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Thomas Timberwolves
School Community Newsletter - March 29, 2021
Safety ~ Connection ~ Instruction
Dear Thomas Middle School Community,
We hope everyone enjoyed a restful and relaxing Spring Break. Tomorrow we look forward to welcoming many more students to TMS for in-person learning. Please see below for information on new lunch locations and assigned team doors for entering and exiting the building during arrival and dismissal. Also, please take a moment to review the TMS traffic patterns and note that the traffic during morning arrival and after school pick-up will likely be increased. Your patience is greatly appreciated.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE COMPLETE the 5Essentials Parent Survey! The 5Essentials Parent Survey is closing on April 1st and we have not yet reached the 20% parent minimum. We ask that you please participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey. It's a short survey that helps guide our programming and support the community.
DATES TO NOTE:
- No School - Non-Attendance Day for Students - Friday, 4/2/21
- MAP Testing - Alternate Daily Schedules - Wednesday. Thursday, 4/7/21 & 4/8/21
- End of 3rd Quarter - Friday, 4/9/21
- Report Cards Issued - Friday, 4/16/21
- No School - Non-Attendance Day for Students - SIP Day - Monday, 4/19/21
- Start of Hexter 6 (6th-grade Creative Arts Only) - Thursday, 4/29/21
This newsletter has several NEW items posted:
REGISTER TODAY for the 10th Annual ABC/25 GetBurbed Challenge on April 24, 2021!
NSSEO Needs Assessment Survey
PTA Award
Thank you for your partnership as we continue to prioritize safety, connection, and instruction.
Take care and be well,
~ Lori, Greg, & Nick
5Essentials Survey Information
Each family is asked to please participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey, as a part of the Illinois 5Essentials Survey administration. The survey responses will never be connected to the identity of you or your child as school reports will only present aggregated information of how parents responded as a whole.
- Please CLICK HERE to take the parent survey. The 5Essentials Survey is open through April 2.
- If you have any questions about the survey, please contact 5Essentials Customer Support at 1-866-440-1874 or 5essentials@uchicago.edu.
REGISTER TODAY for the 10th Annual ABC/25 GetBurbed Challenge on April 24, 2021!
REGISTER TODAY for the 10th Annual ABC/25 GetBurbed Challenge on April 24, 2021!
Early registration ends on Wednesday, March 31, 2021.
Our event this year will consist of an In-Person 1 Mile Run held on April 24, 2021 at South Middle School along with a Virtual 1 Mile and 5K that you can complete anytime before May 2, 2021.
Please visit www.raceroster.com/44529 to register and www.abc25challenge.org for full details and guidelines for both events.
By registering early, you are able to take advantage of these additional benefits:
- Reduced pricing
- Guaranteed race shirt
- Race packet delivered directly to a D25 school
We also have a really fun contest planned for all participants with PRIZES! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to participate!
Post Travel Quarantine and Absences
Just a quick note regarding Post Travel Quarantine and absences this week.
Students in quarantine must be at home in Arlington Heights, ready to participate in remote learning. Students that are still traveling or located somewhere other than home will be considered absent.
If you plan to have your student quarantine this week due to travel, please complete the Absence Form online or leave a message in the front office with the dates of absence.
Click here to access the TMS absence form
You may complete the form once with the range of dates rather than filling it out daily. While in quarantine, your children may participate in school via Zoom. If you had a negative Covid test obtained and do not plan to quarantine, you may email the results to Laura Toussaint at ltoussaint@sd25.org
Click Here to view the Cook County Travel Guidelines:
As always, we are here to talk things through with you and answer any questions you may have. The most important thing we can do is stay home if anyone is sick. Thank you again for partnering with us to continue to keep TMS a safe place for everyone.
NEW LUNCH LOCATIONS - 3/30/31 *This is shared with students via Schoology and the Daily Announcements
Arrival and Dissmisal Reminders
Designated Lineup/Entrance Locations With everyone’s patience and cooperation, we can ensure a safe arrival and dismissal for our students. Pick-up and drop-off occurs along Belmont Avenue. Each grade level team has an assigned building entrance. Please see the diagram below. Busses will drop off in the morning in the Belmont (main parking lot) and will pick-up during dismissal in the Arlington Heights/Thomas Street parking lot. Traffic Flow & Parking With everyone’s patience and cooperation, we can ensure a safe arrival and dismissal for our students. 7th & 8th-grade drop-off and pick-up occurs along Belmont Avenue. 6th-grade drop-off occurs inside the Arlington Heights/Thomas Street parking lot and pick-up occurs along Belmont Avenue. Busses will drop off in the morning in the Belmont (main parking lot) and will pick-up during dismissal in the Arlington Heights/Thomas Street parking lot. The Belmont (main parking lot) is closed to all parents except those with specialized drop-offs and pick-ups.
