Thomas Community Newsletter

Dear TMS Community,

We hope you are enjoying relaxation with family and friends and that this time of year brings you peace, joy, and many moments to be thankful for. At TMS, we are so grateful to have such an amazingly kind, supportive, and generous school community of talented students, hard-working staff, and caring families.

This newsletter comes a bit early as we have a timely announcement to share. Join us tonight, 11/26/24, at 5 PM at Thomas Middle School for the 8th Grade Girls Basketball Regional CHAMPIONSHIP GAME against South Middle School. This epic Crosstown Rivalry is going to be a ca n't-miss SHOWDOWN! Wear white and be loud!

Congratulations to SEVEN TMS band students who tried out and made the ILMEA District 7 Concert and Jazz Honor Bands! The festivals took place on Saturday, Nov. 2 and 16. To make the honor band, students were selected by a competitive audition process. Out of 68 schools participating in the ILMEA District 7 Bands, Thomas was one of only 3 schools that sent more than 5 students. Students did REALLY well representing Thomas Middle School, working hard in rehearsals with other amazing musicians and educators and performing the music they learned that day at a fantastic concert. We are so proud of these amazing musicians and our incredibly dedicated Music Directors, Candi Horton, Dana Berry, and Kaitlin Pucci.

ILMEA District 7 Concert Band

• Ian Jung - Clarinet
• Andrew Rice - Clarinet
• Iahaan Varma - Alto Saxophone
• Landon Rice - Euphonium
• Harshan Rajkumar Anusha - Tuba

ILMEA District 7 Jazz Band

• Colin O'Brien - Trumpet
• Io Shigefuji - Piano

NEW Information in this Newsletter:

• New Crosswalk Procedure for Thomas Street & Belmont Avenue Starts on 12/2/24
• Student Council Food Drive donates 1038 items!
• Essential Attendance Information
• Winter Coats for Students
• Inclement Weather Reminders
• Activity Bus Updated Schedule
• PTA Holiday Spirit Wear Sale (Only 7 days until it closes!)

Mark Your Calendars:

• No Activity Bus on Monday, 12/2/24
• Hexter 3 begins on Monday,12/2/24
• Wrestling Practice begins on Monday, 12/2/24 ~ after school until 5:45 PM
• Boys Basketball Tournament at TMS, 12/4/24-12/7/24
• Poms/Cheer Jr. Spirit Squad Clinic, Saturday, 12/7/24 from 8:45-11:15 AM
• Choir and Jazz Band Concert on Thursday, 12/12/24 @ 7 PM
• Winter Break - 12/23-1/6
• D25 School Improvement Day - Monday, 1/6/25 - No School for Students
• Winter MAP Testing Dates - Wednesdays, 1/8/25 & 1/15/25 ~ TMS will run Modified Daily Schedules on these dates

Repeat Newsletter Announcements:

• TMS Parking Lot Reminders

• Link Together Coalition Information & Glenbard Parent Series
• Health Office Information
  
• After-School Academic Support
• PTA Information
• School Resource Office Information
  
• Safe2Help Illinois
  
• Care Solace Community Resource
• Bus Information

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love, laughter, and lots of delicious treats. We are grateful for your continued support and involvement in helping our students learn and grow!

The TMS Administrative Team

Lori Naumowicz, Principal

Greg Keadle, Associate Principal

Jeremy Fischer, Associate Principal & Epsilon Teacher

Allie Yoder, Associate Principal & TMS Student Services Coordinator

The NEW CROSS WALK procedure begins on Monday, 12/2/24:

• Click HERE to learn more information about this.
• TMS has over 1020 students and 130 staff that come in and out of the building and typically arrive and depart at similar times. Traffic procedures are in place to ensure safety measure are met, however, it is essential that you PLAN AND ALLOW for slow moving traffic. Please be patient and respectful while recognizing that it will takes time (at least 10 minutes) to move through the traffic lines. Plan accordingly ~ we recommend a 7:30 AM drop-off and pick-up at 2:50 PM. Walking, taking the bus, or carpooling is a also recommended.
• Take the time to review the TMS drop-off and pick-up procedures linked below.
• DO NOT drop off your TMS students north of Thomas Street on Belmont Avenue ~ please use the drop off lanes on Belmont Avenue.

The TMS Student Council Food Drive collected 1038 items to donate to local food pantries! We are grateful for the tremendous support from the students and staff. Special thank you to Mrs. Murray, the Student Council Sponsor, and the Executive Members of the Student Council for organizing this amazing effort and for doing all the heavy liftiing.

