: Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences
- 11/11: TMS Veterans Day Celebration - Breakfast and Assembly
- 11/18: FREE viewing of the movie Angst @ 7 p.m. at the CMX Arlington Heights Theater
It is a privilege to serve the TMS school community. Please feel free to reach out to us at any time and let us know how we can support you and your children.
Thank you!
Lori, Greg, & Nick
*NO SCHOOL - Monday, October 14th
Many THANKS for the super-fun PTA Fall Activity Night!
Many thanks for Judi Schuh, Riley Wharton, and our PTA for all of the planning and preparation for this event. We are excited to donate the proceeds to a needy cause.
Cross Country is State Bound!
The Girls competed strong as well and finished 5th place out of 15 teams to finish off the 2019 season.
Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences
*Parent-Teacher Conference: Thursday & Friday, 10/24/19 & 10/25/19
CLICK HERE to sign up for a conference time.
Then find your child’s ALPHA, BETA, DELTA, GAMMA, EPSILON, or ZETA team folder.
Conference sign-ups will close on 10/23/19. Due to planning purposes, we are unable to accommodate conferences that are not scheduled.
Physical Forms Required for ALL 6th Graders:
All 6th grade students need a physical form completed by October 15, 2019.
Please plan accordingly to ensure that your child is in compliance with this as it could impact school attendance.
525 Foundation Drug Prevention Assembly & Parent Coffee Session
Please join us for a Drug Prevention presentation from Becky Savage of the 525 Foundation.
We are grateful to our PTA and the Link Together Coalition for sponsoring this event.
We welcome you to attend the assembly (8:30-9:20 a.m. in the large gym) and then join the TMS Admin Team after for a coffee and discussion session (9:30-10:15 a.m. in the Commons).
Seating is limited ~ PLEASE RSVP below for this event!
Wednesday, Oct 23, 2019, 08:30 AM
Thomas Middle School, North Belmont Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL, USA
Save the date... Please join us for a special viewing of the Angst Movie at 7 p.m. on Monday, November 18th, 2019.
IndieFlix Shines the Light on Anxiety with Must-See Documentary,
“ANGST: RAISING AWARENESS AROUND ANXIETY”
WHEN: Monday, November 18, 2019, at 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: CMX Arlington Heights Theater, 53 S Evergreen Ave. in Arlington Heights
District 25 is dedicated to supporting social-emotional learning to help build the emotional intelligence of our students. We are proud to announce that South and Thomas Middle Schools, with support of the PTAs, are working together to bring the powerful film, Angst, to our school community. This 56-minute film provides insight on the impact of anxiety, the most common mental health challenge in the U.S. Our hope is to help open the lines of communication between you and your child(ren) around this topic.
The middle school staffs at both buildings will view the film at a staff meeting on Monday, November 18, 2019 and at 7 p.m. that evening, we will host a special screening of the documentary for our school community at CMX Arlington Heights Theater, 53 S Evergreen Ave. in Arlington Heights.
Stay tuned for information on how to Pre-Register to Reserve Your FREE Seats
Below you will find specifics on the Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety Movie:
Producers Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick have one goal: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope. The film also includes a special interview with Michael Phelps, a mental health advocate and one of the greatest athletes of all-time. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with resources and tools available to address the condition.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health challenge in the U.S., impacting 54 percent of females and 46 percent of males, with age seven being the median age of onset, according to the World Health Organization. While anxiety disorders are highly treatable, only one-third of those suffering receive treatment. You will find tools and resources on the Angstmovie.com website.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Lori Naumowicz, Principal, Thomas Middle School.
PHONE & ONLINE Absence Reporting
PHONE CALL TO REPORT AN ABSENCE:
1) Call the Thomas School phone number at 847-398-4260.
2) The auto-attendant will prompt you with these options:
- Press 1 to report an absence
- Press 2 to contact the school nurse
- Press 0 to remain on the line for the office.