Spring Assessment Information
NWEA MAP Testing
Testing will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, April 7th & 8th, for both ELA and Math. Please see the adjusted bell schedule below for these dates.
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)
Testing will be held on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, May 5th, 6th, & 7th. An adjusted bell schedule will be shared closer to the testing date. Please note that these testing dates may change as we await assessment guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)
Testing will take place between April 29th through May 15th, though these dates may change as we await assessment guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
Testing for Remote Only Students
Parents of remote-only students were emailed by Greg Keadle regarding testing information. Please reach out to Greg if you have any questions - gkeadle@sd25.org
NSSEO's annual Needs Assessment Parent Survey
NSSEO's annual Needs Assessment Parent Survey is now open. This survey provides valuable feedback as NSSEO plans parent education and networking events for the next school year. Please consider filling out this survey by Friday, April 9, 2021, at 12:00 PM.
CLICK HERE or see below
Congratulations to the 2020-2021 Illinois PTA Outstanding Administrator of the Year!
Join our PTA in congratulating Lori Naumowicz being named Outstanding Administrator of the Year by the Illinois PTA!
THANK YOU from Mrs. Naumowicz
I wanted to take a moment to share my heartfelt gratitude to our PTA for this kind and generous nomination. I accept this award on behalf of the TMS staff for the tremendous work they have done with the support of our AMAZING PTA over the last 12 months! This has been an incredibly difficult time for everyone so to be recognized for the dedication and heart that our staff and PTA Executive Board Members have shown is truly appreciated. What we have accomplished together has been made possible from the unwavering partnership and collaboration of our TMS PTA. This is what makes the TMS Community so special!
It is such an honor to work, learn, and grow at TMS. Thank you for sharing your children with me and embracing this journey! I am forever grateful for all the kindness and support that has been shared!
With sincere gratitude,
Lori
TMS PTA
Do you have questions for the PTA? Email the PTA at: thomasmiddleschoolpta@gmail.com
2020-2021 PTA Officers:
President: Lucy Block
President-Elect: Amy Hoffman
Vice President: Melissa Teuscher
Treasurer: Suzanne Krause
Secretary: Lisa Ulrych
Future Meeting Dates:
* Tuesday, April 20 @ 7 PM - RSVP on this form if you plan to attend.
* May 19
HELPFUL LINKS:
- PTA 2020-2021 Bylaws - Here is a link to the 20-21 bylaws which have been approved. The public has 30 days to read and review these before they are finalized at the April 20, 2021 meeting.
- Link to the TMS PTA Website
Questions regarding Spiritwear? Please contact:
Stephanie Notaro - sgnotaro@sbcglobal.net
Stephanie Gries - sgries6@comcast.net f
Directory Spot: Shannon Hull is the TMS Directory Spot Chairperson. Please email ThomasPTADirectory@gmail.com for changes or access issues.
TMS Athletic & Extracurricular Updates
Please continue to check the Extracurricular Page of the TMS Website for information on all the sports and clubs happening this year!
- 7th & 8th Grade Track & Field
- 7th & 8th Grade Girls Basketball
- 7th & 8th Grade Boys Volleyball
- 7th & 8th Grade Cheerleading
- Science Olympiad
- Band Programs
- PRIDE Club
- Student Council
- DEN Club
- Crafting Club
- H2O Club
- Gaming Club
- Fantasy Baseball Club
- Car Club
- Artists Who Love to Read
- Math Contest
- Lego Club
- Cooking Club
Activity Bus Update
Activity Bus: This runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and most Fridays. Students should complete the Activity Bus Form each time they ride the bus for contact tracing purposes. The bus begins to load at 3:25 and departs TMS promptly at 3:35. Students must be bus riders and have a bus pass to be eligible to take the Activity Bus.
Mental Health Resources
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (call 1-800-273-8255 for free and confidential support for people in distress and best practices for professionals)
- Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor)
- Call4Calm (text TALK or HABLAR to 552020 to get connected to a counselor in your area)
- Safe2Help Illinois (a 24/7 tip line that gives students a safe and confidential way to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence, or other threats to school safety).
FOOD DISTRIBUTION & FREE LUNCH
FREE LUNCH FOR STUDENTS - Students can order a free lunch Tuesday-Friday at TMS. Orders are placed during homeroom.
- Day: Every Wednesday
- Times: 9:30 am – 10:30 am & 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
- Where: Thomas Middle School ONLY
- Who: All Arlington Heights families with students age 18 and under
- Important Notes: Neighbors or friends are allowed to come to pick up meal bags for you from Thomas Middle School. If food delivery is needed, please contact us and we can arrange for a delivery time.
BUS INFORMATION
Laura Comastro - lcomastro@sd25.org
PHONE: (847) 758-4888 | Fax: (847) 228-2078
TMS Office Information
*Hours may be modified over spring break. Please call before coming to the office.
Address: 1430 N. Belmont Ave. Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Phone: 847-398-4260
Fax: 847-394-6843