Thompson Friday Forecast

Thank you to all of the parents and guardians who joined us for Parent-Teacher Conferences over the past two days. These conversations are such an important part of our shared work to help every Thompson Middle School student grow and thrive.

At Thompson, success is truly a team effort — one that involves students, staff, and families all doing their part.

Students play their part by engaging fully in learning during the school day and completing any unfinished work outside of school. Effort and follow-through are key ingredients in academic success.
Staff continue to partner with students and families to provide meaningful learning experiences, feedback, and support every step of the way.
And parents play a vital role by encouraging perseverance at home and helping ensure students stay on top of their responsibilities.

Middle school can be challenging, which is why teamwork between home and school is so essential in helping students develop the habits, resilience, and relationships they need to succeed. We hope your child’s conferences helped strengthen your connection with our incredible Thompson staff, and we’re grateful for your continued partnership in making this an outstanding year and middle school experience.

I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend and Roll Thunder!

Dr. Matt Clark

Principal

What is Math Fluency ?

It is one’s ability to perform mathematical procedures with flexibility, accuracy, and efficiency. To gain fluency, one needs to develop an automatic recall of basic math facts, like times tables, alongside the strategic methods that help to solve a variety of problems.

Some strategies that can help with developing this fluency are:

Checking independent work: Before solving with exact calculations, students can quickly see if an answer is reasonable. Does it make sense?
Making quick decisions: For example, quickly figuring out if there is enough money when shopping or how much money should be left as a tip at a restaurant.
Patterns in numbers: Estimation encourages flexible thinking which supports higher level problem-solving such as algebra and geometry.

It is important to note that practice lends to fluency and being fluent with facts and flexible with numbers supports this idea. Being fluent and flexible plays a large role in helping a child build independence and confidence as it relates to everyday problem solving both at school and at home.

THANK YOU PTO!

Thank you parent community and PTO for the snacks and dinner during parent teacher conferences!

Your generosity fueled long, productive days this week. We are so grateful for YOU!

TARDY POLICY UPDATES

Tardy to School (after 7:50 a.m.)

Any student who arrives late to school will report to the main office and complete the Tardy Attendance Google Form at the front entrance upon arrival.
On their 3rd Tardy: Warning issued; notification sent home
4th & 5th Tardy: Detention (before or after school), assigned by the Student Support Coordinator
After 5th Tardy: Parent problem-solving meeting with administration

Note: All tardy counts reset at the end of each quarter.

PLEASE NOTE:

If you are a car rider, you MUST be dropped off/picked up at Door 3 in the circle drive. The parking lot by Door 5 (the tennis courts) is reserved for staff parking and special transit drop off/pick up ONLY.

Looking for Guest Speakers!

Our 6th-grade Exploring College & Careers class is seeking community members to visit and share about their career journey: what a “day in the life” looks like, what education or training is required, etc. If you are interested in volunteering as a guest speaker at either Thompson Middle School or Wredling Middle School, please complete this Google Form. We would love for our students to hear your story!

Students will have the opportunity to hear from Thunder’s favorite author, Alan Gratz, on Wednesday, October 15! They will hear about his writing journey, ask questions, and get inspired to read and write more!

Order autographed copies of Alan Gratz’s newest book, War Games, as well as the new graphic novel edition of his award-winning novel, Refugee, through PushCoin by October 9. Families may purchase books in advance, and students will receive their signed copies on the day of the visit. Don’t miss this special opportunity!

Check out the trailer for the new book here: War Games

We are looking forward to this wonderful event and can’t wait to share the experience with our students!

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month

What do Jamie Oliver, Jennifer Aniston, Richard Branson, and Tim Tebow all have in common? They’ve each spoken out publicly about their experiences with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a common learning difference that affects reading, spelling, and writing—but it does not reflect intelligence. Many students with dyslexia have incredible strengths in creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Myth-buster: Dyslexia is not a vision problem, and struggling readers are NOT lazy or less smart.

Public schools can screen students for reading difficulties and provide support, but they cannot give a formal medical diagnosis of dyslexia. Support at school may include targeted reading instruction, accommodations like extra time and/or audio support, small-group interventions, and collaboration with families.

Learn more at the International Dyslexia Association or reach out to your building reading specialists Annie.Leppin@d303.org and Debbie.Baron@d303.org

Did you know that there is a formula for success in education?

