Thompson Friday Forecast

March 7, 2025

From the Principal... Matt Clark

Dear Thompson Middle School Families,

What a whirlwind week! It feels like February was weeks ago (though the weather is doing its best to remind us otherwise). This week started off with our 8th graders taking the ISA (science assessment) on Tuesday. They tackled it with focus and determination, and we’re proud of their efforts!

On Wednesday, we welcomed guest speaker Brian Williams, who spoke with each grade level about the power of kindness. That evening, he met with parents from both TMS and WMS to share the same inspiring message. His words resonated with students, staff, and families alike, reminding us that small acts of kindness can create big waves of positivity. Check out the pictures below from both the assemblies and the parent night!

In the spirit of spreading kindness, we're excited to launch our D303 middle school sock drive as part of our kindness challenge to students. Your donations of new socks will make a real difference to those in need throughout the St. Charles community. Drop-off locations are conveniently placed throughout the building (Main Office for parents). Let’s come together to make a meaningful impact!

Lastly, I encourage all parents to take a few moments to complete the 5 Essentials Survey in the coming weeks. Your feedback helps us understand our strengths and areas for improvement. Thank you for your continued support and partnership!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and Roll Thunder!

Dr. Matt Clark
Principal

Upcoming Spring Assessments

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we begin to prepare for our standardized assessments in March and April, we wanted to let share some dates with you so that you can plan accordingly. Please see below:

Illinois Science Assessment for 8th graders will be on Tuesday, March 4th
IAR Reading will be Monday March 24-Wednesday, March 26th
IAR Math will be on Tuesday, April 8th and Thursday, April 10th

Please note that we will be running building wide schedules on these testing days. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child’s counselor. Thank you.

Please complete the 5 Essentials survey!

The 5 Essentials survey is now open and awaiting your feedback. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains.

This survey only takes about 10 minutes to complete!
Here is the link to the survey. It is in Spanish and English.

Please be sure to put in Kane County as our county so you can find Thompson. Also, please read the questions and possible answers carefully as they sometimes mix up the "importance" of the responses.

Join TMS WEB - Where Everybody Belongs

WEB is an 8th grade leadership club that helps transition 6th graders and build connections in our building - check out this slideshow for more information. Now is the time for our 7th graders to apply to be WEB leaders. The application can be found here; they are due March 14.

TMS Athletics Update

Our final sport of the school year is fast approaching, please remember to register your child if they are interested in joining Track & Field. Registration is now open via our TMS Athletics website (link). This sport is available to all 7th and 8th graders, and they must have a current sports physical on file. The season starts on Monday, March 17th.

Also, we have some fun and exciting clinics/events coming up that are hosted by both of our high schools.

Next week we will have a BOYS VOLLEYBALL clinic that anyone can attend on Tuesday, 3/4, please scan the attached flyer to get signed up.

Also, for any 8th graders interested in playing football at STC North, please attend the Meet & Greet hosted by the head coach on Wednesday after school in the Main Gym.

Coming up...

STCN Speed Stars Camp hosted on various dates starting on Tuesday, 3/18

For more information about any of these clinics/events, please view and scan the flyers below.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Athletic Director, daniel.ballines@d303.org.

Thank you!

Math Corner with Mrs. Zitella

Context and Math... Part 4

We reviewed the strategies relating, experiencing, and applying and how important they are to the development of solving problems ad mathematics. Relating enables learners to gain knowledge from their own experience, experiencing allows students to engage in hands-on learning to supportfrom their own experiences, and applying is when students put learned concepts to use. Our next mathematical strategy is cooperating.

Cooperating involves working in small groups to solve complex problems without too much outside support. Cooperating is learning in the context of sharing, responding, and communicating. Working in small groups provides an environment that is less intimidating and more freedom to ask questions. Cooperative learning also gives more opportunities to explain understanding of concepts, recommend a problem solving approach, and listening to others. By listening to others, students are able to re-evaluate their own sense of understanding and learn to evaluate the opinion of others. These strategies are not only used for mathematics, but they are also life skills.

Cooperative learning is not something that is only done in school. Children and adults problem solve everyday. Cooperative group problem solving is very successful!

***Please see the grade level below to find out what we’ve learned in math class this week!

St. Charles Youth Police Academy

The St. Charles Police Department is excited to announce that it will be accepting applications for the Youth Police Academy!

The 2025 academy will be held June 9th-13th. This is open to students who attend St. Charles school, ages 13-17. This is a great opportunity to learn about the St. Charles Police Department and law enforcement in general.

