Dear TMS Community,

Welcome to February, the heart of the school year! This week our Third Quarter and Hexter 4 classes started, and our T-Wolves continued to show hard work and enthusiasm to explore new concepts, develop new skills, and form lasting knowledge. We are extremely proud to see our students show heart and perseverance, especially when faced with challenging content in class or perhaps a tricky adolescent situation. This success is a constant reminder of the growth that is possible when the adults in their lives - parents, teachers, coaches, teaching assistants, club sponsors - provide positive and consistent support. On behalf of the TMS students and from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!

NEW Information in this Newsletter:

• Congratulations to the TMS Poms Dance Team's 1st Place & 7th Grade Boys Basketball Regional Champs!
• Cold & Flu Season
• PTA Seeking Volunteers for 8th Grade Graduation Photos
• AHC PTA needs nominations for 4 of our exec positions in 25-26. This is the link to the nomination form.
• Sign-ups for the 2/14/25 Parent Teacher Conferences is OPEN until 9 am on 2/11/25
• Sign Up Genius for Donations for the TMS Staff Lunch during Conferences

Repeat Newsletter Announcements:

• Parent Academy
• 2025-2026 Calendar & Save the Dates
• PowerSchool for Parents
• After-School Academic Support
• PTA Information
• School Resource Office Information
  
• Safe2Help Illinois
  
• Care Solace Community Resource
• Bus Information

With gratitude,

The TMS Administrative Team

Lori Naumowicz, Principal

Greg Keadle, Associate Principal

Jeremy Fischer, Associate Principal & Epsilon Teacher

Allie Yoder, Associate Principal & TMS Student Services Coordinator

Cold and Flu Season

There is a rise in common illness within our schools.

Please help us keep our students and staff healthy by following this guidance:

Consider keeping your child at home for a day of rest if they have any of these symptoms:

• Mild stuffy or runny nose and/or mild cough

• Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)

• Headache

• Stomach ache

Your child must stay home if they have any of these symptoms:

• Fever (100.4F or higher)

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Chills

• Feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches

• Frequent Cough, including congested (wet) or croupy cough

Your child may return to school when:

• Fever free for at least 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medication

• At least 24 hours since the last episode of vomiting or diarrhea

• 24 hours after starting antibiotics if prescribed by a provider

• Symptoms are improving and they are well enough to participate in normal activities

Help prevent the flu and other colds by teaching your children good hygiene habits:

• Wash hands frequently

• Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth

• Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Avoid sharing personal items, food, or drinks.

Illinois Department of Public Health fact sheets for common illnesses

• Flu

• Strep Throat

• RSV

• COVID
  

• Haven't created an account yet?
• Have an account but forgot the password?
• Need to add a new student to an existing account?
• Want to use the app or enable email notifications?

Kaitlin Fajks, our Technology Integrationist, will be available to meet with you during conferences to answer any questions and get your accounts activated! Can't wait until then? You can always request account support here!

TMS will host in-person Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences on Friday, February 14, 2025 at Thomas Middle School from 7:45 AM - 3:15 PM.

What is the goal of conferences?

• This is an opportunity to communicate, connect, celebrate success, and problem-solve with staff, parents and students.
• Staff focus on supporting struggling students and students who would benefit from having parents and teachers work together with the student to discuss concerns and plans for support.

• Middle School Conferences are different than Elementary School Conferences because ALL TMS students and parents have 24-7 access to curriculum, instruction, and assessment information via PowerSchool and Schoology. In addition, TMS teams meet daily so parents can request to meet with teachers or the team at any point in the school year.
• Please reach out the your child's team leader if you have any questions about conferences. Please note, at TMS our practice is that staff members reach out to parents and guardians when there are concerns.

• Conferences are in-person at TMS and middle school students are expected to attend conferences with their parent(s).
• Conference times slots are booked in 10-minute increments, but conferences are only 7 minutes long. The 3 minutes in between is for students and parents to travel to each teacher's location.

What are the conference times on Friday, 2/14?

• Conferences will begin at 7:45 AM and end at 3:15 PM.
• Staff has a lunch break at 11:25 AM -12:25 PM.

• We use the PTC WIZARD platform for families to sign up for conferences.
• Parents can log into the PTC WIZARD site by clicking here and entering your child's login information.

Sign Up Time Line:

• Platform OPENS on Wednesday, 1/20/25 @ 9 AM
• Platform CLOSES on Tuesday, 2/11/25 @ 9 AM

Questions? Contact the Team Leader:

• Alpha - Arin Damico, email: adamico@sd25.org
• Beta - Katie Biewer, email: kbiewer@sd25.org
• Delta - Kate Renno, email: krenno@sd25.org
• Gamma - Jodi Cyr, email: jcyr@sd25.org
• Epsilon - Greg Stocco, email: gstocco@sd25.org
• Zeta - Anthony Kuch, email: akuch@sd25.org

How do I signup for a conference?

Step 1 - All Parents - How to Create Your New PTC Wizard Account

Directions LINK:

• Create Parent Login - PTC Wizard link: https://app.ptcwizard.com/ptc1632250518. This link will direct you to the registration page, where you can create your account and add your child's Student ID.

• You will need your child’s Student ID in order to create an account. You could ask your child for their Student ID (it is their lunch number). This ID number was emailed to you earlier this year and it is also listed in PowerSchool.

