Thompson Friday Forecast

From the Principal... Matt Clark

Good evening Thompson families. It is hard to believe we are already coming down the home stretch of another school year. These final weeks always bring a unique energy to the building. Students are excited about summer, looking ahead to new opportunities, and beginning to think about what comes next. For our 8th graders especially, the reality of transitioning to high school is starting to feel very real.

While this season is certainly exciting, it also brings a mixed bag of emotions for adolescents. Your child may feel excited to move on to the next level, anxious about changing grades or schools, and/or sad about leaving the peers and friendships they have built throughout the year (or throughout their three years in middle school). Adding to this complexity is the fact that adolescents manifest these emotions in a variety of ways, which makes it difficult to know exactly how they feel unless you take "EVERYTHING IS FINE!" at face value.

As adults, it can sometimes be easy to interpret changing moods, heightened emotions, or unusual behaviors at surface level, when in reality many students are simply trying to process a lot internally all at once. During these high energy, high emotion weeks, it is important that we cut our adolescents a little bit of slack. They are often bursting at the seams emotionally and still learning how to appropriately express everything they are feeling.

With that, I hope all of our moms and mother figures have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend. May your weekend include a little relaxation, a little appreciation, and hopefully minimal adolescent outbursts. Thank you for all that you do each and every day, even during the moments when “everything is fine” clearly means the exact opposite.

Roll Thunder!

Dr. Matt Clark

Thompson Principal

THANK YOU Parents and Guardians!

Thank you to our parent and guardian community for spoiling our teachers and staff this week. From donuts and coffee to taco lunches to mystery gift card punch board to root beer floats - your generosity carried us through another week here at TMS! And a special shout out to Jenna Smulski and the Staff Appreciation Committee for all your hard work coordinating this AMAZING week! We are so grateful for you!

TMS Celebrates 100 Years - Come for the Live Music, stay for the Therapy Ponies

📆 Mark your calendars! Important Dates

Incoming 6th Graders - transition opportunities

📢 5th Grade Parent and Student Step-Up Night (Open House)

Thursday, May 7th

6:00-6:30 pm - Main Gym with Thompson Staff
6:30-7:00 pm - Self-guided tour of the building

📢 5th Grade Classroom visits to Thompson from 10:30-11:30 am

Tuesday, May 12th - Richmond & Davis
Wednesday, May 13th - Ferson Creek & Corron
Thursday, May 14th - Bell Graham & Munhall
Friday, May 15th - Wild Rose & Wasco

📢 Material Pickup Days including Picture Days

Tuesday, July 28th from 1:00-7:00 pm
Thursday, July 30th from 1:00-7:00 pm only

📢 WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) for ALL incoming 6th graders

Thursday, August 6th from 2:00-3:30 pm

Student-led tours and team-building activities. WEB means ALL 6th graders are welcome!

📢 Jump Start* by Registration Only*

Session 1: Monday, August 3rd & Tuesday, August 4th from 8:30-11:30 am
Session 2: Wednesday, August 5th & Thursday, August 6th from 8:30-11:30 am

Registration information will be sent directly to families in late-May/early June

🌺 Please Sign Up to Help - TMS 8th Grade Dance!

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!

As we prepare to celebrate our 8th grade students, we wanted to share the invite and the link to the permission slip for our Luau in honor of your child which will be held on Friday, May 15th from 6:00-8:00pm. Please click here to access the permission slip which needs to be completed by Friday, May 8th. We look forward to celebrating our 8th grade class!

✨ Please CLICK HERE to donate your time, talent, or supplies!

✨ CLICK HERE if you are able to help with our 8th Grade Dance Amazon Wishlist!

Congrats to IESA recipient Justin Florentino!

This past week Thompson Middle School student Justin Florentino was honored at an award ceremony for his hard work as a student athlete in Illinois. Congrats, Justin! Keep up the good work!

🏅 2026 TMS Athletic Summer Camps

Summer is just around the corner and we are busy planning our summer athletic camps. Our camps will offer a variety of opportunities for students to improve their skills and have fun in six different sports! All summer athletic camps will be facilitated by Thompson Middle School coaches. Students will participate in a variety of skill-building activities and will be introduced to the same plays and philosophies that they will use when participating in middle school athletics. The philosophy of our camps is simple: have fun, improve skills, and learn good sportsmanship!

👉 CLICK HERE for the Summer Camp Brochure

👉 Registration is now open on SNAP!

🩺 From the Nurse

Dear Parents,

Please do not forget to pick up all medications by the last day of school! Those medicines not picked up by an adult by May 27th, will need to be disposed of on the last day at dismissal time. The only medications that can be given to a student to transport home are those that are allowed to be self carried (Epi Pens or inhalers). If there is a self carry form on file for one of those medications, please remind your student to stop in and pick up medication before leaving on the last day otherwise plan on having an adult pick them up.

All medication orders must be renewed each school year. Forms are linked below.

MEDICATION AUTHORIZATION

ASTHMA

LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES

DIABETES

Self-Carry Form

Appointments for the required K, 6th grade and 9th grade physicals tend to fill up quickly and should be scheduled now! Please submit the completed physicals and/or immunizations to the respective school offices as they are done. They can also be emailed to the nurses at TMS at TMSC-Nurses@d303.org.The form is linked below and is different then the Sport Physical form. Forms are required to be submitted for review prior to the first day of school (August 12th). Dental exams are also required for 6th and 9th grade students. They can be completed within 18 months of May 15th, 2027. A vision examination and form is also required for those students transferring into TMS from outside of Illinois.

DENTAL FORM

VISION FORM

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

The health office is closed during the summer months. I will return for limited hours beginning in early August. Please contact me if there are new medical concerns for your child or if your child will need a health plan at school.

