
Thomas Timberwolves
School Community Newsletter - April 17, 2021
Safety ~ Connection ~ Instruction
Hello, Thomas Middle School Community,
We hope this email finds you and your family well on this sunny Saturday. Spring has arrived and TMS is a busy place! The 3rd Quarter report cards were emailed yesterday which means that the 4th and final quarter of this school year started this week. We are heading into the home stretch! Please hang in there with us, this is when things get really fun in the middle school setting! Just yesterday we began distributing the 8th-grade gowns and the graduation buzz is officially in the air! Today we are hosting an outdoor Cheerleading performance, graduation gown pick-ups, and incoming 6th-grade self-guided family tours. As you can see, this final quarter brings lots of excitement to our building.
MONDAYS, STARTING 4/26/21 in-Person instruction will begin for our in-person students. The District 25 Switch forms closed last night and TMS will welcome more students into the building bringing our daily in-person student population to almost 800 students and about 920+ people per day. That said, we have some ESSENTIAL SAFETY PROTOCOLS that we ask that you PLEASE SPEAK WITH YOUR CHILD ABOUT.
With the warmer weather, we have noticed that the students are a bit more comfortable (which we love in many ways) but in terms of safety mitigations, we need your help in talking to your child about the importance of adhering to and respecting the safety protocols. Please know that we share this because we are eager to keep our doors open and want to maintain the ability to offer in-person learning for our students.
Please review these ESSENTIAL SAFETY PROTOCOLS & EXPECTATIONS with your child:
- MASKS: Students must wear masks that fit properly over their mouth and nose. If students have a mask that is stretched out or loose, they should get a new one. It may help to bring 2 masks to school each day.
- HALLWAYS: Students should proceed directly to their assigned classroom and remain in the classroom for the duration of the passing period and class time. Students should not linger in the hallways before school, after school, or during passing periods.
- ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL: Students should stand with one foot on a pink dot (social-distancing marker) on the ground to help maintain socially distanced, 6-feet apart.
- USE THE CROSSWALKS: Given the heavy traffic flow on Belmont Avenue, it is extremely dangerous to cross Belmont Avenue outside of the crosswalks. PLEASE talk to your child about using the crosswalks at Thomas & Olive Streets.
PARENT SAFETY PROTOCOLS for TRAFFIC FLOW DURING ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL:
If each of us does our part in demonstrating patience and cooperation, we can ensure a safe and smooth experience for everyone!
Traffic Flow & Parking
- PLEASE DO NOT enter the Belmont Avenue parking lot unless you have a specialized pick-up or drop-off.
7th & 8th-grade drop-off and pick-up occur along Belmont Avenue.
6th-grade drop-off occurs inside the Arlington Heights/Thomas Street parking lot and pick-up occurs along Belmont Avenue.
PLEASE DO NOT ask your child to exit or enter your car unless you are in a student loading zone.
LUNCH HELP NEEDED:
- To keep our lunch groupings as socially distanced as possible, we are running multiple lunch spaces and are in need of lunch supervisors. Please contact Mr. Keadle at gkeadle@sd25.org if you are available between 11-1:30 daily and willing to supervise lunch. We are currently hiring for these positions and also seeking volunteers.
- To minimize traffic in our hallways and visitors in our building, we ask that parents not drop off hot lunches or non-essential items in the office. Students can be provided with a free lunch each day.
DATES TO NOTE:
- No School - Non-Attendance Day for Students - Monday, 4/19/21 (Staff SIP Day)
- IAR & 8th Grade ISA Testing: Week of May 3-7
- 8th Grade Graduation Car Parade - Monday, 5/24/21 @ 3:00
- 8th Grade Student Picnic - Thursday, 5/27/21 @ 12:30
- No School - Non-Attendance Day for Students - Friday, 5/28/21 (Staff SIP Day)
- 8th Grade Graduation - Wednesday, 6/2/21 @ 7:30 BGHS (Rain Date 6/3/21)
- Last Day of School 6th & 7th Grade - Friday, 6/11/21 (Should emergency days not be used)
Lastly, many thanks to all those that completed the 5Essentials Parent Survey. We look forward to viewing and sharing this data with all of you once it is received. We are grateful for your partnership as we continue to prioritize safety, connection, and instruction.
Take care and be well,
~ Lori, Greg, & Nick
8th Grade Gown Distribution Information
REMOTE LEARNERS:
- All remote learners can pick up gowns at a time that works best for you before June 1st! TMS is open daily from 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Today, Saturday, April 17th we are available for GOWN PICK UP from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Gown pick-up should take just two minutes ~ simply park in the Belmont Avenue parking lot, enter the main entrance, and take the gown from our pick-up table inside of the TMS vestibule.
