Thompson Tiger Updates
November 1, 2025
Thompson Elementary School
Mission: Thompson students will be kind, balanced leaders who strive to achieve their personal goals.
Vision: At Thompson School, we will build positive relationships and support high expectations through teaching, modeling, and kindness.
Our Thompson Family Values:
Trust: We depend on one another to be honest and follow through with our words and actions.
Teamwork: We work together by helping one another, listening, and sharing ideas.
Kindness: We show empathy by listening, encouraging, and being inclusive.
Compassion: We listen and are considerate, encouraging, and inclusive.
Respect: We value each person and treat them how we would like to be treated.
Our Student Lighthouse Team has done an amazing job collecting 16 boxes food for the Lake Villa Food Pantry this month! Thank you to all of our families for the generous donations and for helping support those in need within our community.
This month at Thompson School, we’re focusing on Habit #3: First Things First, a habit all about priorities. Life asks us to wear many hats: professional, parent, friend, and Habit 3 helps us sort the “Big Rocks” from the “Little Rocks.” Big Rocks are the things that truly matter: spending time with family, learning, and caring for our health. Little Rocks are the small, less important activities that can fill our time without adding much value, like binge-watching TV or aimless scrolling. Whether Habit 3 is new to your family or something you practice already, I invite you to pause and reflect this month: What are your Big Rocks? For me, Habit 3 means making intentional time for my family each day. As you read, consider talking with your child about one Big Rock you’ll protect this week. Small steps lead to big, lasting habits.
- What was the best thing that happened today?
- What made you laugh today?
- What made you feel proud today?
- Tell me about something challenging or confusing that you learned today!
- What was the hardest thing you had to do today?
- Who did you play with at recess?
- Who were you sitting near at lunch?
- Did anyone do anything nice for you today?
- Who in your class do you think you could be nicer to?
- What did you read or talk about in literacy today?
- What kinds of problems did you solve in math today?
- Did you raise your hand in school today? Were you called on?
Please take a moment to review the Lake Villa 41 Parent/Guardian Student Handbook, linked below. Important information about school policies and procedures can be found inside.
Click here for a copy!
Attendance in elementary school is essential for academic success, skill development, and socialization. Regular attendance ensures children do not miss critical lessons, helping them perform better academically and develop foundational skills in reading, writing, and math. It also fosters social skills and friendships, establishes routine and discipline, and provides access to necessary support systems. Consistent attendance also encourages parental involvement and sets the stage for long-term educational and career success. Your children need to be at Thompson School all day, every day!
District 41 puts students and staff first. Our goal is always to have students at school, when we can do so safely. Therefore, the district considers several factors when determining whether to close schools due to extreme weather, including data provided by the National Weather Service, including the temperature, windchill, and warnings. Although we strive each and every time to make the best decision regarding in-person or remote learning, oftentimes, no perfect decision exists. If school is not canceled and a parent and/or guardian feels their child is safer at home, they may reserve the right to keep them home. Keeping a child home due to weather will be recorded as an excused absence on the student's record as long as the parent and/or guardian report the absence to the school. Additionally, parents/guardians may choose to drop off/pick up their child from school.
The following are some criteria that are used when making school closure decisions. Invariably, there will be situations that do not fit into these guidelines, in which case the administration will do its best to provide cancellation information to families as soon as possible.
COLD DAYS - The National Weather Service predicts wind chills below -30 degrees, with other conditions considered.
SNOW DAYS - Heavy snow or icy conditions overnight or that worsen during the day.
E-LEARNING DAYS - An E-Learning Day may be an alternative to being fully closed. These days do not need to be made up at the end of the year. Students and staff would be notified before the end of the preceding day to bring their Chromebooks home. The e-Learning Plan is available on the District website under ‘Parents and Guardians Resources.’
Other Considerations
Multiple conditions that may include blowing snow, winds greater than 20 mph, heavy snow accumulations during travel times, hazardous driving conditions, ice accumulation, the ability of buses to start due to extreme cold, and power or phone outages.
A district-wide alert will be sent out via phone and email as early as possible. Parents can also check the district’s website. If schools are open due to weather, parents may keep a child home. They will be marked as excused.
If schools are closed...
District 41 Administration will do its best to provide cancellation information to families as soon as possible. District 41 will notify parents by 1:00 PM the previous school day of an e-Learning Day due to extreme weather. Parents will be notified with a target by 5:30 AM if schools need to close entirely for the day. The district makes every effort to inform parents as soon as possible. If schools are closed for the day, all after-school activities in the district, including sports and evening events, will be canceled unless otherwise communicated.
If schools are not closed…
If school is not canceled and a parent and/or guardian feels their child is safer at home, they may reserve the right to keep them home. Keeping a child home due to weather will be recorded as an excused absence on the student's record as long as the parent and/or guardian report the absence to the school in a timely manner. If school is already in session and conditions begin to worsen, the district will decide by 1:00 PM whether after-school activities will be canceled for that afternoon.
How is the decision to cancel school made?
Superintendents from area districts start communicating with each other as soon as the weather reports start to look threatening. District 41 collaborates with the Millburn, Emmons, Grass Lake, Lakes High School, Woodland, Grayslake Elementary, Grayslake High School, Gavin, Big Hollow, Fox Lake, and Grant High School superintendents. The superintendents generally attempt to reach a consensus on school closures. When area school districts make various decisions, the full District 41 administrative team finalizes the decision.
As a reminder-
No personal communication devices, including but not limited to cell phones, are allowed to be used during the school day. Smartwatches may be worn and used as watches. However, they may not be used as communication devices. At the middle school, communication devices should be off or disabled, and phones should be in lockers. At the elementary school, communication devices should be off or disabled, and phones should be in lockers or in backpacks. In addition, personal communication
devices should not be used until students are outside of the school building at the end of the school day.
Imagine IM is a problem-based core curriculum designed to address content and practice standards to foster learning for all. Students learn by doing math, solving problems in mathematical and real-world contexts, and constructing arguments using precise language. Teachers can shift their instruction and facilitate student learning with high-leverage routines to guide learners to understand and make connections between concepts and procedures.
Accessing the Family Support Hub:
Visit ilclassroom.com to access the Family Support Hub without logging in. Click the “Explore Curricula” button at the bottom of the screen and navigate to your student’s subject and grade!
Please click this link to access the Illustrative Mathematics Parent Information.
Hearing and Vision Screenings:
During the school year, vision and/or hearing screenings are conducted for students. Please refer to the student/parent handbook for further information. Additional information was sent home on October 1st.
Each student should have a change of clothes at school. Accidents can happen at lunch, recess, and in class.
As the seasons continue to change, make sure your student has weather-appropriate clothing.
Students should eat a good breakfast, drink water, exercise, wash their hands often, and get a good night's sleep daily! Thompson has breakfast available. Please check the district website under food services for details and menus.
November 3-7-PTO Book Fair
November 5-Book Fair Family Night 5-8 PM
November 6 - Picture Retake Day
November 7-Trimester I Ends
November 11-Veterans Day
November 14-Trimester I Report Cards Available
November 17-Board of Education Meeting 7 PM @ Palombi Middle School
November 18-PTO Meeting 6 PM @ the Lake Villa Library
November 20- 4th Grade Music Concert 6 PM
November 24-No School-Parent/Teacher Conferences 11:00 AM-8:00 PM
November 25-No School-Parent/Teacher Conferences 9:00 AM-6:00 PM
November 26-No School-Non-Attendance Day
November 27-No School-Thanksgiving
November 28-No School-Non-Attendance Day