Thompson Friday Forecast

Thank you to all the parents and families who joined us for Back to School Night this past Tuesday and Wednesday! We are so grateful for your time, energy, and support as we begin this school year together. When school and home work in a true partnership, our students benefit the most—academically, socially, and emotionally. That collaboration is at the heart of what makes our community so strong.

I deeply value this partnership and want you to know that I am here to support you and your family—whether you are navigating middle school for the very first time or returning as a seasoned Thompson veteran. For those who were unable to attend, or if you’d like to revisit the information, here are the presentation slides that were shared in the cafeteria during lunch periods. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions—I look forward to continuing this journey together.

Have a wonderful long weekend and Roll Thunder!

Dr. Matt Clark

Principal

Thank you to the PTO for the yummy treats during our in service day!

Safety Day – September 10th

On Wednesday, September 10th, students will participate in Safety Day to practice our emergency procedures. Drills will include:

Bus evacuation (for students who arrive by bus in the morning)
Fire drill
Lockdown drill (with support from the St. Charles Police Department)
Severe weather drill

These drills help us ensure that students know what to do in the event of an emergency.

If you would like your student to opt out of the lockdown drill, please email samuel.pasholk@d303.org.

Picture RETAKE Day will be September 17th.

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

An Everyday Life Math Strategy: Mental Math and Estimation

How many times have you heard your child ask, “When will I ever use this in real life?” While this may be a question that seems to be asked forever, mental math and estimation are strategies that are both powerful and practical. These are everyday skills that continue to need practice and experience each and every day.

How do these strategies help?

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.

All of this takes practice. Being fluent with facts and flexible with numbers supports this idea. Being fluent and flexible builds independence and gives confidence to students in everyday problem solving, not just in math class, but in the real world too.

In D303, we value the opportunity to provide a community of care and support to our families, especially those faced with financial hardship.

If your family is currently experiencing a significant financial need, our community partnerships have several supports available for families including: school clothes/shoes, winter coats/accessories, school supplies, toiletries, holiday meals, and/or holiday gifts.

If you would like to be considered for any of these supports, please COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW. This is the only opportunity this form will be opened this school year.

The Parent/Guardian Resource Form is now open for the 2025-26 school year. Families can complete this form to request support, such as Big Hearts of Fox Valley holiday programming or Thanksgiving meals. The form will close on September 12th.

El Formulario de Recursos para Padres/Tutores ya está disponible para el año escolar 2025-26. Las familias pueden llenar este formulario para solicitar apoyo como los programas navideños de Big Hearts of Fox Valley o comidas para el Día de Acción de Gracias. El formulario estará abierto hasta el 12 de septiembre.

Please click here for an update on the District's Multilingual Support Plan

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!

Builders Club Do you enjoy helping others by completing acts of service? Then join Builders Club! Builders club is a middle school community service club that empowers students to work together to improve the lives of others by completing acts of service.

Builders club will have its first informational meeting Thursday, September 4 at 7:15 AM in Mr. Simone's classroom. room 237.

No backpacks, bags, or outside food or drinks are allowed. Only small bags (8x6 or smaller) will be permitted, and all bags are subject to search.
These games are official school events and are considered an extension of the school day, so behavior expectations still apply.
Middle school students must be with a parent or guardian at all times while inside the stadium.
There is no re-entry once someone leaves the stadium.
Not allowed: profanity, taunting (including racial or inappropriate remarks), throwing objects, or bringing anything that blocks the view of others.
If a student is asked by staff to provide their name and school, they are expected to respond honestly and respectfully. All workers—whether staff or event personnel—should be treated with respect at all times

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!