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Thompson Friday Forecast

July 14, 2023 - Summer Edition

ThompsonFriday ForecastJuly 14, 2023 - Summer Edition

From the Principal...Matt Clark

Happy Friday everyone and welcome to the 2023-2024 school year. I am excited to build and cultivate relationships with all Thompson students, staff and parents this school year. I hope you are all enjoying your summers and relaxing how you best you see fit. My family and I just returned from a trip to Niagara Falls last weekend. It was great to get away and take in the beauty of the falls.


August will be here before we know it, so we wanted to provide some important dates and information as we enter the tail end of July.


  • Schedules will be available in the Home Access Center (HAC) at 9:00 am on July 31, 2023. Please know that much time and effort has gone into the planning of the TMS master schedule with numerous factors to consider and decisions made throughout the process. We do our very best to balance class sizes and provide an equitable experience for all Thompson students. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
  • Material pick up days are August 3rd and 8th from 1:00 - 7:00 pm. Please see the information below for additional details.
  • The first day of school is Monday, August 14th. Students can begin entering the building at 8:20 on the 14th.


I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone throughout this school year. If you have any questions, please call the Main Office at (331)228-3100.


See you soon!

- Matt

Annual Student Registration Update
Student registrations are due, please log here to complete your student's forms.

Food Services

The elementary and middle schools food service vendor will once again be OrganicLife. Breakfast and Lunch will be offered to students. Click here for more information, view menus (coming soon), and obtain a free or reduced lunch application.


Middle School Breakfast - $1.75
Reduced Breakfast - $0.30*

Middle School Lunch - $3.50
Reduced Lunch - $0.40*


Milk - $0.60 (when purchased separately from meals)
Other a la carte items (besides milk) - prices vary


Organic Life, the K-8 Food Service provider is looking for candidates to serve as Cashiers, Food Service Workers & Lunchroom Supervisors for the 2023-2024 school year in School District 303. Please contact Patricia Burton at 331-228-5242 or patricia.burton@d303.org for more information.

School Supply List
Find the school supply lists for the 2023-2024 school year here.
Please call the main office at 331-228-3100 if you have questions.
School Tool Box
Our PTO has teamed up with School Tool Box to give you the option of purchasing pre-packaged school supplies. Your online order will be delivered to your home address. You will have the option to customize your order by adding or removing items.

6th Grade Student WEB Orientation

August 9th from 9-10:30 am - Thompson Gymnasium


Your 6th grader is invited to kick off the 2023 - 2024 school year with an orientation event hosted by the 8th grade leaders of WEB club (Where Everybody Belongs). This student-only event will include team building and preparation activities for their 6th-grade year.


To prepare for the morning, please have your student(s) find their team number on their schedule (picked up at material pick up). If possible, please have your student(s) wear the color that corresponds with their team number:

  • 6-1: Grey

  • 6-2: Blue

  • 6-3: White

  • 6-4: Gold or Yellow


Parents/guardians can drop off and pick up their child in the south parking lot off of Indiana Street and enter through Door #5. No sign up is necessary. We look forward to seeing and meeting your incoming student(s)!

i-Ready Diagnostics

Fall i-Ready diagnostics are taken by students to gather baseline academic data in order for us to develop targeted instructional plans of action. A similar assessment will take place in the winter and again in the spring. Students will be taking their Fall i-Ready diagnostics on Tuesday, August 22nd and Thursday, August 24th. Our bell schedule will be modified on both of these days. Makeups will take place the following week.

Incoming 6th Grade and New Student Physicals

A physical examination is required for entrance (first day of school) into preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade.


Please access District 303's Health Department's Web Page for specific grade level vaccine requirements (including meningococcal vaccine requirements for high school students) and State of Illinois forms. The health history portion of the physical examination form must be completed and signed by a parent in order for the physical to be valid. An appointment card must be submitted to the health office indicating that a physical exam or immunization is scheduled in the event a student's age makes them ineligible for a vaccine prior to the first day of school or the student is scheduled for a physical exam shortly after the first day of school.


