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Thomas Community Newsletter
February 14, 2024
Dear TMS Community,
Happy Valentine's Day! We look forward to connecting with families at Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences tomorrow and Friday, 2/15/24 & 2/16/24. We hope that everyone enjoys the non-attendance day this Monday, 2/19/24 for President's Day.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE complete the 5Essential Survey. It takes just a few minutes. We would be so grateful if you could share your feedback by taking the 5Essentials Survey. We need at least a 20% response rate to obtain data from this survey.
In this newsletter you'll find new information for:
Way To Go STATE Qualifying TMS Band Students!
Congratulations Mr. Filipowski ~ Big News to Share!
Celebrate With Us! - Black History Month
Middle School Art Expo - Vote for the 12 TMS Students
Remind your child to check the TMS lost & found & to lock items in their lockers
Protocol for students calling home during the school day
Summer U Information
ABC 25 Announcements
Upcoming Events:
Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences & Optional 8th Grade Graduation Photos - 2/15/24 & 2/16/24
8th Grade Information - Illinois Youth Survey Information (Survey date 2/26/24 during Advisory)
- IAR Testing - Week of 3/11/24
Spring MAP Testing - Tuesday, 4/16/24 & Thursday, 4/18/24
Take care,
Lori, Nick, & Greg
TMS Administrative Team
5Essentials Survey
- Click here to take it
- If you have not already, please take a few minutes to complete the 5Essentials Survey. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at our school and guide improvement. A report will be generated only if we have 20 percent parent participation.
- Survey Link: https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/
- Click here for the 5 Essentials Parent Letter
- Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.*
- Student Survey (Grades 4-8 ONLY) The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered at Thomas Middle School in the near future. For a copy of the questions, click here.
- If you do not want your child to participate, fill out the information at the bottom of this form (linked here) and ask your child to return this sheet to their teacher.
Congratulations to the following students who qualified on the individual level for band at STATE!
- Kedus Melaku - Clarinet
- Andrew Rice - Clarinet
- Brandon Geltner - Euphonium
- Landon Rice - Euphonium
- Caroline Hong - Oboe Alternate
Congratulations on your Principalship Mr. Filipowski!
Last night the Oak Park Board of Education approved Mr. Filipowski as the next Principal of Julian Middle School in District 97, effective July 1, 2024. We are extremely excited for him as he takes this next step in his career, but we will MISS HIM DEARLY! Nick has made so many amazing contributions to TMS and the District 25 Community during his nine years here. We are incredibly grateful for his service and for all the ways he has enriched our learning community. Mr. Filipowski will remain at TMS for the rest of this school year and he will also serve as the Summer U Principal. We wish Mr. Filipowski all the best!
Black History Month
One of the ways TMS celebrates Black History Month is via the daily TMS announcements. Click here to view slides that highlight and honor many of the contributions from all periods of U.S. History.
Lost & Found Items & Locking Up Materials in Lockers
- The TMS LOST & FOUND is once again over flowing with items. There are MANY PE shirts and valuable items that need to be claimed! Items will be donated over this long weekend.
- All students should be locking up their personal materials in either their hallway or PE lockers. Materials should not be left out or unattended at anytime.
Protocol for Students Contacting Home During the School Day
- We ask that students do not use cell phones during the school day. Instead, students may ask permission to come to the office to contact home. This will help ensure that communication is effective in the event that there's confusion.
- Please help our T-Wolves build strong skills in being responsible and independent. Only bring items to school in the event of an emergency. (We have water fountains and serve a variety of hot and cold lunches each day!)
- Please connect with your child before school to make arrangements for after school pick-up and information on Club or event they wish to attend.
- When a student falls ill during the school day, they should report to the Health Office. The TMS nurses will assess the students and contact home if needed. Students should not be contacting home via cell phones when they are feeling ill.
Summer U
- Summer U 2024 June 6 - June 27, 2024 at Thomas Middle School *Dates subject to change pending review of winter weather emergency days.
- Registration will begin on March 4, 2024 at 9 am and end on April 26, 2024, at 3 pm.
- Please visit www.sd25.org/summeru for a full list of courses and times.
- If you have any questions about Summer U, please email summeru@sd25.org for assistance.
Daily School Attendance Matters!
Daily attendance at school is expected and essential to school success. Please work with us to ensure that your child is attending school each day. If support is needed, please reach out to us.
- ABSENCE REPORTING: The TMS attendance reporting options are open 24 hours a day 7 days per week. If your child is sick or unable to attend school, the parent/guardian MUST report this to the TMS office by filling out the Online Attendance Form OR calling the office at 847-398-4260 by 8 AM, the latest, on the day of the absences.
8th Grade Information
Class of 2024 Graduation Information - Check out the newly added information on the 5/22/24 Great America Field Trip
Graduation Photo opportunity from Stuart Rodgers - 2/15/24 & 2/16/24 - Click here to book an optional appointment
8th Grade Illinois Youth Survey Information - Survey date 2/26/24
District 25 Pre-Registration is now OPEN
Pre-Registration is NOW open to families with incoming new and kindergarten students for next year, 2024-2025! Please begin the registration process by visiting www.sd25.org/Registration and clicking on the 2024-2025 Pre-Registration drop down.