Student + Parent + Teacher = SUCCESS

Thank you for being part of our team!

Boys Basketball and Wrestling are now open for Registration on SNAP.

Please find more information here.

The TMS Wrestling season is just around the corner! If your child is interested in joining, please have them attend an Informational Meeting on Monday, October 20th after school in Room 253. The first practice will be on Thursday, October 23rd, and the final day to join the team is on October 29th.

All registrations must be completed online at https://schools.snap.app/tms

In order to participate, registration must be completed online and an updated physical must be on file.

Please contact the coaches listed or Athletic Director Chris Cloy (christopher.cloy@d303.org)

Volunteer Opportunity

Thompson's Builders Club needs help supporting the Northern Illinois Food Bank. On Thursday, October 30th from 5:30 PM-7:30 PM, we are scheduled to serve at the food bank, and we need people to volunteer. Students who attend need to attend with a parent/guardian/older sibling. Those who volunteer will need to arrive at the food bank by 5:15 PM. This opportunity is an excellent way to serve the community, to spend time with family/friends, and earn service hours. An entire family, along with friends, may attend with a Thompson student who would like to volunteer. Children need to be eight years of age to volunteer. If you want to attend this rewarding service opportunity, please email David Simone at david.simone@d303.org with the first and last name of each individual who will be attending by Tuesday, October 14th.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

David Simone, Builders Club Advisor

Stay Connected with the Thompson PTO

Sign up to receive updates about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and important PTO news.

Sign up here to join our Communications List

There are no dues or fees to be part of the PTO—all Thompson families and staff are welcome and encouraged to get involved.

Stay informed, stay connected, and help us build a strong school community.

Help Us Collect ONE MILLION Pop Tabs!

We’re on a mission to collect one million pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities, and we can’t do it without YOU (and your grandparents, cousins, neighbors, and carpool crew)!

Those tiny aluminum tabs from soda cans, soup lids, or sparkling water may seem small—but when we collect them together, they add up to real support for families with seriously ill children.

Here’s how to pitch in:

Save your pop tabs at home—and ask your grandparents, cousins, friends, and neighbors to do the same!
Bring them to school all year long.
Every tab brings us closer to our 1,000,000-tab goal!

Let's pull together and make a difference!

Vital Living Wellness Solutions Series

Join us for an engaging and practical three-part series designed to help parents navigate the growing challenges of anxiety and school avoidance. Led by Dr. Megan Schmitz of Vital Living Wellness Solutions, these sessions will give parents tools to:

Recognize anxiety in their child and understand its impact on learning and growth.
Learn strategies to balance empathy and compassion with boundaries and expectations.
Gain concrete tools to support positive school attendance and resilience.

Where: St. Charles North High School Auditorium
Time: 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Dates: October 8 • October 22 • November 12

This series is designed to strengthen the partnership between families and schools, offering tools and strategies that foster belonging, perseverance, and achievement. Together, we can create the support and consistency children need to thrive. Please note: An interpreter/translator will be available for families who need language support.

Wasco Baseball is excited to share that starting in Spring 2026, we will officially offer Recreational Softball leagues alongside our long-standing baseball program. Our focus is on providing a fun, local experience for girls beginning at age 4 (Tee Ball) and growing through grade-based leagues into middle school, depending on enrollment.

If a recreational softball league interests your family, please complete the survey below. This survey is simply to help us gauge interest and plan age groups. Your response will help our Board of Directors, along with newly added softball-specific board members, design the best possible program for the community.

We can’t wait to build this new chapter of Wasco Athletics with you. Thank you for your continued support as our Board of Directors works to grow and strengthen both Wasco Baseball and Wasco Softball.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTREL8cpzzPHOXMENVM64Ns3XvLAl5hJt6ojOLJw2Ip9CHEA/viewform

📷 School Pictures

HR Imaging is the company we use. The link to order pictures is now live.

To contact HR Imaging with questions: https://shop.hrimaging.com/pws/contactus.aspx

St. Charles Public Library

All students are eligible for a St. Charles Public Library card. Check out the FAQ to learn how to obtain a card for you child.

Donate to pay off Student Lunch Debt

District 303 has created a Pushcoin link to donate to student food accounts with negative balances. Please feel free to donate if you are able to do so! Every little bit helps!