• PTC Wizard will allow 2 parents/guardians to sign up individually for conferences if needed, or just one parent can go in and complete the signup process.

Step 2 - Once your PTC Wizard Parent Account is created, please review this demo video on how to sign up for conferences for your child. Watch this Brief Demo Video

• Please help us provide an awesome lunch for the Thomas Staff on Friday, February 14th.
• Click HERE to sign up
• We are providing Chipotle Taco bar but would love parents to donate drinks, desserts, etc.
• Please plan on dropping off your items to the Thomas front desk by Thursday, February 13th at the end of the school day.

~ PTA Staff Appreciation Committee Chairs Megan Worthington and Heather Schramm

Stuart Rodgers offers the Thomas Middle School 8th graders and optional opportunity for formal 8th Grade Portraits in the graduation gown and dress clothes. Images are for personal use only and are not used in the school yearbook. Graduation gowns are provided by TMS.

WHEN: February 14th (During Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences)

WHERE: Thomas Middle School (Small Gym)

HOW TO SIGN UP: Click Here to Check Available Dates! Appointments are required!

Easy Online Scheduling - Log In Here to book your appointment now!

NEED ASSISTANCE: Contact us at Info@srphoto.com or 847-864-7322

*TMS staff will refer all questions to Stuart Rodgers.

2025-2026 Calendar_PDF or by visiting our website: www.sd25.org/Calendar.

Mark your calendars for these important TMS dates:

• 6th Grade Orientation - Friday, 8/15/25
• Locker Set Up Day - Friday, 8/15/25
• First Day of School - Thursday, 8/21/25
• TMS Back to School Event - Thursday, 8/21/25 from 4-7 PM
• Parent Teacher Conferences - Thursday & Friday, 10/23/25-10/24/25
• Parent Teacher Conferences - Monday, 2/16/26

Please CLICK HERE to read more about our Parent Academy - a partnership between parents and District 25, in which parents are invited to join our community of learners.

• PowerSchool can be a helpful tool for parents to support their middle schooler by viewing grades and attendance.
• Starting soon, TMS parents will have the ability to report Daily Attendance directly in PowerSchool. In order to do this, parents will need to log into their PowerSchool accounts.
• To request parent codes for PowerSchool and/or Schoology, please fill out this form.

TMS After School Support by Team is available to ALL students on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays!

• Please encourage your child to attend Office Hours/11th Hour/Homework Club and to reach out to teachers if they need help or just want a place to work on their academics after school. This support is FREE and can be extremely helpful.
• Click HERE for more details on options for your child to get help from staff at TMS.
• The activity bus departs TMS at about 3:35 PM.

The TMS PTA has a lot to offer this year! We are excited for all the activities we have planned!

• MEMBERSHIP: Join the TMS PTA and help support the TMS community! Check out the TMS PTA Website Each membership includes 1 TMS yearbook.

• MEETINGS: If you are interested in getting involved in the PTA or simply checking out a meeting @ 7:00pm in the TMS Library. Everyone is welcome!
• Wednesday, March 12, 2025
• Tuesday, May 13, 2025
• 2024-2025 Executive Board Members
• President: Kristen Dugan
• President-Elect: James Moncada
• Vice President: Sara Hess
• Treasurer: Diane Beardmore
• Secretary: Jocelyn Katz

Incidents that occur after school hours/on the weekends, or outside of school such as social media concerns or safety concerns should be reported to the Arlington Heights Police Department by calling 911. You can also go directly to the Police Department located at 200 E Sigwalt Street in Arlington Heights. It is open 24 hours.

School Resource Officers can be contacted by calling 911 or the non-emergency phone number (847) 368-5300. The SROs can be contacted directly as well by typically work during school hours:

SRO: John O'Leary joleary@vah.com Cell Phone: (847) 344-2330

SRO: Chris Seebacher cseebacher@vah.com Cell Phone (847) 368-5393

Safe2Help Illinois is a 24/7 program where students can use a free app, text/phone, and website (safe2helpil.com) to share information on school safety issues in a confidential environment. Once vetted, the information provided will be shared with local district and school officials and/or local 911 call center, depending on the nature of the information shared. Safe2Help Illinois is a long-term initiative to change the school culture in Illinois by helping students reach out when they have concerns. To learn further about Safe2Help Illinois, please see the videos below. More information can also be found on their website at safe2helpil.com. Video for Middle School Students

Care Solace for North Cook ISC students, staff, and their families is a free, confidential 24/7/365 Mental Health Care Coordination Service. Call 888-515-0595 or go to caresolace.com/site/northcook to complete a brief screening to be matched with a provider. Note that this is available to staff and their families as well as students - feel free to include this information in an upcoming staff newsletter or email as well as in family communication.

• Click here for the Bus Safety Guidelines and Rule as well as details on lost items on the bus.
• Please direct bus transportation questions to the District 25 Transportation Specialist: Laura Comastro as she can answer your questions and resolve issues. lcomastro@sd25.org. Phone: 847-758-4888
• Bus Company Questions: Contact Cook Co. School Bus Company at 847-439-0923

• Principal - Lori Naumowicz (Alpha & Delta Teams)
• Associate Principal - Greg Keadle (Beta, Gamma & Zeta Teams)
• Associate Principal & Student Services Coordinator - Allie Yoder (All things related to Special Education Services)
• Associate Principal & Teacher - Jeremy Fischer (Epsilon Team)