THORNTON MIDDLE SCHOOL

It was great seeing so many students and families during MAZE days. We are very excited to welcome our new and returning students to campus for the first day of school on Wednesday, August 14th. With 700 new 6th graders and a total enrollment of 2000, it is bound to be an exciting school year. The custodial crew has been working all summer to prepare the school for the return of students and staff. The teachers and clerical staff have returned from summer break and have been participating in all of the "behind the scenes" work that must take place prior to the arrival of students. All of this is to say, We are excited to see you and looking forward to the start of the school year!

This newsletter contains a lot of important information regarding the first days of school which include some action items for parents and students. It is imperative that you review the items in the newsletter and take action on setting up the Aeries Parent Portal and completing the Class Link account claiming task. Without these two items, parents will not have access to student schedules and grades and students will not have access to any required technology that is needed to fully participate in school. Please take a moment to make sure these two items are completed prior to the start of school.

Our first day of school is a regular scheduled day. The warning bell rings at 8:05am. School dismisses at 2:23pm. Traffic will be very heavy and congested the first few days of school. Students are encouraged to walk, bike or take the bus to school. If you must drive your child, please consider carpooling and parking away from campus and having students walk in. Thornton Middle School is off of Route 84 which adds to the significant morning congestion and traffic jams. Please plan accordingly. I look forward to seeing you on August 14th!

Welcome Back,

Ms. Strausbaugh, Principal

Students will have access to their schedules on August 9, 2024, through the Aeries Portal. Please login to Aeries to view your schedule. Students should be able to access Aeries by logging into their Google Accounts, going to the waffle, and clicking on the Aeries widget. Parents should also be able to access the student schedule through the Aeries Parent Portal. Please note that some changes may have occurred since picking up your schedule during MAZE day. Schedules should be printed or handwritten so that students can reference them on the first day of school. Students should bring their schedule with them to school on the first day as printed schedules will not be provided.

Aeries Parent Portal

Account Instructions & Support

If your student was unable to attend MAZE day, below is some important information that will help them prepare for the first day of school.

• Student Schedules can be accessed through the Aeries portal.
• Picture Make-Up and ID issuance will happen on Sept. 27th
• PE Clothes may be purchased from the PE teacher during the first 2 weeks of school
• Yearbooks can be purchased online anytime by following instructions on the flier
• Donations can be dropped off in the front office after school starts

There are multiple areas designated for student drop-off and pick-up. In order to assist the with traffic flow, we have designated specific parking loops by grade level. We anticipate student enrollment in excess of 2,000 students. Therefore, walking, biking, and riding the city bus to school are encouraged. If students must be dropped-off or picked-up by car, please allow plenty of time, be patient, and be mindful of pedestrians. Students may NOT be dropped off on Thornton Avenue. This is a safety concern and is illegal.

• 6th Graders - use the central-most loop directly in front of the new administration building.
• 7th Graders - use the small loop on the eastern-most part of campus in front of the portables.
• 8th Graders - use the back loop by entering the western-most driveway and proceeding back towards the large gym.

If the designated loop causes difficulty for you to drop-off or pick-up students, you are free to use another loop. We use the designation in an attempt to spread out the flow of traffic.

Students may also access campus from the back of the school by walking in through the back gates off of Coronado, Blue Ridge or Alder.

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the security and independence of our students’ digital learning experience, Fremont Unified School District is using a new Self-Service Password Reset Tool through the ClassLink platform.

Since the spring, parents/guardians have received initial and reminder email(s) with instructions to complete the mandatory account claim process for student Google accounts.

On August 12, all student Google accounts that have not completed the password reset process will be disabled. Parents/Guardians will receive an email notification if their student’s account has been disabled, with information on how to re-activate their student’s account.

Once you have completed this process, please ensure your student knows their new password.

Fremont Unified transitioned to Aeries as our student information system for the 2024-25 school year. In July, parents and guardians received information to activate their Aeries Parent Portal, and use the Portal to complete the annual MAZE process, called “Parent Data Confirmation” in Aeries.

Please complete the process for the 2024-25 school year by August 4, 2024.

Completing the Parent Data Confirmation process ensures your student’s school has accurate information, and allows families to view student schedules/classroom assignments and their teachers when that information is released in August.

If you need support accessing your account or completing the Parent Data Confirmation process, please visit fremontunified.org/portals for troubleshooting and support.

Free lunch will be provided to all students who would like to receive school lunch. Please expect a long line during the first few weeks of school while students learn the lunch procedures. Student ID's may be required in order to receive lunch. Please keep you student ID with you at all times. Line numbers are provided daily by the assistant principal to facilitate an orderly line to receive lunch and to avoid students cutting in line. Lunch is served out of the small gym, in the front of the school. We will have two separate lines, daily. The main entrance to the gym will provide multiple lunch choices. The side entrance, by room 1, is the pizza only line.

Tdap, 2 Varicella and 2 MMR vaccines are required for all incoming 7th graders. Please make sure the office has this information (if you have not already submitted). We will need a copy of your student’s immunization record for our files. If you are not sure if you have turned in your Tdap immunization, please email our Registrar, Andrea Luna at aluna@fusdk12.net.

No medication of any kind (prescribed or over the counter) is to be given or carried at school without a completed medical form on file. The nurse is to be informed of any health problems requiring medications. She can be reached at barunkumar@fusdk12.net. The forms are available on the district website and can also be found by using this link.

We have several students at our school that are allergic to foods, especially nuts. This could be extremely dangerous if they are exposed to the items they are allergic to. PLEASE HELP KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE AND HEALTHY by notifying our school nurse and the student office if your child has or develops such allergies.

The Aeries Portal process includes acknowledgment of certain parent/guardian and student rights and responsibilities. Please view our 2024-25 Parent/Guardian & Student Handbook Notice of Rights & Responsibilities for more information.

Below are some tips on how you can help your child make a successful transition and get off to a great academic start this year.

• Be sure to attend BACK-TO-SCHOOL Night in early Fall. Teachers explain their program, homework, and grading policies. More information to come.
• Each student should have a neat, quiet space to do homework. Most students do best with a regular homework time. Allow 1.5 hours each evening . If homework is finished, have them read and study for upcoming tests (also part of homework!).
• Encourage your child to get the phone numbers for one or more study buddies in their classes whom they can call with questions about assignments.
• Establish files to save graded and returned homework, at least until you have received the report card for the quarter. Some teachers maintain a file in their classrooms for a quarter.
• If you have any concerns, contact the teacher right away. You may email or call and leave a voice message.

The counselors are available by phone or email and by appointment between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to discuss any concerns. You may email or call and leave a voice message.

Make an appointment for a conference if need be; we are here to help. Finally, enjoy the changes, this is an exciting time for you and your child. More “Counselor Corner” next newsletter!!

Angelica Flores (last names A-E): aflores1@fusdk12.net

Mariana Gonzalez, (last names F-K): mgonzalezlopez@fusdk12.net

Tiffany Sam, (last names L-R): tsam1@fusdk12.net

Mark Banez, (last names S-Z): mbanez@fusdk12.net

This year students in grades 6-12 will have access to StudentSquare for communication with their teachers and school. This platform, which is part of the District’s existing agreement with ParentSquare, will allow students to set notification preferences to receive messages via email, text and/or app.

All Fremont Unified schools and parents/guardians are able to use ParentSquare for home-to-school communications. Find links for training and help videos, app downloads and answers to frequently asked questions at fremontunified.org/logins.

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