Thomas Community Newsletter
August 16, 2023 (Updated 8/17/23)
Dear TMS Community,
Tomorrow is the first day of school and we can't wait to meet all the members of the Wolf Pack and get to know them. We take tremendous pride in our ability to create an outstanding middle school experience for your children and your family. We recognize that this starts with building relationships on day one. We are ready to connect with your children and tell them how much THEY BELONG in our Wolf Pack. For each of our 995+ students, we have created a personalized schedule to ensure that each student has a place in our classrooms during all 10 periods of the school day. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO WELCOME YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLER TO THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR!
Please help us start the day off in a safe and successful manner by reviewing the TMS Drop Off & Pick Up Guidelines linked here and below.
You'll find new items for:
1st Day of School Modified Day Schedule - Thursday, 8/17/23
TMS Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures
Back-To-School Event - Thursday, 8/17/23 from 4-7 PM
TMS Safety Drills
2nd Day of School Advisory/Monday Schedule - Friday, 8/18/23
PTA Information & Parent Volunteer Opportunities in PE Class
TMS Golf Club Information
6th Grade Curriculum Night: Wednesday, 8/30/23 @ 6 PM
Picture Day: Friday, 9/1/23 during PE Class
- 7th & 8th Grade Curriculum Night: Wednesday, 9/6/23 @ 6 PM
- ABC/25 Event on 9/20/23 @ 7 PM
Important Dates for the TMS Health Office
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION - TMS Ins' & Outs' Document and District 25 Parent Student Handbook
Food & Nutrition Services & Breakfast Menu
School Supplies Lists
COMMUNICATION: Each month, you can expect two newsletters from TMS around the 1st and 15th. Communication between those times will be reserved for time-sensitive items. All TMS Newsletters are archived on the TMS website along with many other essential pieces of information under Quick Links. We ask that you please take some time to read through the details shared in our newsletters.
After three productive Institute Days together, the TMS staff members are feeling extremely well-prepared for an AWESOME school year! We hope to see everyone tomorrow at our Back-To-School event from 4-7 PM and again at our Curriculum Nights detailed below.
Take care,
Lori, Nick, & Greg
TMS Administrative Team
First Day of School & Back-To-School Event - Thursday, 8/17/23
1st Day of School - Please see the modified daily schedule below for the first day of school. Friday, 8/18/23 we will run an Advisory/Monday schedule.
Back-To-School Night - Thursday, 8/17/23 from 4-7 PM
- Students, parents, and siblings are welcome to drop in anytime during this event and walk the hallways following the student's schedule and or set up the student's hallway locker and practice the locker combination. The PE locker rooms will not be available.
- School administrators and student leaders will be on hand to assist as needed.
- Kona Ice will be on hand as part of a TMS PTA FUNdraiser.
NOTE: We ask that siblings in 5th grade and below be accompanied by a parent at these events.
Safety 1st! TMS Safety Drills
- Soft Lock Down Drill
- Hard Lock Down Drill
- Shelter in Place Drill
- Evacuation/Fire Drill
- Relocation Drill
TMS Golf Club Information
Are you an avid golfer? Action needed quickly! For the first time, Thomas Middle School is offering an opportunity for student-athletes to compete in the IESA State Golf Tournament.
This is for experienced golfers. The tournament takes place early in the school year. There will not be time for coaching or formal practices. (We may establish some events in the Spring of 2024 with some practice and light coaching to build up for the IESA tournament in September 2024.)
Here are the important details below:
- Informational Meeting for interested students on Monday, August 21 after school in Room 242
- TMS Qualifying Event - Tuesday, August 22 at Arlington Lakes Golf Club (front 9 holes) at 5:20 PM.
- IESA Sectional - Boys - Wednesday, September 6 (Rockford, IL), Times TBD
- IESA Sectional - Girls - Thursday, September 7 (Mundelein, IL), Times TBD
- IESA State Tournament - Girls - Thursday, September 14 (Metamora, IL near Peoria), Times TBD
- IESA State Tournament - Boys - Friday, September 15 (Metamora, IL near Peoria), Times TBD
All golfers and families are responsible for all greens fees and transportation to and from the events.
If interested, please fill out this Google Form by Friday, August 18. More specific details about requirements and procedures will be shared with those interested.
For further questions, please email Marc Goldstein at mgoldstein@sd25.org
TMS Curriculum Nights ~ SAVE THE DATES!
- 6th Grade Curriculum Night: Wednesday, 8/30/23 @ 6 PM
- 7th & 8th Grade Curriculum Night: Wednesday, 9/6/23 @ 6 PM
More information to come!
