Thornton Middle School

Hello Thornton Students and Families,

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable winter break and have returned to school ready to begin the second semester. It's hard to believe that we are over halfway through the school year! With the halfway milestone reached, it is time to begin looking toward the end of the school year and getting prepared for the next. There are several important events/activities that will occur over the next few months in preparation for the 2024/25 school year. This newsletter contains timeline information regarding registration for current 6th, 7th & 8th graders as well as Ed Faire information. Please review the information carefully as many of the events are happening over the next few weeks.

We are also gearing up for a new, after and before-school enrichment program. Thornton Middle School will be receiving funds through Prop 28 to offer VAPA (visual and performing arts) classes beginning in March. More information about these classes can be found below in the newsletter.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind guardians and students about traffic safety when dropping off and picking up from school. It is imperative that both students and drivers follow traffic laws and ONLY use the curb lane to enter the school loops as a driving path and NOT have students enter and/or exit vehicles off of Thornton Avenue. Students should only exit and enter vehicles in the school loop. When students exit/enter a vehicle in a lane designated for driving, it places the student, staff and other drivers at risk of injury.

I am looking forward to the upcoming months and all of the excitement that comes with it as students begin to prepare for end of the year activities and transition to the next grade. Please continue to check-in with your child daily about school and encourage their participation in extra curricular activities as well as their commitment to successfully completing school work. The middle school years move quickly, and we want students to be fully engaged in school so that they may enjoy this time prior to moving on to high school. As always, I appreciate your support of our school and staff.

Sincerely,

Ms. Strausbaugh, Principal

Thank you to all of those who were able to contribute to our change for change, coin drive in December. Thornton Middle School donated over $3,000 to the Alameda County Food Bank the week before winter break!

8th graders were provided an Activities Contract in homeroom on January 12th. Students and parents need to review it and return the signed contract to their homeroom teacher on Friday, January 26th in order to be eligible to participate in the end-of-the-year activities. End-of-the-year activities include the Great America Field Trip and the 8th Grade Social. Eligibility requirements and additional information can be found on the 8th Grade Activities Contract.

6th and 7th grade students will be receiving registration information during their math class on February 14th and 15th. Math classes will meet together in the large gym while the school counselors conduct a presentation on how to properly complete the registration form for the upcoming school year. Students will be required to complete the registration form AND register online, through Infinite Campus, by March 1st. Students will submit their completed registration form to their math teacher by the deadline. There will be an Education Faire (more information below) on February 21st where students and parents will have the opportunity to visit classes and ask questions of teachers prior to the submission deadline. Links to registration information are updated regularly and can be found on under Programs and Services on our school webpage.

8th grade students will be receiving all information regarding registration directly through American High School (AHS). AHS counselors will be onsite on January 29th to present to current 8th graders during their math class. AHS will hold their Open House on February 8th from 6pm-8pm. More information can be found on the Open House Flyer. AHS registration forms are due by February 12th. More information regarding AHS registration can be found on the AHS website or by contacting an AHS school counselor.

You will be receiving an email from Informed K12 the first week in February, with instructions on

how to upload your two proofs of residency. The link will be personalized for your student(s),

therefore if you have multiple students you’ll need to submit a form for each student. Every year

we ask parent/guardians to provide two proofs of residency. The current proofs of residency

must be in the parent/guardians name and must be dated within the last 30 to 45 days. The last

day to upload your documents will be on March 1, 2024.

Document Examples:

● Mortgage statement or lease agreement

● Utility bills: water, electric, garbage

● Voter registration or DMV notice

Tdap IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENT FOR 7TH GRADE

"Whooping cough”, also known as pertussis, continues to be widespread in California. To help stop its spread, all students in 7th through 12th grade are required by law to have proof of a whooping cough booster (TDaP) shot, that was given on or after the students 7th birthday. Students will not be allowed to attend classes in the fall without proof of a shot on record. In an effort to ensure all students are ready to start 7th grade in August 2024, please submit your Tdap record with your 7th grade registration packet on March 1, 2024. If you haven't made an appointment for your students Tdap vaccination please make an appointment with your student’s physician as soon as possible. Once received please submit to the Thornton Middle School Office if it had not already been submitted on March 1, 2024.

The Education Faire is an opportunity for students/parents of current 6th and 7th graders, to visit the campus and learn more about the educational programs that are offered at Thornton. There will be time to speak with teachers and ask questions regarding curriculum, classes, elective offerings, etc... In addition to visiting classrooms, there will be a grade specific presentation in the gym. The Education Faire takes the place of the traditional Open House held in elementary school. The event flyer contains additional details. More information will be sent out closer to the event.

Current 6th Graders: Student/Parents will arrive on campus and go directly to the large gym for a 6:00pm presentation. At 6:45pm, you will be able to go into the designated classrooms.

Current 7th Graders: Students/Parents will go directly to the designated classrooms at 6:00pm. At 6:45pm, you will go to the large gym for a presentation.

Thornton has been extremely fortunate to have been allocated money from Proposition 28 that helps fund additional Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) instruction and materials in schools. We will be implementing a before and after-school enrichment program starting in March. The classes will run for the remainder of the year. There are many class options and that meet on various days and times. Most classes run for 4-5 weeks per session. Several of the classes will have two session options in order to maximize the amount of students who are able to sign-up. Class sizes will remain small and students who sign-up will be expected to attend every class meeting during the session that it is offered. There will be a separate email provided with a google form to sign up for classes. Only Thornton students, using their district issued email will be able to sign up. The class catalog is available for your advanced planning to help determine which session your student may want to participate. Please note that many classes overlap. Students should NOT sign up for classes/sessions that are in conflict with days/times.

Everyone should have received a message from the Superintendents Office that shared the new COVID protocols that went into effect on January 22, 2024. In the event that you missed the message or were unable to access it, the updated protocols can be found by using this link. Fremont Unified’s current COVID-19 protocols and resources will remain available at fremontunified.org/covid.

Please assist by reminding students to properly wear a bicycle helmet when riding a bicycle, scooter, and/or skateboard to and from school. In addition, students should be riding with caution and being mindful of vehicles. It is a best practice to look twice before they attempt to cross the street or enter the roadway. Unfortunately, there have been incidents of unsafe driving in the area of the school and we want to insure our students safety. If you see individuals driving in an unsafe manner or erratically, please contact the Fremont Police Department.

On January 8th, Thornton rolled out its new Reward Store which replaced the prior Caught Being Good program outlined in the student agenda. The new Reward Store is open on Fridays during lunch for students to trade in their acquired Bolt Bucks for prizes which range from small pieces of candy to board games to Thornton shirts and sweatshirts. Students can earn Bolt Bucks for doing good deeds, going above and beyond, being good citizens, etc. We are always looking to add fun stuff to our prize selection, so if you'd like to help us do that, please use this included Amazon Wish List link to purchase items to donate.

Thornton will be participating in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) tests from April 29th - May 17th. Please avoid scheduling appointments and/or vacations during this time. During the testing window, we will follow a block schedule. More information about State Testing can be found on FUSD's Assessment Webpage.

Our Multi-Lingual Learners will be participating in English Language Proficiency Assessments (ELPAC) testing beginning in early February. Tests will occur throughout the school day and students will be called out of class to complete the assessment in the library. More information about the ELPAC can be found on the Federal and State Programs Webpage. Assistant Principal Marine will be coordinating ELPAC assessments for students. Please feel free to contact her directly if you have any questions.