Thompson Friday Forecast

Good afternoon and Happy Fri-yay everyone! I wanted to start off this Friday Forecast by thanking all the staff and volunteers who helped make the first night of Materials Pick-Up a huge success. The sight of students and their families moving through the building was a refreshing change after weeks of quiet hallways. It was a powerful reminder of the integral role students and their families play in breathing life into this educational space. We’re looking forward to another great Materials Pick-Up day next Tuesday, August 8th. If you have not yet scheduled a time to come, please visit the pick-A-time link or call the main office to set one up.

In other news, as may be the case with many of you, the end of summer vacation causes the Clark family to try and cram in as many activities as possible into these last few days. This year is no exception as in the past week we’ve visited the Field Museum last Sunday and attended a Kane County Cougars last night after Materials Pick-Up (pictures below).

My wife lives for these excursions and is the motor that drives the rest of us to embrace these experiences. Sometimes dealing with an 8th grader and a 5th grader at home is a challenge. It’s difficult to get them to do anything from cleaning their rooms to participating in a family outing. While some of these internal Clark family battles have added to the number of gray hairs on my head, I would never wish to miss them. A wiser man than I once imparted the invaluable lesson of cherishing every stage of life and never wishing away a phase, no matter how difficult. This is why I present my grays like a badge of honor…have a great weekend everyone!

This school year at Thompson, all students will be required to store their bookbags and cinch sacks in their designated lockers during the entire school day. This decision has been made after careful consideration, and it aims to create safer classrooms and hallways for everyone.

The safety and well being of our students are of the utmost importance to us, and this measure will help reduce the risk of tripping hazards, unauthorized access to personal belongings, and the potential for unsafe items being brought into classrooms. By keeping the pathways and classrooms clear, we can better respond to emergencies and ensure a more organized and conducive learning environment.

We understand that students may have become accustomed to carrying their cinch sacks throughout the day, but we believe this small adjustment will significantly enhance safety and security on campus. We kindly request your support in explaining the importance of this new procedure to your children to help them prepare for the change. In addition, this change in procedure does not apply to students who have accommodations for book bags or cinch sacks in their IEPs or 504s.

In addition, students ARE ALLOWED to use the following items to transport their materials from class to class: purses, pencil pouches, belt bags, trapper keepers, fanny packs, etc. If you have questions or are in need of an accommodation please contact the Main Office and they will get you in touch with the appropriate person to discuss how we can best support your child.

As we gear up for the new academic year, we want to inform you about an important update to our school’s morning procedures for students who arrive via drop off, walking or biking. To ensure the safety and proper supervision of all our students, we have made some changes to the school entry time and designated entry points.

Starting this school year, students who arrive at Thompson before 8:20 am will not be allowed to enter the building. Instead, we have designated the outside area near the Gymnasium (Door 4) as the waiting area for early arrivals. Students who walk, bike, or are dropped off before 8:20 am will gather in this location until the building opens at 8:20.

Students who are dropped off between 8:20 and 8:40, will enter Door 3 as they have in the past.

The safety and well-being of our students are of utmost importance. By implementing this new procedure, we aim to create a secure and organized environment for all. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter.

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.

August 9th from 9:00 -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)!

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.

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.

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.

• Tuesday, August 8 - Material Pickup and Picture Days 1:00 - 7:00 pm
• Wednesday, August 9 - 6th Grade WEB 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
• Wednesday, August 30 - Early Release for All Grades
• 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

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/