STUDENT APPEARANCE/DRESS CODE (Updated in D25 Parent Student Handbook 6/26/2023)
Dress Code
Arlington Heights School District 25 student dress code supports equitable educational access and does not reinforce stereotypes or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, household income, or cultural observance. The district does not prohibit hair styles historically associated with race, ethnicity or hair texture. We expect that all students dress in a way that is appropriate for learning. Student attire should not interfere with the health or safety of any student or contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for anyone. The District believes that the responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and parent/guardian(s). Any restrictions must be necessary to support the overall educational goals of the school and must be explained within this dress code.
Students Must Wear:
A Shirt: fabric in the front, back, and sides under the arms (faces must be visible to school staff and dresses are acceptable), AND
A Bottom: pants/sweatpants/shorts/skirt/dress/leggings/ skorts AND
Shoes: Covering the bottom of the foot including, but not limited to sandals, gym shoes, flip flops, and boots. Anything with wheels or blades are not allowed.
Basic Principle: Certain body parts must be covered for all students at all times. Clothes must be worn in a way such that genitals, buttocks, breasts, and nipples are covered with a non-transparent fabric. As used in this set of guidelines, the word “clothing” includes accessories.
Except as Required in class or extracurricular program, students cannot wear the following items in school:
Violent language or images.
Images, language depicting, or promoting drugs or alcohol or any illegal item or activity.
Hate speech, profanity, pornography.
Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class or consistently marginalized groups.
Bathing suits
Accessories that could be used as a weapon.
Hats, hoods, helmets or headgear (except as a religious observance or if medically necessary).
Sunglasses (unless medically necessitated)
Clothing/attire misappropriating a particular gender, ethnicity, race, or religion
Dress Code Enforcement:
Students in violation should be referred to school administration, and will be given multiple options to be dressed to code.
No student should be disproportionately affected by dress code enforcement because of gender identity or expression, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, cultural or religious identity, body size, body maturity or household income.
Student athletes may follow IESA guidelines when athletic dress conflicts with the contents of the dress code.
To review the student dress code policy, visit the ‘Students’ Board Policy page (https://www.sd25.org/Page/93) and click on Board Policy 7:160 - Student Appearance.
Daily Attendance Information
Daily attendance 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 in this area, 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. Please be sure to report your child's absence so that we can account for all students each day. Advanced notification of absences is greatly appreciated.
- ARRIVAL TIME: Students should arrive at school between 7:30-7:40 AM so that they can stop at their locker and be seated in their homeroom class by 7:50 AM.
- LATE ARRIVAL/TARDIES: Students arriving late to school are unexcused unless a parent or guardian calls to report the reason for the late arrival. Oversleeping and traffic are not considered excused absences. Students must sign in at the office upon arrival at school.
- EARLY DISMISSAL: If your child has a doctor's appointment and needs to leave school before dismissal at 2:45 PM, please be sure to report this to the TMS office by filling out the Online Attendance Form OR calling the office at 847-398-4260. Students must sign out in the office before leaving school early.
Students who are absent from class are encouraged to check Schoology for assignment information. In addition, it may be helpful for students who are absent to attend Homework Club / Office Hours for a few days upon returning to school.
Breakfast is served daily 7:30 - 7:45 AM in the Commons
IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE TMS HEALTH OFFICE:
- PHYSICALS: Athletes must have a current physical BEFORE they can participate in ANY practices. Physicals are good for 13 months, so “current” for the Cross Country season means a physical dated after 9/15/22. A school nurse will be on hand to accept physicals from 7:00-7:15 am on the first day of practice on Monday, August 7th at Hasbrook Park. Physicals can be turned in at the TMS office before Monday, August 7th or uploaded to the TMS Health Office form linked here.
- All 6th grade physicals must be dated on or after 8/17/2022 and are due by 10/15/2023. The physical must be turned in by October 15th or the student will be excluded. 6th grade students participating in Cross Country will need to turn in their completed physical forms before the first day of Cross Country practice in early August.
- Dental Forms are due by May 15th, 2024 must be dated after November 15th, 2022.
- If the 6th grader is participating in Cross Country we must have the physical by the first day of practice.
TMS PTA INFORMATION
Our first of only five TMS PTA meetings is in the LMC on September 12 at 7 pm. Please try to attend! Here is the entire year's schedule so you can block your calendars:
- Tuesday, September 12
- Wednesday, October 11
- Tuesday, March 5
- Wednesday, January 11
- 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
ABC/25 at Arlington Ale House 9/20/23
ABC/25 invites parents and community members to an adult only info session at Arlington Ale House (3rd floor of the Metropolis) on Wednesday, September 20th 7-8 PM.
Come learn how your membership benefits the schools and students and become involved in our rebrand! This is a free to the community event - not a fundraiser. RSVP here: https://forms.gle/6NTsr9zwr29a8MGS9
TMS Office Hours
HOURS: Monday-Friday: 7 am - 3 PM