Have a safe and healthy summer!

Diane Isbrandt BSN, M.Ed.

Professional Educator License-School Nurse

diane.isbrandt@d303.org

331-228-3104-Phone

331-228-3488- Fax

➕ Mrs. Zitella's Math Corner ➗

If you don't believe in yourself, who will?

As we get closer to the end of the school year, it’s a good time to slow down and look at everything we’ve accomplished. There have been so many experiences, so much learning, and so much growth to celebrate!

When we take time to recognize that growth, it reminds us how important our thoughts can be. What we tell ourselves matters, and positive thinking helps build confidence and keeps us going, even when things feel hard.

Tell yourself:

Things will work out…
Learning takes time…
You are important…
You are worth the time…
You are strong…
You can do this…
The best is yet to come…

What we tell ourselves, we believe! Mindset is key!

***Shout-out to our students who take time to recognize their growth and remind themselves that their hard work is paying off.

Math tip: Pause and think about what students already know before starting a problem. Reminding them to think, “I’ve learned this before. I can figure this out!” This will help them build confidence and keep them going, even when the work feels challenging.

⚡ PTO Updates

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!

The St. Charles Park District is excited to extend a fun, local fundraiser that offers our students and families great pricing for Otter Cove Aquatic Park or Swanson Pool admission.

During the month of April (April 1-30), you can pre-purchase day passes at the resident rate, $13 per visit. The Park District is offering the same rate to all families (Park District resident and nonresident) during this program in honor of our cooperative partnership with D303.

$1 from every day pass sold will come back to Thompson PTO.

During check out, you can choose whether the passes will be delivered to your student at school or available to pick up at Pottawatomie Community Center. Passes will be valid for this summer only and non-replaceable (so should be treated like cash). Passes will be available for pick up at PCC and distributed to schools around May 15th.

Sales begin on April 1.

https://www.ottercove.org/d303fun/

D303 Updates

Information about Returning Student Registration (RSR) is now available on the District 303 website. The registration link will go live April 20. Please complete the Returning Student Registration process between April 20-May 18. Thank you!

Update on Facilities Committee Final Report at School Board's Business Services Committee Meeting

At the April 27 meeting of the School Board’s Business Services Committee, D303 Leadership gave a presentation that includes a timeline of Board discussions about the D303 Communitywide Education Facilities Committee’s Final Report, which includes support for 16 facilities investments totaling an estimated $295.6 million. The presentation also includes an overview of D303’s budgeting process and strong fiscal stewardship.

**Link to Presentation https://district.d303.org/doc/1oVwS7XhD97eNSTMKs5xgw_ay3N83E_t9

Actualización sobre el Informe Final del Comité de Instalaciones Educativas durante la Reunión del Comité de Servicios de Negocios de la Junta Educativa

En la reunión del Comité de Servicios de Negocio de la Junta Educativa del 27 de abril, el personal de liderazgo del Distrito 303 realizó una presentación que incluía un cronograma de los debates de la Junta Educativa sobre el informe final del Comité Comunitario de Instalaciones Educativas del Distrito 303, en el que se respaldan 16 inversiones en instalaciones por un total estimado de $295.6 millones de dólares. La presentación también incluía una visión general del proceso presupuestario del Distrito 303 y de su sólida gestión fiscal.

**Ver la Presentación https://district.d303.org/doc/1oVwS7XhD97eNSTMKs5xgw_ay3N83E_t9

Survey Coming: Make Your Voice Heard on D303 Facilities

We want your feedback on the condition of your schools and learning facilities. In mid-May, we will be sending all of D303 a postcard that includes a Facilities Survey. Please keep an eye out for it and share your feedback!

Próxima Encuesta: Da tu Opinión sobre las Instalaciones del Distrito 303

Queremos conocer tu opinión sobre el estado de tus escuelas y las instalaciones educativas. A mediados de mayo, enviaremos a todo el Distrito 303 una tarjeta postal con una encuesta sobre las instalaciones. ¡Estate atento(a) a su llegada y comparte tu opinión!

Voices of D303 Podcast Highlights Facilities Needs

The latest episode of the Voices of D303 podcast includes visits to Wild Rose Elementary School and North High School, to give the community a firsthand look at facilities challenges faced every day by D303 students, staff, and families. Check out this clip with North High School Athletic Director Joe Benoit.

Nuevo Episodio del Podcast "Voces del D303): Necesidades de las Instalaciones Educativas

El episodio más reciente del podcast del distrito incluye visitas a la escuela primaria Wild Rose y a la preparatoria St. Charles North, con el fin de ofrecer a la comunidad una visión de primera mano de los retos a los que se enfrentan a diario los estudiantes, el personal y las familias del distrito D303 en lo que respecta a las instalaciones. Echa un vistazo a este fragmento con Joe Benoit, Director Atlético de la Preparatoria St. Charles North

📣 High School Headquarters

Future Saints Families

Click here for information the high school has shared with us for you.

Future North Stars Families

Click here for information the high school has shared with us for you.

📆 Community Events

St. Charles East Girl's Flag Football SUMMER CAMP!

Get ready to hit the gridiron! Our Girls Flag Football camp is back this summer, offering a fantastic opportunity for athletes of all skill levels to learn the game, sharpen their techniques, and compete in an exciting, supportive environment.

Whether you're looking to master the fundamentals or take your game to the next level, our camps provide expert coaching and a chance to meet players who share a passion for the sport. See the flyer attached for more information and to sign up! Email Coach Hendry (zachary.hendry@d303.org) and Coach Batka (samantha.batka@d303.org) with any questions!

Summer is just around the corner and Camp registrations are under way. Don't miss out on these wonderful opportunities! Check out all the summer school and camp offerings on the District 303 website.

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!