From the Principal

October 20th

Colts and Colt Families:

Happy October and welcome to College and Career Readiness month! Throughout this month we engage our Colts in the opportunities that await them in life after high school.

We kicked off the month by celebrating our pre-ACT Scholars. As 9th and 10th graders, these students scored in the top percentiles nationally on the Pre-ACT and were recognized with a certificate, medal, and cookie reception with their peers as a way to celebrate their success.

On October 28th, all Colts have the opportunity to take the pre-ACT or ACT completely free of charge. This opportunity will serve all our students well in reaching their future goals - whether entering the trades, enlisting in the military, or enrolling in college. Seniors sign-up for college expos, take campus tours, and learn about applying to college.

Earlier this month, more than 100 seniors and their families attended Beyond High School Night to learn about the college and trade school application process and 80+ families attended FAFSA night - and learned that the FAFSA is now open for students enrolling in college fall 2026!

As a comprehensive high school, Colts have many opportunities to prepare for a future of their choosing. We challenge students to put forth their best effort and to set ambitious goals for their future.

Go Colts!

Principal Pelster

Thurston High School

Follow @thurstoncolts for campus highlights or at our new school website https://ths.springfield.k12.or.us/about

Month at-a Glance

10/21 - Retake Photos with LifeTouch

10/21 - Required Senior Meeting (during school day, 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.)

10/22 - Band and Orchestra Concerts at 7:00 p.m.

10/24 - Early Release

10/28 - College Readiness Day

10/31 - Late Work Deadline

11/07 - No School - Grading Day

11/10-11/14 - College Application Week

11/11 - No School - Veteran’s Day

11/13, 11/14, 11/15 - Opening Week for Fall Musical, Wizard of Oz

11/14 - Early Release

In This Newsletter

The Month Ahead in Campus Life: College and Career Readiness Day, Halloween Carnival, Band and Orchestra Fall Concert, Fall Musical Opening Night

Schoolwide Student survey launches in English classes
Volunteer to Chaperone a College Visit on 10/15
Winter Sports Registration is Open
Parent Teacher Conferences: Save-the-Date November 20th and 21st
After School Tutoring Begins, 3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Tuesdays / Thursdays Library
Campus Safety - ALICE (Lockdown) Training
Purchase a Yearbook for 2025-26

College and Career Readiness Day - 10/28

To support informed planning beyond high school, all students will participate in a college and career readiness day on October 28th.

Freshmen and sophomore students will complete interest and career inventories, and the pre-ACT test to gain valuable practice in on-demand assessments.
Juniors will complete the ACT, an academic skills test used to access scholarships and admissions to colleges in Oregon and beyond.
Seniors will choose from multiple college and career preparation options - selecting one of three college campus tours, or to attend on-campus seminars including college essay writing.

Halloween Carnival and Costumes - 10/31

On Friday, 10/31 at lunch students can participate in our fall carnival. There are games and prizes for participation. Students may wear costumes. Costumes with full face masks, fake weapons, or excessive gore are prohibited.

Fall Band and Orchestra Concert - 10/22 at 7:00 p.m.

Support our music program. Students first music concert is Tuesday, October 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium.

Fall Musical Wizard of Oz opens - 11/13 at 7:00 p.m.

Thurston High School Theater presents a beloved classic, Wizard of Oz. Join us for opening night on November 13th or at a later showing, 11/14, 11/15, 11/21, or

Follow @thurstonhsasb instagram posts information related to ASB Sponsored events and activities.

Schoolwide Student survey launches in Advisory and English classes

Our THS School Climate Survey will be given in every advisory class next week. This important survey allows students to share their feedback on how students are connecting to peers, school, and adults on campus.

Volunteer to Chaperone a College Visit on 10/28

On College and Career Readiness Day on 10/28, we are taking our seniors on college visits. The opportunity to visit a college helps all students learn more about the college experience, application process, and how to choose a college or post-high school path that is right for them. We are in search of volunteers to help chaperone the college visits. Please RSVP here.

Winter Sports Registration is Open

Winter sports registration is open. You can find more information by going to our THS website > athletics > registration and forms > here.

ALICE (Lockdown) Training

Staff have been trained on our ALICE safety procedures. Later this month, all students will be trained through advisory on our schoolwide procedures for lockdowns and modified lockdowns. This is an annual training for all students. Posters outlining our lockdown procedures are posted in every classroom.

Parent Teacher Conferences: Save-the-Date November 20th and 21st

We are excited to host conferences in person at THS in the Cafeteria. Conferences will be held the evening of Nov. 20th, from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (following a regular school day) and the morning of Nov. 21st, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 (noon) (no school). Sign-ups will be done digitally. More information to come.

Purchase a Yearbook

Pre-order your yearbook here or purchase a senior ad here.

After School Tutoring Begins, 3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Tuesdays / Thursdays Library

Starting this week, we will be offering tutoring after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the library from 3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Information will be shared in advisory and announcements. Students are encouraged to come prepared with their assignments or homework to maximize the benefit of this time.

Academic Support, Wednesday / Thursdays, 9:25 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Students have the opportunity each week to sign-up to check-in with a teacher of their choosing on Wednesday or Thursday during academic support. We encourage students to ask questions, access assignments, and stay ahead by using this time effectively.

Schoolwide Grading Policies

Your student will be academically challenged at high school in many ways. Demonstrations of skills and learning may require any combination of labs, tests, homework, projects, and writing; each class will be different.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they are prepared each day, ready to learn, putting forth their best first attempt on all assignments. As a school, we are focused on seeing students show their understanding of course material, and allowing students the chance to show growth and improvement over time.

For this reason, we have two school-wide grading policies for all courses:

Students may complete re-takes on all summative assignments and assessments.
Assignments completed by the school-wide late-work deadlines will have the opportunity to receive full-credit.
Late-Work Deadlines are the Last B day of each Month

Thurston High School

Stay connected.

Thurston Office (541-744-5000)

Kimberlee Pelster, Principal - kimberlee.pelster@springfield.k12.or.us

Daniel Pestle, Assistant Principal - daniel.pestle@springfield.k12.or.us

Jeffrey Thompson, Assistant Principal - jeffrey.thompson@springfield.k12.or.us

Leslie Watson, Assistant Principal - leslie.watson@springfield.k12.or.us

Jared Taylor, Dean of Students - jared.taylor@springfield.k12.or.us

Thurston High School

Website: ths.springfield.k12.or.us
Location: 58th Street, Springfield, OR, USA
Phone: 541-744-5000
Facebook: facebook.com/ThurstonHighColts
Twitter: @THSColts