Please follow this link for more information including the application documents:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-28Kbu-DTK9PTR2iGlpweZPnVtwRqeev?usp=sharing

Builder's Club Volunteer Opportunity

Thompson's Builders Club needs help supporting the Northern Illinois Food Bank. On Thursday, April 24 from 5:30 PM-7:30 PM, we are scheduled to serve at the food bank, and we need people to volunteer. Students who attend need to attend with a parent. Those who volunteer will need to arrive at the food bank by 5:15 PM. This opportunity is an excellent way to serve the community, to spend time with family/friends, and earn service hours. An entire family, along with friends, may attend with a Thompson student who would like to volunteer. Children need to be eight years of age to volunteer. If you want to attend this rewarding service opportunity, please email David Simone at david.simone@d303.org with the first and last name of each individual who will be attending by Thursday, March 27. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Upcoming PTO Restaurant Nights - Chipotle March 17th

From the Nurse

Physical and Immunization Requirements:

Attention parents of incoming Kindergarten, 6th and 9th grade students! Per Illinois school code, your student will need a school physical and a complete record of immunizations prior to the first day of school next year, which is August 13, 2025. Make your appointments today-these appointments fill up quickly! Please contact your school nurse prior to May 29, 2025 if you need a copy of your child's immunizations. Please note-a sport physical is not the same as a school physical! You may turn the required forms into your school nurse anytime- please remember to make a copy for your own records!

Dental Examinations:

State legislation requires that all Illinois children in Sixth Grade will have a dental examination. A licensed dentist must perform the examination, and he or she shall sign the form. Dental offices should have the form available, but it is also available online at www.d303.org under Departments, then Health Services, then “Health Documents and Forms”. Each 6th grade student must present proof of a dental examination by a dentist prior to May 15, 2025. The exam must be dated within 18 months prior to May 15, 2025. If your child has had an exam already, you can ask your dentist to complete the form for the exam.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has established a waiver for children who show undue burden or lack of access to a dentist. Parents or legal guardians who object to the dental examinations on religious grounds shall present to the school a signed, detailed statement of the objection.

The deadline is quickly approaching! Please submit this if you have not already done so. You can Email it to TMSC-Nurses@d303.org

If you have any questions, please contact the TMS nurses:

Diane Isbrandt RN, Certified School Nurse

Amy Kashuba, RN

Stephanie Ross, RN

Thompson Middle School

331-228-3104

Nutritional Thoughts from Organic Life

There’s a lot of information out there about how to build healthy eating habits. Here are some of the top tips for helping your student get a strong start:

· Establish a diet that is high in fiber, avoids sugar, and includes calcium-rich foods

· Keep breakfast on the menu

· Offer healthy snacks and colorful food

· Drink plenty of water

StC High School Peer Leadership Information

St. Charles East Peer Leadership

Peer Leadership is an extracurricular program that matches selected incoming freshmen with juniors and seniors who make the transition into high school fun and easy and mentor them throughout the year. Because this program meets during the school day, it has to be put into a student’s schedule when registering for next year’s classes. Although we would like to be able to offer this to all interested incoming freshmen, our numbers are limited by available classroom space and our budget. Therefore, in order to start the selection process, interested students should apply using the application found below.

Short video "What is Peer Leadership?"

Peer Leadership Flyer from Future Saints Night

If your child is interested in the program, please fill out the application and e-mail it to Kelly Pursel, the Peer Leadership Coordinator (Kelly.Pursel@d303.org).

We hope to hear from you!

Digital Application

Hard Copy Application for you to print, complete, and return

St. Charles North Peer Leadership

SCN is a great place, but it’s also a big place. Peer Leadership (PL) hopes to make the transition to high school more comfortable and fun, while offering opportunities for growth.

The goals of Peer Leadership are to:

Match incoming freshmen with selected upperclassmen mentors.
Foster lasting friendships and bonds between the freshmen, their mentors, and the kids in their PL Groups.
Improve freshmen self-confidence and self-advocacy.
Prepare freshmen to become participants in clubs, sports, classes, and other activities at SCN.
Prepare freshmen for future leadership roles.

PL Students meet together in groups every day. PL is formally added to student schedules and takes the place of lunch/ study hall. There are weekly themes that are educational, informative, supportive, and fun. PL also attends a day of teambuilding “Camp”, has several “all PL” activities during the year, and meets together in groups both formally and informally.

We would like to be able to offer PL to all interested incoming freshmen, but our numbers are limited. In order to start the selection process, interested students (or their parents) should fill out this:

Fill out this FORM if you're interested in Peer Leadership

Contact stephanie.stavropoulos@d303.org with specific questions.

Peer Leadership... a great way to start high school!