Thompson Friday Forecast

Somewhere between spring break and the end of the year, the calendar seems to hit fast forward. The days are full, the weeks move quickly, and suddenly we are counting them down instead of counting them up.

There’s actually some science behind that.

When we are busy, focused, and fully engaged, our brains lock into the task at hand. We are solving problems, making decisions, and moving quickly from one thing to the next. In those moments, our brains are not paying much attention to the passage of time. Psychologists often refer to this as a “flow state.” While you are in it, time seems to fly.

On the other hand, when things slow down, your brain has more space to notice time itself. That is why five minutes of waiting can feel longer than an hour of being fully engaged.

There is also an interesting twist. When we look back, busy and meaningful experiences often feel fuller and more memorable, even if they seemed to pass quickly in the moment. In other words, time is not just something we measure, it is something our brains interpret.

As we move through the final 22 days of the school year, that idea feels especially relevant. Our days at Thompson are full. Full of learning, full of connection, and yes, sometimes full of the kind of busy that makes the weeks move quickly. That is not a bad thing. It is often a sign that meaningful work is happening.

At the same time, we are very intentional about what fills that time.

At the heart of our work is our commitment to a culture of dignity. Being part of Thompson means more than simply meeting expectations. It means contributing to a community where every student feels a sense of belonging, where relationships matter, and where we take pride in how we treat one another.

Throughout the year, we address situations involving student language and behavior that do not reflect these values. I want to be clear that language or actions that make others feel unsafe, marginalized, or less than do not align with who we are as a school community.

When situations arise, our staff responds promptly. We address the behavior, document appropriately, and work in partnership with families to support student growth. Just as importantly, we continue to focus on proactive efforts. Building relationships, teaching respectful communication, and creating spaces where students feel seen and valued are all parts of the daily work happening in our classrooms at TMS.

Your partnership plays a critical role in this work. Conversations at home about respect, responsibility, and kindness make a big difference. When students hear consistent messages from both school and home, it strengthens their ability to make positive choices.

We are proud of our Thompson community. That pride shows up in small moments each day, in classrooms, hallways, and conversations. And while the weeks may continue to move quickly, our focus remains on making that time meaningful for every student.

Thank you for your continued support.

Have a great weekend, and as always…Roll Thunder!

Dr. Matt Clark

Thompson Principal

Hello Parents/Guardians!

The I-Ready Spring Diagnostic for Math and Reading will be given the week of May 4th. Students will be taking the iReady Reading on Tuesday, May 5th and the iReady Math on Thursday, May 7th. 6th and 7th Grade students will test with their 1st period teacher and 8th grade will test with their 2nd period teacher. For these two days, we will be running the following alternate schedule:

Period 1: 7:50-8:28

Testing:: 8:32-10:42

Period 4: 10:46-11:40

Period 5: 11:44-12:38

Period 6: 12:42-1:36

Period 7/2: 1:40-2:06 (students go to 7th on Tuesday and 2nd on Thursday)

Period 8/3: 2:10-2:50 (students go to 8th on Tuesday and 3rd on Thursday)

n preparation for this testing, please remind your child to bring their earbuds and fully charged chromebook to school. Please click here to access a letter from the Director of Assessment and Accountability, Mr. David Chiszar, that explains the I-Ready diagnostic. Should you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s counselor. Please click here to access the counselor information.

Thank you!

TMS Administration

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!

✨TMS Families: WE NEED YOUR HELP!! ✨

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week 2026 is RIGHT around the corner, May 4th - May 8th!

The PTO is working hard to plan a full week of festivities to show gratitude for our incredible TMS staff who do so much for our kids every day!

Our goal is to raise $2000 through parent and family donations to fund all the festivities on the flyer below! We have approx 160 teachers and staff to feed and shower with love Mon-Fri that week!

💡 Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference!
💡 Let’s come together and show our TMS teachers & staff how much they mean to our school community!
👉 If you’d like to donate, please click here:

https://store.d303.org/?YCY57LFFT5=CAG7HW75LL&LALECT7775=VN3T6DTRRH#!/products/LMB67VL3SU

Let's make this a week they won't forget. Thank you for your support!

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!

In math, students often solve word problems and get answers that are not whole numbers. This does not mean the answer is wrong, it means students need to think about what the answer represents in a real-world situation.

For example, if a problem asks how many cars are needed and the answer is 5.2, we cannot have part of a car. In this case, 5 cars would not be enough, so we would need to round up to 6 cars to make sure everyone is included.

This is an important skill called interpreting your answer. Students are learning that math is not just about solving equations, but also about making sense of answers in real-life situations. Encouraging students to think about whether their answer is “enough” helps build strong problem-solving skills.

Practice at home by asking your child, “Does your answer make sense?” This is also one of our 8 Math Practice Standards. This is also a great way to support your child at home. 🙂

***Shout-out to our students who are staying focused, thinking through their work, and continuing to put in effort every day. It’s not always easy, but hard work, persistence, and a positive attitude make a big difference.

Math tip: Ask yourself, “Does this make sense?”

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!

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

Superintendent Dr. Paul Gordon shared the details of the April 13 meeting of the School Board, where members of the D303 Communitywide Education Facilities Committee joined district leadership in presenting and discussing the Committee’s Final Report.

“I feel we’re at a crossroads,” D303 parent and Facilities Committee Member Alice Froemling told the School Board. “We have great staff, great teachers, great people who are in our schools every day working with our kids. But we’ve achieved our great success not because of our facilities but in spite of our facilities… We have to do something.”

El superintendente, el Dr. Paul Gordon, compartió los detalles de la reunión de la Junta Educativa del 13 de abril, en la que los miembros del Comité de Instalaciones Educativas de toda la comunidad del Distrito 303 se unieron al equipo de liderazgo del distrito para presentar y discutir el Informe Final del Comité.

“Creo que nos encontramos en una encrucijada”, declaró ante la Junta Educativa Alice Froemling, madre de un estudiante del Distrito 303 y miembro del Comité de Instalaciones. “Contamos con un personal excelente, unos maestros magníficos y personas maravillosas que están en nuestras escuelas cada día trabajando con nuestros hijos. Pero hemos logrado nuestro gran éxito no gracias a nuestras instalaciones, sino a pesar de ellas… Tenemos que hacer algo.”

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.

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.

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!

Mrs. Michelle Dague - Assistant Principal

Mr. Ryan Wood - Assistant Principal

Mr. Sam Pasholk - Student Support Coordinator

Ms. Christine Ellis - Student Support Coordinator

Email: katrina.michaelis@d303.org
Website: http://thompson.d303.org
Location: 705 West Main Street
Phone: (331) 228-3100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thompson-Middle-School-671638232903851/