This week all students participated in a lesson from Common Sense Education’s K–12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum during their tutorial period. Our goal is to empower students to be safe, responsible, and respectful digital citizens. September's lesson was Helping Kids Balance their Media Life. A Family Tips guide can be found here. You can visit the Common Sense website at www.commonsense.org for more parent resources to support this learning at home. We are excited to provide this learning opportunity for our students.

Next Friday, October 11th marks the conclusion of our first quarter. As you talk with your child about his/her progress at school this may be a good time to organize folders, review planners, and check Home Access Center for any missed assignments as they prepare for the final week of the first quarter. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to ensure your child’s success.

Have a great weekend,

Alicia

There will be no school for students on:

• Friday, October 11th is a School Improvement Day. Students will be released at 12:10.

• Monday, October 14th to celebrate Columbus Day

Enjoy the long weekend! Please call the main office if you have any questions at (331) 228-3100!

On Wednesday, October 16th, eighth grade students and seventh grade AVID students will be taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) in the morning. This is a "pre-test" to the SAT and a part of the SAT Suite of Assessments. Students will take a test in the SAT Suite once a year through their Junior year in high school. Information from these assessments is used to monitor progress towards college and career readiness. Please visit the D303 Assessment and Accountability website for additional assessment information.

Thompson students will be testing with their first hour teacher during 1st through 4th periods. New this year, students will be testing on-line. Please remind your child to have their Chromebook charged for that day. Thank you!

And during 7th period this day, all 8th grade students will be taking the i-Ready Diagnostic assessment. This is an adaptive assessment designed to provide teachers with actionable insight into student's math needs.

The PTO webstore to purchase Thunder spiritwear is now open until November 19th! 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. Items will be delivered to Thompson on December 10th.

Thompson Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences will take place on Monday, November 25th from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm and Tuesday, November 26th from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm. Like previous years, signup is via a link in the Home Access Center beginning Tuesday, October 15th at 7:00 am.

Sixth grade students/parents will be meeting with their Tutorial teacher (typically the 2nd hour teacher for 6th graders) for a 15 minute conferences. 7th grade, 8th grade, PE, Foreign Language, Music, and Explore teachers will be available for eight minute conferences (with a two minute passing period). Sign up instructions are attached below.

Students that had their pictures retaken this week will receive a new Ticket Code for their image regardless if they were photographed on the original picture day. These will be sent home with the students within the next three weeks. After this time, you can contact Color Portraits, our new vendor, at cphelpcenter.com. Please contact the main office at 331-228-3100 with questions.

The Thompson Builders Club is a club focused on community service. They plan to volunteer monthly, on the second Thursday of each month, at the Northern Illinois Food Bank from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. The club needs ten or more students, each with a parent, guardian, or older sibling of driving age, to volunteer with them each time and are opening up this opportunity to the entire Thompson community! You do not need to be a member of Builders Club to join us!

The Northern Illinois Food Bank, located in Geneva, is the source of nutritious food and feeding programs for more than half a million people each year. It is a nonprofit organization with a goal of solving hunger in the 13-county service area of Northern Illinois. If you would like more specific information regarding the food bank please visit solvehungertoday.org.

If you would like to join us, please email Dave Simone for more information. The dates that we will be volunteering are 10/10, 11/14, 12/12, 1/9, 2/13, 3/12, 4/9, and 5/14. Thank you for your time and consideration! We look forward to sharing this experience with you!

October 30, 2019

Digital Citizenship

Thompson Middle School Cafeteria

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Join us for an evening with national digital citizenship speaker Josh Ochs, who will also be spending time at both middle and high schools. Josh talks to students about their future and how their digital footprint can have an impact. Josh shows parents how they can protect their children on 40+ popular apps. He’ll walk parents through the dangers of each app, where teens might be hiding their activity from parents, and how parents can keep their children safe.

Josh has Parent University resources that will be available to all District 303 families for the entire school year. Watch videos, learn about the latest apps, and find out how to keep your children safe at your convenience.

Register Here

Our Thompson Thunder students have the opportunity to purchase breakfast when they arrive to school each day. OrganicLife offers breakfast each day. Click here for more information.

• Friday, October 11 - School Improvement Half Day - Students are dismissed at 12:10 pm

• Friday, October 11 - End of the 1st Quarter for Thompson Middle School
• Tuesday, October 15 - Start of the second quarter
• Wednesday, October 16 - PSAT Testing
• Thursday, October 17 - PTO Meeting from 10:00 am - 11:00 am

• Friday, October 18 - Grades posted in the Home Access Center (HAC)
  

• Wednesday, October 30 - Digital Citizenship Parent University - Thompson - 6:30 pm