We have a few reminders in which we would appreciate your support to ensure safety at school:

• Please help your child to remember and understand the importance of wearing their ID at school everyday.

• We are reminding students at school but would appreciate if you too, would remind them to not open the school doors to any adults or students during the school day. New arrivals should all go to the main entrance.

• New Announcement:

• Thompson campus opens at 7:30 am; students should not arrive before then, unless they are attending a school activity with a teacher present (i.e., athletics, band, club).

• Students arriving at 7:30 am should enter through door 1 and go to the cafeteria where there will be supervision.

• We will keep all other building doors closed and locked until 7:45 am.

• At 7:45 the door by the gym, the door for parent drop-off, and the door by bus drop-off will be opened.

• Reminder that the Student Services Department is for all students that may have concerns or struggle. If your child wishes to see a counselor, they can ask their teacher for a pass to go to student services.

Thank you for your efforts to ensure safety at Thompson! Enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.

The Administrative Team at Thompson Middle School,

Shane Darnell - 6th Grade

Grant Montgomery - 7th Grade

Sarah Cann - 8th Grade

Alicia Honnert - Associate Principal

Steve Morrill - Principal

Last week the Student Services team met with ALL 6th grade students during their tutorial. The focus of our discussion was titled Size of Problem. Students learned about the different sizes of problems they may encounter during their school day and strategies that can be used when faced with problems as they arrive. A variety of coping strategies that can be used both in the classroom and outside of the classroom were shared. Here is the presentation for you to view and discuss with your children.

The Thompson Builders Club is a club focused on community service. They volunteered at the Northern Illinois Food Bank last week and helped pack 5,295 pounds of food providing 4,413 meals for families in need in Northern Illinois. To date, over the past three months, our group has helped pack 8,815 pounds of food providing 7,346 meals! Students looking for service hours can earn them by volunteering with us! Our next date is Thursday, December 12th and it is always the second Thursday of each month.

If you would like to join us, please email Dave Simone for more information. The dates that we will be volunteering are 12/12, 1/9, 2/13, 3/12, 4/9, and 5/14. We look forward to sharing this experience with you! You do not need to be a member of Builders Club to join us!

The PTO webstore to purchase Thunder spiritwear will now be open until November 24th with delivery still on December 10th! Please click here to view the options provided by The Hairy Ant. Please choose ‘gift’ at checkout to have your items delivered to school and kept in the main office without your child seeing the spiritwear.

The D303 School Board approved calendars for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. Please note several changes:

• Parent-teacher conferences are now scheduled in October on the Thursday and Friday before Columbus Day.
• Thanksgiving week is a non-attendance week.
• School Improvement days will be two full days.

They are still determining the arrival and dismissal times for next year but the order will be high school, elementary school, middle school. Specific times will be finalized prior to winter break.

Be sure to visit the Thompson Book Fair running from Monday, November 18th through the Monday of Parent-Teacher Conferences. The Book Fair will be open in the LRC from 7:30 am until 4:00 pm and 8:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday of conferences (November 25th). Stop in to do some shopping for your favorite readers! http://bookfairsfiles.scholastic.com/flippingbooks/F19-ms-booklist/F19-ms.pdf

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 and will remain so through February 14, 2020. To take the survey, please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey.

We value your feedback and appreciate you taking the time to provide Thompson Middle School with your input!

Recently District 303 hosted national digital citizenship speaker Josh Ochs at both our middle and high schools, and as part of our Parent University series. During his presentation with students, Josh spoke about the importance of creating a positive online profile. His evening presentation to parents focused on ways to keep children safe online, including what apps children can use safely and which ones to avoid.

Because he spoke in our district, all our families have the opportunity to register for a free one-year subscription to his SmartSocial.com Digital Driver’s Ed program. This resource provides information about current social media trends, statistics, and app guides. In addition, there are webinars that teach both parents and students about how to create a positive online presence. You must register by January 21, 2020 to take part in the free 12-month offer.

Here’s how you can access this resource:

• Download the SmartSocial app on either your iPhone or Android device. Use the code STCHARLES to unlock the program. https://smartsocial.com/app

• Access on a desktop/laptop using this link https://smartsocial.com/stcharles/

You will be given a username/password to log into the program. Your login information provides you with access to the videos and online workshops.

If you were unable to attend Josh’s presentation, there are links to both an audio and video version in the membership area of his website.

• Video: https://smartsocial.com/social-media-webinar/

• Audio: https://smartsocialpodcast.com/episodes/social-media-parent-speech-byjosh-ochs

Every year, Thompson students publish a Thompson Yearbook. Students who decide to purchase a yearbook are given this keepsake at the end of the school year. Buying a yearbook is optional and not all students choose to own one. The price of the yearbook is $25.

Have you ordered your Thompson 19-20 Yearbook? 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, 2019. We are extending the due date for ordering books to Thursday, January 16, 2020. Contact Kim Walters (kimberly.walters@d303.org or 331-228-6410) if you have any questions or need financial assistance. Or stop in the main office during conferences!

District 303 Parent University presents our second annual book study when we read "The Whole Brain Child" by Dr. Dan Siegel.

In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling book Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson demystify the meltdowns and aggravation, explaining the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,” which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. Conversations will be based upon the book as well as supplemental workbook activities.

Study sessions will be offered during both morning and evening times at the following locations:

Baker Community Center (101 S. 2nd Street, St. Charles)

Fox Ridge in the LRC (1905 Tyler Road, St. Charles)

Please register here by November 30 so we can order a book for you! Then let us know when you will pick up your book.

Book Pickup December 9, 2019

10:00-11:00 a.m. in the D303 Board Room

5:30-6:30 p.m. in the D303 Board Room

Join us for the book study sessions on the following dates:

February 13, 2020

9:15-10:30 a.m. at Baker Community Center

6:30-7:45 p.m. at Fox Ridge in the LRC

February 27, 2020

9:15-10:30 a.m. at Baker Community Center

6:30-7:45 p.m. at Fox Ridge in the LRC

March 12, 2020

9:15-10:30 a.m. at Baker Community Center

6:30-7:45 p.m. at Fox Ridge in the LRC

• Monday, November 25 - Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm - No school for students
• Tuesday, November 26 - Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences - 8:00 am - 12:00 pm - No school for students
• Wednesday, November 27 - No school for students (office will be open)
• Thursday, November 28 - Friday, November 29 - Thanksgiving Break
• Friday, December 20 - End of the 2nd Quarter