The State of Illinois requires that all students entering school for the first time from out of state shall have/submit a physical examination/vaccine record within 30 days of enrollment in school.


All exams must be dated within one year prior to the date the student enters school.


Physical Examinations may be acquired through your primary medical provider. If you do not have a primary medical provider, you may contact Kane County Health Department for referrals to local health clinics that provide such services.


Completed exams and immunizations may be mailed to Thompson or dropped off at the school.

Fee Waivers

SCHOOL FEES WAIVER: The school fees waiver will ONLY be a PAPER application since there is financial documentation required for income verification. A family can only qualify for a free waiver of fees; there are no reduced fees. The application is on the district website. Questions regarding school fee waivers - Wendy Sedwick at 331-228-4927


FOOD WAIVER: Only one application needs to be completed for each household. Please include ALL family members that live in the household (even those not attending a school). Applications are posted on the district website. In addition, paper applications are available at the schools and the Administration Building as in years past. Unlike the school fees, families can qualify for Reduced. Questions regarding food waivers - Patti Townsend 331-228-6529


Families directly certified by the State of Illinois for the 2023-2024 school year will receive FREE FOOD and their FEES will be WAIVED. If your family is qualified by the state, do NOT need to complete either application. You should have received an approval letter in the mail in July.
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How long is the school day? Passing Periods? Lunch?

The school day runs from 8:40 am - 3:40 pm. Students are expected to be in their 1st hour classes by the 8:35 am bell. There is a warning bell at 8:37 am. Passing periods are 4 minutes. Lunch is 27 minutes for all students..
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Where should students go on the first day of school?

Bus riders will be dropped off in the back of the building and enter through door 15. This entrance/exit is for bus students only.


Car riders dropped off in the front of the building will enter through door 3. Car riders dropped off on Indiana will enter through door 5. Walkers can enter through door 3 or door 5.

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When/where will schedules be posted?

Students can view their schedule in the Home Access Center just prior to the first material pick up day. We will have paper copies printed and available for students at Material Pickup on August 3rd and August 8th from 1:00 - 7:00 pm.
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Can my child carry a backpack during the school day?

Students are assigned hall lockers and backpacks should be placed in there each morning. Students may choose to and are allowed to carry a sling bag during the school day.
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Will my child change clothes for PE?

Yes, D303 middle school students are expected to change into PE clothing and may not wear clothes that were worn to school. Students will be assigned a PE locker to store their belongings. Please make sure that you student locks this locker.
  • Athletic t-shirt (must have sleeves)
  • Athletic shorts/pants
  • Athletic tennis shoes


As the weather gets cooler sweatshirts, sweats, and leggings can be worn to keep warm outside.

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How can I support my child academically at home this year?

You can work with your child to become familiar with the learning platform, Schoology. This tool is used to provide classroom information for students and families.


Parents/guardians can always check grades by going to the Home Access Center. We encourage you to do this with your child on a regular basis.

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When will we find out our bus schedule?

Bus schedules will be available through the Bus Routes e-Link which is found on the District website as well as through your HAC account on the School Links page. These will not be available until just prior to the start of school as our transportation department is working tirelessly to configure the routes.
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Can my child charge a Chromebook at school?

Our goal is that all students charge their Chromebooks every night at home. Students should not be bringing Chromebooks to school uncharged. These devices are used frequently throughout class periods, so students need them ready to go 1st hour. Please help your child get into a routine at night that involves charging their Chromebook.
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Does my child need to wear his/her ID during the day?

For safety and in order to purchase food in the cafeteria, all students and staff are encouraged to wear IDs every day while at school. If your child loses his/her ID, a replacement one can be picked up from the LRC. Two replacements are free; for additional cards, students will be charged $5 to their PushCoin accounts.
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How do I stay informed?