3) Press 1 and report your child's absence.
ONLINE REPORTING via TMS Homepage:
Click the ONLINE ABSENCE REPORTING BUTTON located on the TMS homepage and complete the details on your child's absence.
Absent & Upcoming Absences? Want to request homework?
You will no longer need to call the office to request work that has been missed. Instead, you can stay up-to-date by logging into Schoology. We do not expect your child to complete the work while they are absent because we anticipate they are sick and that is the reason they are home. When they are feeling better and ready to begin making up the work it will be available on Schoology. If you are not confident that the work is available on Schoology please email the teacher directly to inquire about what homework specifically needs to be made up.
Thank you!
ATTENDANCE & TARDY
At the end of each quarter, we will also send home a letter notifying parents of students who have missed more than 5% of the school year or have been tardy for more than 5% of the school year.
"By as early as sixth grade, high truancy rates become a distinct predictor of whether or not a student will graduate from high school."
For this reason, we think it is critical to notify all families that attending school and attending on time is critical to your child's success.
Assessment Information
*Fall 2019 MAP reports for students who took the fall MAP assessment (All 6th graders and select 7th & 8th graders) will be sent home via backpack on 10/11/19.
This is a reminder that sometime over the next three weeks your student will be participating in the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) in their classroom. The CogAT’s measurement of three different content domains ensures that educators receive a balanced view of each child. The CogAT consists of three test batteries: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Nonverbal Reasoning. Testing totals 90 minutes in length and is given in three thirty-minute sessions over three days. Schedules will vary by building. Results will be sent home in November.
*Spring 2019 Illinois Assessment of Readiness reports will be sent home via backpacks on 10/18/19.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness dates have been determined and reflected on the District 25 Assessment calendar. The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) window will be March 11th - 20th. Please visit the district website to view the assessment calendar in greater detail.
District 214- Future Ready Parent Series!
Parents and Guardians:
District 214 is excited to again bring you the Future Ready Parent Series this school year!
The Future Ready Parent series will consist of free classes/events throughout the 2019-2020 school year that provides the community with relevant topics affecting today’s youth. Registration is required for some classes.
Upcoming classes/events include:
College and Career Ready! Night
This program is open to all grade levels, including eighth graders and is designed to give an introductory understanding of District 214’s career pathways. Sessions will include D214 curriculum overview, postsecondary engagement and student voice experience for each pathway.
Forest View Educational Center, Door 1
Wednesday, October 23, 2019 from 4:30 - 8:30pm
Registration not required.
UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me-World
Bestselling author Michele Borba, Ed.D offers a nine-step program to help parents cultivate empathy in children from birth to young adulthood and explains why developing a healthy sense of empathy is a key predictor of which kids will thrive and succeed in the future. In our hyper-connected, social media-saturated society, many of us are so obsessed with snapping “selfies” and living a virtual life online that we’re forgetting how to care for the people right in front of us IRL (that’s “in real life”). The resulting Selfie Syndrome is leading to an empathy crisis among today’s youth – teens today are 40 percent less empathetic than they were just a generation ago and narcissism has increased 58 percent during that same period. But there is a solution: Studies show the antidote to Selfie Syndrome is empathy. And the good news is empathy can actually be cultivated in children, starting even before they can talk.
Forest View Educational Center - Theater, Door 1
Wednesday, December 4, 2019 from 7 - 8:30pm
Space limited; registration required.
Class #1445
Register at ce.d214.org or 847-718-7700.
To register or learn more, call 847-718-7700 or visit http://bit.ly/parentready.
This series is sponsored by District 214 Community Education and District 214’s Professional Learning and Student Services Department.
Illinois State Report Card - Thomas
Thomas Middle School
Email: tmsadmin@sd25.org
Website: https://www.sd25.org/Domain/9
Location: 1430 N Belmont Ave, Arlington Heights, IL, United States
Phone: 847.398.4260
Twitter: @AHSD25Thomas