Thomas Timberwolves
School Community Newsletter 9/22/2019
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Your Thomas Timberwolves are settling into middle school routines and continuing to develop executive functioning skills. Homeroom is a time of day when we focus in on these tasks. It's also the time when students learn about the many clubs and activities that they can become involved in at Thomas. Making connections to school beyond the classroom is essential in creating an enjoyable middle school experience. Parents please keep up with all the happenings at Thomas by visiting our calendar page of the website or via our daily morning announcements and encourage your child to get involved.
Each month our 'Say Something' campaign will bring a new focus to our homeroom and advisory time. During the month of September, we have been focusing on 'Saying Something With Your WORDS" (why not make it something KIND!).
For October we will focus on 'Say Something With Your HEART' and learn more about the themes of empathy and tolerance. We invite families to continue conversations about these important themes as home. How do you demonstrate empathy and tolerance? Why do you find them important? These great conversations at home will echo the conversations we are having at school and help better support the social and emotional growth of our young Timberwolves.
Thank you!
Lori, Greg, & Nick
By Peg Dawson, Ed.D with Eve Kessler, Esq.
School Photos
Fall Picture Make-up Day is October 3, 2019, during homeroom.
If you have questions about your photos, please contact Stuart-Rodgers directly using the information provided below.
District 214- Future Ready Parent Series!
Parents and Guardians:
District 214 is excited to again bring you the Future Ready Parent Series this school year!
The Future Ready Parent series will consist of free classes/events throughout the 2019-2020 school year that provides the community with relevant topics affecting today’s youth. Registration is required for some classes.
Upcoming classes/events include:
Cyber Security and Your Teen
Nationally recognized child crime specialist Rich Wistocki will present proactive strategies, expert insight and invaluable resources designed to empower your family to combat cyberbullying, online trafficking and sexting. Learn to effectively monitor your child’s devices remotely, report cyber crimes, understand applications such as Snap Chat, House Party, Tic Toc, Google Hangouts, Instagram and more and understand laws that cover social media such as harassment, trafficking, cyber-stalking and false personation.
Forest View Educational Center - Theater, Door 1
Tuesday, September 24, 2019 from 7 - 8 :30pm
Space limited; registration required.
Class #1444
Register at ce.d214.org or 847-718-7700.
Directions Fair: College and Career Fair 2019
This program is open to parents and students with special needs. Representatives from colleges and postsecondary institutions will be available to distribute literature and discuss programs, certificates and college opportunities.
Forest View Educational Center, Door 1
Wednesday, October 2, 2019 from 6 - 8pm
Registration not required.
College and Career Ready! Night
This program is open to all grade levels, including eighth graders and is designed to give an introductory understanding of District 214’s career pathways. Sessions will include D214 curriculum overview, postsecondary engagement and student voice experience for each pathway.
Forest View Educational Center, Door 1
Wednesday, October 23, 2019 from 4:30 - 8:30pm
Registration not required.
UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me-World
Bestselling author Michele Borba, Ed.D offers a nine-step program to help parents cultivate empathy in children from birth to young adulthood and explains why developing a healthy sense of empathy is a key predictor of which kids will thrive and succeed in the future. In our hyper-connected, social media-saturated society, many of us are so obsessed with snapping “selfies” and living a virtual life online that we’re forgetting how to care for the people right in front of us IRL (that’s “in real life”). The resulting Selfie Syndrome is leading to an empathy crisis among today’s youth – teens today are 40 percent less empathetic than they were just a generation ago and narcissism has increased 58 percent during that same period. But there is a solution: Studies show the antidote to Selfie Syndrome is empathy. And the good news is empathy can actually be cultivated in children, starting even before they can talk.
Forest View Educational Center - Theater, Door 1
Wednesday, December 4, 2019 from 7 - 8:30pm
Space limited; registration required.
Class #1445
Register at ce.d214.org or 847-718-7700.
To register or learn more, call 847-718-7700 or visit http://bit.ly/parentready.
This series is sponsored by District 214 Community Education and District 214’s Professional Learning and Student Services Department.
525 Foundation Drug Prevention Assembly & Parent Coffee Session
Please join us for a Drug Prevention presentation from Becky Savage of the 525 Foundation.
We are grateful to our PTA and the Link Together Coalition for sponsoring this event.
We welcome you to attend the assembly (8:00-8:40 AM in the large gym) and then join the TMS Admin Team after for a coffee and discussion session (8:45-9:45 AM in the Commons).
Seating is limited ~ PLEASE RSVP below for this event!
Wednesday, Oct 23, 2019, 08:00 AM
Thomas Middle School, North Belmont Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL, USA
MARK YOUR CALENDARS - Important Dates
* Midterms: We will be halfway through the 1st Quarter by the end of next week. You are welcome to work with your child to check grades on PowerSchool.
*Fall Activity Night: Friday, 10/11/19 from 7-9 PM at TMS
*Parent-Teacher Conference: Thursday & Friday, 10/24/19 & 10/25/19
IESA Eligibility Guidelines
Ways to help your child with organization....
PHONE & ONLINE Absence Reporting
PHONE CALL TO REPORT AN ABSENCE:
1) Call the Thomas School phone number at 847-398-4260.
2) The auto-attendant will prompt you with these options:
- Press 1 to report an absence
- Press 2 to contact the school nurse
- Press 0 to remain on the line for the office.
3) Press 1 and report your child's absence.
ONLINE REPORTING via TMS Homepage:
Click the ONLINE ABSENCE REPORTING BUTTON located on the TMS homepage and complete the details on your child's absence.
Absent & Upcoming Absences? Want to request homework?
You will no longer need to call the office to request work that has been missed. Instead, you can stay up-to-date by logging into Schoology. We do not expect your child to complete the work while they are absent because we anticipate they are sick and that is the reason they are home. When they are feeling better and ready to begin making up the work it will be available on Schoology. If you are not confident that the work is available on Schoology please email the teacher directly to inquire about what homework specifically needs to be made up.
Thank you!
ATTENDANCE & TARDY
At the end of each quarter, we will also send home a letter notifying parents of students who have missed more than 5% of the school year or have been tardy for more than 5% of the school year.
"By as early as sixth grade, high truancy rates become a distinct predictor of whether or not a student will graduate from high school."
For this reason, we think it is critical to notify all families that attending school and attending on time is critical to your child's success.
Physical Forms Required for ALL 6th Graders:
Illinois Assessment of Readiness
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness dates have been determined and reflected on the District 25 Assessment calendar. The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) window will be March 11th - 20th. Please visit the district website to view the assessment calendar in greater detail.
*Spring 2019 Illinois Assessment of Readiness reports will be sent home via backpacks on 10/18/19.
*Fall 2019 MAP reports for students who took the fall MAP assessment (All 6th graders and select 7th & 8th graders) will be sent home via backpack on 10/11/19.
PTA Fall Activity Night - Friday, October 11th from 7-9 PM at TMS
Illinois State Report Card - Thomas
Thomas Middle School
Email: tmsadmin@sd25.org
Website: https://www.sd25.org/Domain/9
Location: 1430 N Belmont Ave, Arlington Heights, IL, United States
Phone: 847.398.4260
Twitter: @AHSD25Thomas