Thompson Middle School strives to be as transparent as possible with our parents and the community. Sign up here to receive the Daily Announcements by email.


The Friday Forecast is a weekly publication providing information and updates and will be emailed directly to parents/guardians through ParentLink. Check the Thompson website for more information and call the main office if you have any questions@ 331-228-3100.

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Who can I contact if I have a question or concern?

Contact your student's teacher for classroom information and procedures. Contact your student's team leader for team/grade level questions. Contact your grade level counselor for information related to schedules, academics, or concerns beyond the classroom.


Our administration team is here to provide support to students and families.

  • Matt Clark - Principal
  • Michelle Dague - Assistant Principal
  • Sarah Frankiewicz - Assistant Principal
  • Danielle Moeller - Student Support Coordinator
  • Sam Pasholk - Student Support Coordinator
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What clubs can my child join?

All of our clubs will be listed with descriptions on our website here. Daily announcements include information on upcoming meetings. Parents can view daily announcements on our website or sign up to receive them in email. Students can join multiple clubs.
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Are cell phones allowed during the school day?

Our goal is to provide students with engaging learning experiences and opportunities for true connection with our community. Because cell phones have become a daily part of life, students are often distracted to check notifications, withdraw to different apps, or use them for other purposes when they are out and accessible. As a rule of thumb, we say "Off and away, during the day" which is a catchphrase that mirrors the district policy which says phones are not allowed out or on during the school day. Students should not be accessing their phones from 8:37 am - 3:40 pm. Phone use for parent communication is only permitted if there is a school-wide emergency.


Our electronics policy will be reviewed with students during the first week of school. If you need to communicate with your child, please contact the main office. If your child is feeling ill, we have nurses on site that will care for your student and can reach out to you as needed.

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Are outside food/beverages allowed during the school day?

If a student is having lunch dropped off by a family member, it must be done through the main office. Food and beverages may only be provided for the individual student. For example a pizza cannot be purchased for a group of students. And students are not permitted to use apps such as Door Dash or GrubHub to have food delivered during the school day.


Students will not be allowed to bring outside food/beverages into a classroom.

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Do you monitor what my child is doing on their Chromebook?

Teachers monitor student Chromebook use during class. We also have a program called Gaggle that screens all emails, documents, and web searches for inappropriate or concerning language and topics. Sometimes students receive an initial email from Gaggle stating that the content of one of their documents is inappropriate. However, if the concern is over safety or the content is highly inappropriate, a copy of the document or image is sent to building and district administrators in addition to students receiving the notification.
Thompson PTO
Check out the Thompson PTO website by clicking on the button above! Facebook: @ThompsonMiddleSchoolPTO

Dates to Remember

  • Thursday, August 3 - Material Pickup and Picture Days 1:00 - 7:00 pm
  • Tuesday, August 8 - Material Pickup and Picture Days 1:00 - 7:00 pm
  • Wednesday, August 9 - 6th Grade Orientation - 9:00 - 10:30 am
  • Monday, August 14 - First Day of School
  • Tuesday, August 22 - i-Ready Diagnostic
  • Thursday, August 24 - i-Ready Diagnostic
  • Friday, September 1 - Institute Day - No school for students
  • Monday, September 4 - Labor Day - Schools are closed
  • Tuesday, September 5 - Curriculum Night - 6th Grade parents/guardians 6:30 pm
  • Wednesday, September 6 - Curriculum Night - 7th and 8th grade parents/guardians 6:30 pm
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Thompson Middle School

Dr. Matt Clark - Principal

Mrs. Michelle Dague - Assistant Principal

Ms. Sarah Frankiewicz - Assistant Principal

Mrs. Danielle Moeller - Student Support Coordinator

Mr. Sam Pasholk - Student Support Coordinator

Email: amy.ellis@d303.org
Website: http://thompson.d303.org
Location: 705 West Main Street
Phone: (331) 228-3100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thompson-Middle-School-671638232903851/