THORNTON MIDDLE SCHOOL
March/April 2024 Newsletter
Principals Update
Hello Thornton Families,
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the small glimpses of spring weather! It has been a busy few months with class registration, Education Faire, and the beginning of our before and after-school enrichment classes. With spring quickly approaching, the next few months will be packed with events.
We will host our second Parent/Teacher Conferences on March 20th. More information will be sent out about conferences in the next two weeks. 8th Grade, end-of-the-year activities are fast approaching. Please continue reading to review more information about dates and requirements to participate. Spring Break is scheduled for the first week in April with no school on March 28th and 29th as well. Finally, CAASPP testing is scheduled to begin at the end of April. Please do not plan any appointments or vacations during testing.
On March 5th, our entire school, in collaboration with the Fremont Police Department, will practice a large-scale disaster preparedness drill. This is our first time conducting a drill of this magnitude. We anticipate a few bumps in the road but are excited to be able to practice with the support of the local authorities. A special thank you to the Fremont Police Department and School Resource Officer Guzman for their assistance and guidance!
The next few months will go quickly and the end of the school year will be here before we know it. Please make sure that students are staying on top of their assignments an signing up for their teachers during FLEX if they need additional assistance.
Warm Regards,
Ms. Strausbaugh
UPCOMING SCHOOL-WIDE ACTIVITY
GOLDEN SNEAKER CONTEST
Dear Parent/Guardian,
The Thornton Energy and Sustainability Club is excited to announce the 2024 Golden Sneaker Contest, from March 4th to March 15th at our school. This contest is an engaging initiative aimed at promoting physical activity, healthy habits, and environmental consciousness among our students. During the contest, students are encouraged to walk, bike, use other human-powered wheels, or take AC transit to school.
One of our goals is to reduce the number of cars coming onto campus and into the surrounding neighborhoods. Most students commute by car and the volume of cars creates an unsafe situation. If you drive in a carpool, you are encouraged to drop off students at a half-mile point to allow students to walk the remainder of the way. Please see the attached map for suggested drop-off locations along Coronado Drive, Alder Ave, Oak St, Hansen Ave, Dusterberry Way, and other streets off Thornton Ave. Please remember to allow extra time for walking and that it is prohibited to stop on Thornton Ave.
As a part of the Contest, your student and their classmates will report each day if they used active or shared transportation to get to school. Each grade level will be competing for a special prize. The grade level with the highest percentage of students engaging in these activities wins. Top participants of the winning grade level will be given the opportunity to participate in the special prize to be named at the end of the contest. Parents and guardians are encouraged to join their students and walk and roll to school for fun.
We believe this contest not only fosters a sense of competition but also encourages a healthier lifestyle and reduces our carbon footprint. We kindly request your support in encouraging your child to actively participate in this exciting contest. Together, we can make a positive impact on the well-being of our students and contribute to a healthier and more sustainable school community. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Lisa Oliver at loliver@fusdk12.net. Thank you for your support in making the 2024 Golden Sneaker Contest a success.
Best regards,
Lisa Oliver
Thornton Energy and Sustainability Club Advisor
Multi-Cultural Week
We are excited to host our annual Multicultural Week April 15th-19th. Each day will showcase a variety of cultures, history, and participation between students and staff. Thursday, April 18th is our extended lunch in which we will offer a variety of food samples from around the world and showcase different dances and performances. We are reaching out to any families who have connections to the foodservice industry that would be willing to donate or discount a food option for our event. The food would need to be restaurant made and pre-packaged in sample sizes. If you are interested in supporting our event please reach out to Assistant Principal Jeff Evans at jeffevans@fusdk12.net. Thank you!