• Every student's attendance every day increases their opportunities to learn, grow, and be an integral, contributing member of their classroom community.
• With just three weeks (15 school days) until winter break, let's continue to work together to promote daily attendance.
• Parents and families are essential partners in supporting students' health and well-being and in creating positive habits and routines for attendance.
• Parents have the bottom-line responsibility for making sure their children get to school every day. Just as we focus on how children are performing academically, we have a responsibility to set expectations for good attendance and monitor absences so that missed days don’t add up to academic and social-emotional concerns.
• Upon return to school, TMS will host an all-school "Attendance Rally" and students will track their school attendance in their assignment notebooks.
• TMS homeroom teachers, social workers, and administrators will also talk with students who meet truancy status for tardy arrivals to school and/or absences that exceed 10% or more of the school year. We continue to implement support plans for students and families to ensure that every child can learn and grow at TMS.
• Thank you for your support. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns we can assist with.

• U.S. Census data shows, "Health experts report that even a 2-degree drop in body temperature results in reduced heart rate, loss of coordination, and confusion.
• Adults cannot work effectively and children find it difficult to learn.
• For most, a warm coat solves the problem. But, for the now nearly 15% of Americans living in poverty, a warm winter coat is a budget “extra.”

Through this generous support, TMS can provide students in need with a winter coat. The temperatures are dropping and we want to ensure that each and every student has what they need to stay warm as they arrive and leave TMS this winter.

HOW TO GET A COAT FOR YOUR CHILD: Reach out to the TMS Office or contact a TMS Social Worker if your child needs a winter coat.

• 6th Grade: Theresa Shore - tshore@sd25.org
• 7th Grade: Patrick Angelaccio - pangelaccio@sd25.org
• 8th Grade: Kristie Burmeister - kburmeister@sd25.org
• Special Programs: Taylor Lindsey - tlindsey@sd25.org

Please read THIS NOTE regarding inclement weather from Dr. Kaye.

Please see the updated TMS Activity Bus Schedule linked HERE. We added the Fridays before the holiday weekends: Thanksgiving break, winter break, spring break, MLK weekend, and Memorial Day.

The TMS Poms and Cheerleading Squads host a workshop that is open to any District 25 child who wishes to gain Poms and Cheer experience. Each participant partners with a current TMS Poms or Cheer student athlete, learn technique and a routine, then perform the combination during halftime at a TMS Basketball game.

WORKSHOP: Saturday, 12/7/24 at 9:00 am-11:00am @ TMS

PERFORMANCE: Wednesday, 12/11/24 during halftime of the 4:30 pm Basketball Game @ TMS

DETAILS: Click HERE to learn more!

TMS After School Support by Team is available to ALL students on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays!

• Please encourage your child to attend Office Hours/11th Hour/Homework Club and to reach out to teachers if they need help or just want a place to work on their academics after school. This support is FREE and can be extremely helpful.
• Click HERE for more details on options for your child to get help from staff at TMS.
• The activity bus departs TMS at about 3:35 PM.

The TMS PTA has a lot to offer this year! We are excited for all the activities we have planned!

• MEMBERSHIP: Join the TMS PTA and help support the TMS community! Check out the TMS PTA Website Each membership includes 1 TMS yearbook.

• MEETINGS: If you are interested in getting involved in the PTA or simply checking out a meeting @ 7:00pm in the TMS Library. Everyone is welcome!
• Tuesday, January 14, 2025
• Wednesday, March 12, 2025
• Tuesday, May 13, 2025
• 2024-2025 Executive Board Members
• President: Kristen Dugan
• President-Elect: James Moncada
• Vice President: Sara Hess
• Treasurer: Diane Beardmore
• Secretary: Jocelyn Katz

Incidents that occur after school hours/on the weekends, or outside of school such as social media concerns or safety concerns should be reported to the Arlington Heights Police Department by calling 911. You can also go directly to the Police Department located at 200 E Sigwalt Street in Arlington Heights. It is open 24 hours.

School Resource Officers can be contacted by calling 911 or the non-emergency phone number (847) 368-5300. The SROs can be contacted directly as well by typically work during school hours:

SRO: John O'Leary joleary@vah.com Cell Phone: (847) 344-2330

SRO: Chris Seebacher cseebacher@vah.com Cell Phone (847) 368-5393

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

Care Solace for North Cook ISC students, staff, and their families is a free, confidential 24/7/365 Mental Health Care Coordination Service. Call 888-515-0595 or go to caresolace.com/site/northcook to complete a brief screening to be matched with a provider. Note that this is available to staff and their families as well as students - feel free to include this information in an upcoming staff newsletter or email as well as in family communication.

• Click here for the Bus Safety Guidelines and Rule as well as details on lost items on the bus.
• Please direct bus transportation questions to the District 25 Transportation Specialist: Laura Comastro as she can answer your questions and resolve issues. lcomastro@sd25.org. Phone: 847-758-4888
• Bus Company Questions: Contact Cook Co. School Bus Company at 847-439-0923

• Principal - Lori Naumowicz (Alpha & Delta Teams)
• Associate Principal - Greg Keadle (Beta, Gamma & Zeta Teams)
• Associate Principal & Student Services Coordinator - Allie Yoder (All things related to Special Education Services)
• Associate Principal & Teacher - Jeremy Fischer (Epsilon Team)