Thomas Community Newsletter

Dear TMS Community,

As we begin the week of February 17th, we have officially reached the midpoint of the third quarter, a natural time for reflection, goal-setting, and renewed focus. We encourage students to take a moment to review their progress, connect with their teachers if needed, and finish the quarter strong.

We extend our sincere thanks to all of our families and staff for making yesterday’s Parent-Teacher Conferences so meaningful and productive. The thoughtful conversations and shared reflections are a reminder of the strong partnership we value between home and school. We are also incredibly grateful to the TMS PTA for providing a delicious breakfast and lunch for our staff. Your generosity and continued support mean so much to our team.

As an important ACTION ITEM FOR PARENTS, we encourage all parents to complete the Illinois 5Essential Survey . This statewide survey, provides critical feedback about school climate and learning conditions. Your voice plays a vital role in helping us strengthen our school community and continuously improve the experiences of our students, families, and staff ~ 20% Parent Participation is NEEDED to receive the survey data! PLEASE CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE

In this newsletter, you'll find information on the following items:

• Congratulations TMS Poms on performance at STATE last weekend!

• 3rd Quarter Academic Midterms

• Futabakai Field Trip on Wednesday, 2/25/26

• March Testing Schedules ISA ~ 8th Grade Illinois Science Assessment

• March Testing Schedules IAR ~ 6th, 7th, & 8th Grade Illinois Assessment Readiness

• 7th Grade Lunch Information

• TMS Lost & Found Items

• ABC/25 Foundation Annual family-friendly event Fore Education Fundraiser

Repeat Newsletter Information:

• 8th Grade Illinois Youth Survey
• ABC/25 Foundation - TMS needs just a few more families to sign up!

Standing Newsletter Information Includes:

• PTA Information

• School Resource Office Information
  
• Safe2Help Illinois

• TMS Administrator Team

Save the Dates:

• PTA Meeting - Wednesday - 2/25/26 @ 7 PM

• PTA Activity Night - Friday, 3/6/26 after school

• TMS Spring Musical: Performance - Friday & Saturday, April 24th & 25th

• 8th Grade Graduation - Tuesday, 6/2/26, 7:30 PM, Forrest View Educational Center

With gratitude for your partnerships and support,

The TMS Administrative Team

Lori Naumowicz, Principal

Greg Keadle, Associate Principal

Jeremy Fischer, Associate Principal

Allie Yoder, Associate Principal & TMS Student Services Coordinator

Dear District 25 Parents/Guardians,

The statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey is now open through March 13. This survey is an opportunity for parents/guardians, teachers/staff, and 4th through 12th grade students to share thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness, specifically about your/their school.

Parent Participation 🚨 WE NEED 20% Parent Participation!

To participate in this survey as a parent/guardian, click the following link or scan the QR code (above) in this email: CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE

Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

It's 3rd quarter midterm time!

• This is a great opportunity to pause and check in with your middle schooler about their progress.
• Encourage your child to review their grades, reflect on missing or late assignments, and talk through any challenges they may be experiencing.
• A simple conversation about organization, study habits, and upcoming assessments can make a meaningful difference.
• Midterms are not just a progress report — they’re a chance to celebrate growth, reset goals, and finish the quarter strong.

Members of the TMS Shinnichi Club will be taking a field trip to visit the Chicago Futabakai Japanese School on Wednesday, February 25th.

• This unique opportunity will allow students to engage with and learn from members of our broader community while deepening their cultural understanding.
• Many thanks to 6th grade Social Studies teacher Katie Biewer for her collaboration and expertise in helping provide this meaningful experience for our TMS students.

This week in 7th grade lunch, we will begin implementing Self-Selected Set Lunchroom Seating as a way to strengthen community, responsibility, and ownership among our students.

What’s changing? Not much — students will still select their table and seat. Most students already tend to sit at the same table each day. The key difference is that students will now be asked to remain at their selected table until the next seating selection period (likely the end of the quarter).

As always, the expectation is 4 students per side of the connected tables, for a total of up to 16 students per table group. When more than 16 students try to squeeze into a table area, it creates unnecessary congestion and can lead to unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Maintaining this limit helps ensure a safer, more organized environment for everyone.