RESIDENCY VERIFICATION
Proof of Residency
We are still missing over 300 proofs of residency. Every student must submit their proofs of residency to maintain enrollment in Fremont Unified. Parents/Guardians should have received an email from InformedK12 requesting the verification. If you have not done so, please submit your proofs of residency ASAP! If you did not receive an email, please contact our Registrar, Ms. Luna aluna@fusdk12.net
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
March 20, 2024
Thornton Middle School will be hosting Parent/Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, March 20th. Conference attendance is NOT required for all guardians. This is an opportunity for Parents/Guardians to meet with teachers if their child(ren) are struggling in class and are in danger of failing. If your child is doing well in the class and has an A or B, there is no need to signup or attend conferences. Each teacher has over 100 students so there will not be time to meet with every parent. If your child is performing well in the class and you'd still like to talk to the teacher, it is recommended to contact the teacher via email or by phone to discuss how you can continue to support your child at home. Conferences this year will be a hybrid of both virtual (via Zoom) and in-person. The virtual conferences are being held from 1:15pm - 4:15pm by sign-up only. Every teacher will send out information on how to sign-up using Sign-Up Genius for the virtual conferences. If you do not receive this information by Friday, March 15th, please reach out directly to the teacher. The in-person conferences are being conducted from 4:45pm - 7:45pm at Thornton on a first-come, first-serve basis. Parents will arrive on campus and go to the room of the teacher with whom they are wanting to meet and wait outside of the classroom for their turn to be called for the conference. If the line is long for the teacher you are wanting to meet and there are others you are hoping to talk with, as well, try going to those teachers first then circling back.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
For a virtual conference, sign-up using the Sign-Up Genius link sent to you by the teacher. For in-person conferences, arrive at the school between 4:45pm-7:15pm. You may park at the back of the school on the blacktop area. Access to parking is through the 8th grade loop entrance.
Attendance is OPTIONAL and not required.
Choose your session:
1:15pm-4:15pm - Virtual Conferences
4:15pm-4:45pm - Dinner Break
4:45pm-7:45pm - In-Person Conferences
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2024, 01:15 PM
Thornton Middle School, Thornton Avenue, Fremont, CA, USA
Student Schedules
For in-person conferences, please have your child complete the schedule below to assist you in locating the teacher/room with whom you would like to meet. Please bring the schedule with you when arriving to the school.
8TH GRADE ACTIVITIES
8th Grade Panoramic
- March 15th
- Order envelopes are being distributed on Friday, March 8th
- Order forms are DUE on March 15th and should be given to the homeroom teacher
- School appropriate attire is expected
8th Grade Field Trip
- May 17th - Great America
- Must adhere to the 8th grade activities contract to participate
- Permission slips will be handed out on March 15th
- Students arrive to school at 8:10am
- Buses depart at 8:45am
- Buses return at 5:00pm
- Money and permission slips collected every Friday during homeroom beginning March 22nd
- Last day to submit money/permission slips is April 19th
8th Grade Celebration
- May 30th from 4:00pm-6:00pm
- No cost
- Must register in advance
- Must adhere to the 8th grade activities contract to participate
- Sponsored by PTSA
- More information to come
COUNSELING CORNER
College and Career Week
The Counseling Department is thrilled to announce that we will be hosting a College and Career week this school year. We plan to offer various activities such as special Flex offerings, guest speakers, lunchtime activities, and a fair for students to explore postsecondary options.
In order to make this event a success, we need your help! If you or someone you know would be willing to speak to our students about their career and experiences, please fill out this Google Referral Form. We hope to offer a wide variety of professions for our students to learn from.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your student's counselor. We look forward to putting on this exciting event for our students!"
Teens for Life
Thornton Middle School and the Teens for Life Program from Crisis Support Services of Alameda County will be providing presentations in April to increase students’ knowledge of warning signs about suicide. The presentation hopes to reduce the stigma around mental health and suicide and increase peoples’ willingness to seek help for friends or themselves.
Key parts of the presentation include:
review of warning signs for suicide
how to help a friend
helpful language
emphasizing involving trusted adults
resources such as crisis hotlines and textlines
Crisis Support Services of Alameda County (CSS) is a non-profit organization that has provided suicide prevention services in the community for over 50 years. CSS services include a 24-Hour Crisis Line, a Youth Textline, Community Education, and Clinical Program. Learn more at www.crisissupport.org.
Please feel free to contact your student's counselor if you have any questions.
PTSA CORNER
Board Nominations Needed
PTSA needs New Board members for 2024-25. Nominees will be announced at the March 13th PTSA association meeting, and the elections will be held at the April meeting. We are looking to fill elected as well as appointed positions. If interested to join the board, please email us at : nomcom@thorntonptsa.org
Please use the below link to fill in your nominations on or before March 8th.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmKlgXQL3RIkDHwrB0aqvx5hOL6H87hsEgr-mVwcMpYKObhA/viewform
Thanks in advance for your cooperation
Mythri
Nominating Committee Chair.