TMS PTA INFORMATION
Join the TMS PTA and help support the TMS community! Check out the TMS PTA Website.
TMS PTA meetings are held in the TMS LMC at 7 p.m. All are welcome to attend!
- Tuesday, March 5
- Tuesday, May 7
2023-2024 Executive Board Members
- President: Megan Puzen
- President-Elect: Kris Dugan
- Vice President: Nora Muenkel
- Treasurer: Diane Beardmore
- Secretary: Joclyn Katz
Are you willing to volunteer? Do you have a question for the PTA? Please contact the PTA at: thomasmiddleschoolpta@gmail.com
Glenbard Parent Series
District 25 is a partner in the Link Together Coalition which gives our community access to the Glenbard Parent Series. Please check out the various Glenbard Parent Series presentations that work to engage top experts, parents and school staff to become proactive and informed in pursuit of the mutual goal to strengthen our communities. Programs are free and open to the public. No registration required.
ABC/25 Foundation
Monday, February 19th - Exploring Cryogenics With Mr. Freeze - EVENT AT IVY HILL
- Join us on February 19th, 2024, for our STEM event at Ivy Hill, where Mr. Freeze from Fermilab will get kids (and adults) excited about science as he demonstrates cryogenics using liquid nitrogen.
- This event is free for members but will be $10 per participant for non-members. It's a fantastic show, but even with two show times, space is limited, so sign up now!
- Make sure to sign each child up individually. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0949A4AC2FA0FCCF8-46656888-thecoolestshow#/
Monday, February 19th - Sunday, February 25th - MINDFUL KITCHEN FUNDRAISER - 20% of Sales Goes Directly to the Fork Farm Fundraiser
- From Monday, February 19, 2024 through Sunday, February 25, 2024, we are partnering with local Arlington Heights business “A Mindful Kitchen.”
- They will donate 20% of sales to the Fork Farm initiative when mentioning the ABC/25 Foundation, either verbally if buying in-store or by writing ABC/25 in the order notes section if ordering online.
- Visit their website for more information about their healthy and delicious options! https://amindfulkitchen.com.
Tuesday, January 9th – Sunday, March 31st – The FIRST EVER district wide fundraising initiative called – GROWING TOGETHER: A FORK FARM INITIATIVE
- The ABC/25 Foundation has been working with Sandra Voss, District 25 Director of Food & Nutrition Services, to dive deep into the world of Fork Farm Hydroponic Farming!
- It's been a transformative experience for students at Patton and Dryden, who've had the opportunity to cultivate and consume their own lettuce. Below is a video we've put together to share this knowledge with you.
- The ABC/25 Foundation is striving to raise sufficient funds for one or more additional Form Farm Flex Farm hydroponic units for the benefit of AHSD25 students. To magnify our impact, for every donation you make, we're going to match it (up to $5,000)!
- Learn more out our initiative and Fork Farms here: https://abc25.org/forkfarm
- DONATE HERE: https://sd25.revtrak.net/ABC25.../fork-farm-initiative
Here our staff and students about about the Fork Farm program here: https://fb.watch/q3CZwKauQu/
IMPORTANT HEALTH OFFICE INFORMATION
- Physical Forms: Athletes must have a current physical BEFORE they can participate in ANY practices. Physicals are good for 13 months. Physicals can be turned in at the TMS office or uploaded to the TMS Health Office form linked here.
- Dental Forms are due by May 15th, 2024 must be dated after November 15th, 2022.
Please contact the TMS Health Office if you have any questions:
Laura Toussaint - ltoussaint@sd25.org
Stephanie Musolf - smusolf@sd25.org
Bus Information
- All students need to show their bus pass in order to ride the bus!
- Click here for the Bus Safety Guidelines and Rule as well as details on lost items on the bus.
- Bus Company Questions: Contact Cook Co. School Bus Company at 847- 439-0923
- Please direct bus transportation questions to the District 25 Transportation Specialist: Laura Comastro as she can answer your questions and resolve issues.
Safe2Help Illinois
Safe2Help Illinois is a 24/7 program where students can use a free app, text/phone, and website (safe2helpil.com) to share information on school safety issues in a confidential environment. Once vetted, the information provided will be shared with local district and school officials and/or local 911 call center, depending on the nature of the information shared. Safe2Help Illinois is a long-term initiative to change the school culture in Illinois by helping students reach out when they have concerns. To learn further about Safe2Help Illinois, please see the videos below. More information can also be found on their website at safe2helpil.com. Video for Middle School Students
School Resource Officer
Please know that you can report concerns or social media incidents to our School Resource Officer, John O'Leary from the Arlington Heights Police Department from the Arlington Heights Police Department. He is available to address your concerns and can be reached at joleary@vah.com M: 847-878-2949. W: 847-368-5393. In addition, the police station is open 24-7 to report incidents that occur outside of TMS, after school hours, and on the weekends. You can also call 911 or go to the Police Station to report concerns.
The TMS Office will have modified hours over winter break and will be closed on 12/26 & 1/2.
Please be sure to call before coming into the office.