By selecting a consistent table and remaining there, students will help create a lunchroom atmosphere that is structured, efficient, and respectful. In addition, each table will have a rotating “final cleaner” to promote shared responsibility and accountability. While all students are expected to clean up after themselves, this added structure reinforces the importance of caring for our shared spaces.

Instead of calling up the lunch line by PACK #'s, we'll call students up by tables.

Through this approach, we aim to promote collaboration, efficiency, and mutual respect — empowering students to work together to keep our lunchroom clean, welcoming, and running smoothly for everyone.

Should a student(s) want a new table placement, the student(s) is encouraged to speak with a lunchroom supervisor to explain the situation. Adjustments can be made as need not all tables have 16 students.

The 7th graders will pilot this approach for the remainder of 3rd quarter.

Our Lost and Found is currently overflowing with PE shirts, shoes, sweatshirts, hats, coats, water bottles, lunch containers, and more!

• We encourage students to take a few minutes this week to check for any missing items.
• Families may also want to remind students to look through the collection during the school day.
• Any unclaimed items will be donated at spring break, so please encourage your child to stop by and claim anything that belongs to them.

8th Grade Illinois Youth Survey (IYS): Click HERE for the Parent Notification Letter

• On Wednesday, 2/18/26, 8th graders will have have opportunity to complete the IYS during PACK.
• Please click HERE for the Opt-out Form.
• The purpose of this voluntary survey is to better understand Illinois youth risk and protective behaviors as they relate to students and their success.

Join the ABC/25 Foundation for our annual family-friendly event ABC/25 Fore Education Fundraiser at Topgolf Schaumburg on Sunday, March 15, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM!

What You Can Expect:

• Your Bay ticket includes 3 hours of golf, appetizers, non-alcoholic drinks (cash bar available), access to an in-person-only raffle giveaway, a DJ, and freebies from local businesses!
• Spectator tickets include all of the same perks minus the golf.
• Our silent auction and raffle will be online! Winners do not have to be present to win.

The ABC/25 Foundation is 100% volunteer-run, so 100% of your purchase goes back into AHSD25 classrooms!

Help us earn $2,500 by joining the ABC/25 Foundation.

Membership is $40, but District staff have a discounted rate of $25. Membership dues directly fund the teacher grants.

Thomas needs JUST 15 MORE FAMILIES to join to meet our goal and receive this grant!

The TMS PTA has a lot to offer this year! We are excited for all the activities we have planned!

• Wednesday, February 25, 2026
• Wednesday, May 13, 2026

• President - Jim Moncada

• President Elect - Kym Battista

• Vice President - Ian Silverman

• Treasurer - Sara Hess

• Secretary - Joslyn Katz

TMS PTA Memberships - Have you joined the PTA? Your membership gives you exclusive access to the Thomas Middle School Directory through Directory Spot. Not a member? No problem! You can join by visiting the AH25 Webstore to purchase online or by emailing us at thomasmiddleschoolpta@gmail.com.

Social media concerns, incidents that occur after school hours/on the weekends, or outside of school can be reported to the SRO or you can contact the Arlington Heights Police by calling 911 or the non-emergency phone number (847) 368-5300. You can also go directly to the Police Department located at 200 E Sigwalt Street in Arlington Heights. It is open 24 hours. The SROs can be contacted as well:

SRO: John O'Leary joleary@vah.com Cell Phone: (847) 344-2330

SRO: Chris Seebacher cseebacher@vah.com Cell Phone (847) 878-2949

Station Number: 847-368-5393

Safe2Help Illinois is a 24/7 program where students can use a free app, text/phone, and website (safe2helpil.com) to share information on school safety issues in a confidential environment. Once vetted, the information provided will be shared with local district and school officials and/or local 911 call center, depending on the nature of the information shared. Safe2Help Illinois is a long-term initiative to change the school culture in Illinois by helping students reach out when they have concerns. To learn further about Safe2Help Illinois, please see the videos below. More information can also be found on their website at safe2helpil.com. Video for Middle School Students

Please click HERE for the latest newsletter from Link Together Coalition. This newsletter contains updates on the coalition's latest efforts and events, education for parents and educators, and great resources.

• Principal - Lori Naumowicz
• Associate Principal - Greg Keadle (Delta, Epsilon, & Zeta Teams)
• Associate Principal & Student Services Coordinator - Allie Yoder
• Associate Principal & Teacher - Jeremy Fischer (Alpha, Beta, Gamma Teams)