Attendance Expectations
ZOOM: Remote learning is only for families that selected the remote option or students that are in quarantine. Students that are traveling are considered absent and should check Schoology for information on the missed school work and should attend office hours to check in with staff.
REPORTING AN ABSENCE: If your student is unable to attend school, please complete the Absence Form online or leave a message in the front office with the dates of absence.
Click here to access the TMS absence form
Click Here to view the Cook County Travel Guidelines:
As always, we are here to talk things through with you and answer any questions you may have. The most important thing we can do is stay home if anyone is sick. Thank you again for partnering with us to continue to keep TMS a safe place for everyone.
Next SATURDAY, APRIL 24th is the 10th Annual ABC/25 GetBurbed Challenge
Click here to REGISTER TODAY! This year this event will consist of an In-Person One Mile Run held on April 24, 2021 at South Middle School along with a Virtual 1 Mile and 5K that you can complete anytime before May 2, 2021.
Please visit www.raceroster.com/44529 to register and www.abc25challenge.org for full details and guidelines for both events.
There will be a fun contest planned for all participants with PRIZES! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to participate!
TMS PTA
Do you have questions for the PTA? Email the PTA at: thomasmiddleschoolpta@gmail.com
2020-2021 PTA Officers:
President: Lucy Block
President-Elect: Amy Hoffman
Vice President: Melissa Teuscher
Treasurer: Suzanne Krause
Secretary: Lisa Ulrych
Future Meeting Dates:
* Tuesday, April 20 @ 7 PM - RSVP on this form if you plan to attend.
* May 19
HELPFUL LINKS:
- PTA 2020-2021 Bylaws - Here is a link to the 20-21 bylaws which have been approved. The public has 30 days to read and review these before they are finalized at the April 20, 2021 meeting.
- Link to the TMS PTA Website
Questions regarding Spiritwear? Please contact:
Stephanie Notaro - sgnotaro@sbcglobal.net
Stephanie Gries - sgries6@comcast.net f
Directory Spot: Shannon Hull is the TMS Directory Spot Chairperson. Please email ThomasPTADirectory@gmail.com for changes or access issues.
TMS Athletic & Extracurricular Updates
Please continue to check the Extracurricular Page of the TMS Website for information on all the sports and clubs happening this year! Current clubs & sports are as follows:
- 7th & 8th Grade Track & Field
- 7th & 8th Grade Girls Basketball
- 7th & 8th Grade Boys Volleyball
- 7th & 8th Grade Cheerleading
- Science Olympiad
- Band Programs
- PRIDE Club
- Student Council
- DEN Club
- Crafting Club
- H2O Club
- Gaming Club
- Fantasy Baseball Club
- Car Club
- Artists Who Love to Read
- Math Contest
- Lego Club
- Cooking Club
- Battle of the Books
Activity Bus Update
Activity Bus: This runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and most Fridays. Students should complete the Activity Bus Form each time they ride the bus for contact tracing purposes. The bus begins to load at 3:25 and departs TMS promptly at 3:35. Students must be bus riders and have a bus pass to be eligible to take the Activity Bus.
Mental Health Resources
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (call 1-800-273-8255 for free and confidential support for people in distress and best practices for professionals)
- Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor)
- Call4Calm (text TALK or HABLAR to 552020 to get connected to a counselor in your area)
- Safe2Help Illinois (a 24/7 tip line that gives students a safe and confidential way to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence, or other threats to school safety).
FOOD DISTRIBUTION & FREE LUNCH
FREE LUNCH FOR STUDENTS - Students can order a free lunch Tuesday-Friday at TMS. Orders are placed during homeroom.
- Day: Every Wednesday
- Times: 9:30 am – 10:30 am & 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
- Where: Thomas Middle School ONLY
- Who: All Arlington Heights families with students age 18 and under
- Important Notes: Neighbors or friends are allowed to come to pick up meal bags for you from Thomas Middle School. If food delivery is needed, please contact us and we can arrange for a delivery time.
BUS INFORMATION
Laura Comastro - lcomastro@sd25.org
PHONE: (847) 758-4888 | Fax: (847) 228-2078
TMS Office Information
*Hours may be modified over spring break. Please call before coming to the office.
Address: 1430 N. Belmont Ave. Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Phone: 847-398-4260
Fax: 847-394-6843