• Sept 17, Monday 6:30PM to 8:20PM – Curriculum Night
• Sept 19, Wednesday – Yom Kipur (No School)
• Sept 21, Friday 2:35 PM – Green Team Meeting
• Sept 28, Friday – Spirit Day : Thompson Pride
• Oct 2, Tuesday – Welcome Back Breakfast for Staff

School Calendar

Click http://tinyurl.com/ndp8spb for Thompson’s Google Calendar to get school holidays, early release days, and PTO events on your own calendar. Click here for a printable version of this month’s calendar.

The Arlington Public School Calendar is @ http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/calendar/

Ms. Crowley – Grade 4

This will be my second year at Thompson and my first year as a fourth grade teacher! I am very excited to be back and to have a classroom of my own. I am from Arlington, went to Arlington Public Schools and am excited to get to know my students and what they are excited to learn about.

Mr Gary Collins – Teaching Assistant

After completing my Masters in Elementary Education, I taught in Ireland for the past couple of years. As I recently relocated to the Boston area, I am now looking forward to working collaboratively with the staff and parents of Thompson. I believe that the building of positive, kind and supportive relationships with students and the cultivating of a safe learning environment are the foundations of both teaching and learning, and I continuously strive to achieve this in a compassionate way. I love all sport, exploring new places and all things outdoors. As an Irishman, I have a fondness for chatting and getting to know people!

Ms. Cori Smith – Music

I’m excited to be at Thompson this year!  I’ve been teaching music at Ottoson for the past fourteen years.  I’m very happy to share my love of this subject with all the incredible Thompson students!  I live in town, and have two boys, grades 5 and 2.

Lauren D’Intino – Grade 5

I’m so excited to be joining the Thompson Team this year! I graduated from Stonehill College in 2017 with a degree in Elementary Education and Psychology and spent the last year working at a nonprofit in Woonsocket, RI as a School Age SIte Coordinator. A fun fact about me is that I love traveling and have been to 8 different countries. I’m looking forward to fifth grade – it’s a great year!

Brittany Orlandi – Social Worker

I am thrilled to join the Thompson School community as your second social worker. I grew up in Arlington and later attended Georgetown University, where I graduated with a BA in Sociology and minor in African American Studies. I worked as a paralegal at a Big Law firm for a few years before getting my master’s degree in Social Work. Previously, I worked in the Lynn Public Schools. When I am not working, you can find me reading, playing tennis, or volunteering with Arlington EATS. I look forward to working with Thompson students and their families!

Melissa Thomas – Teaching Assistant

I’m so excited to be a TA at Thompson this year! I was lucky enough to go to Thompson when I was a kid and am so glad to be back. I am also a recent graduate of Lesley University with a degree in Elementary Education. I can’t wait to see what exciting things this school year brings!

Immei Wong – Music

“I have been teaching violin and orchestra since I graduated from Boston Conservatory a few years ago.  I have always wanted to teach young children, so I am very excited to start teaching general music in Thompson this year!  Besides my teaching, I am also an active performer, playing with a few community orchestras.  When I am not making music, I love to do ballroom dancing!”

Jamie Webster – Library

Greetings! As the new teaching assistant in the library, I look forward to working with, getting to know, and reading with all the students at Thompson School this year. Before moving to Arlington four years ago for my husband’s job, I taught creative movement and modern dance as a teaching artist in public schools and after school programs in and around Knoxville, TN. for eighteen years. I also substituted in my family’s local school district for grades K-12, often for “specials” teachers (music, art, PE, and library).

When we moved to MA., I took the opportunity to fulfill a many-years-long pipe dream — I went to seminary. In May of 2017, I graduated from Boston University with a Masters of Divinity, and I accepted a position as pastor of a church in Medford. I learned so much and loved my time in seminary and as pastor, but I really missed teaching– so here I am! I look forward to meeting you soon.

Curriculum Night: Monday, September 17th

6:30-7:10 PM    Classroom Presentations Grades 3-5
7:15-7:35 PM    Meet and Greet in Gym with Specialists
7:40-8:20 PM    Classroom Presentations Grades K-2

This is an opportunity for parents to meet their child’s teacher and to hear more about what is being taught this year.
Classroom presentations begin promptly at 6:30 and 7:40 PM.

Spirit Day, Thompson Pride

Friday, September 28th

Start the new school year off by showing your Thompson Pride! Wear a pineapple, spirit wear or kindergartners, use your new bag!

Green Team

Come to our Green Team meeting next Friday September 21st at 2:35 pm in Ms. Dichter’s classroom, room 210.  Grade 3-5 students, Grade K-2 students with an adult, parents and community members are welcome to attend Green Team meetings.

We will be brainstorming for this school year.

Please fill out the doodle pool if you and/or your student can attend the Green Team meeting.

There are many ways to get involved in our Thompson Green Team efforts!
Green Team has been involved in various ways at Thompson.

1. All school events: Zero Waste Days and Assemblies, Earth Week, Community Sing of One Day, Trashformation Maker Space at Science Explo.
2. Classroom projects and curriculum: Trash clean up days-2nd graders.  Zero Waste and This is the Last Straw Campaigns with 5th grade cohort.
3. After School Club on 1st and 3rd Fridays
4. School Garden
5. Community Service
6. Drama Project-Ecosystem Superheroes and Supervillains

Green Team Mission Statement: The Thompson Green Team cares about the earth, the environment, all people and all living creatures. The Green Team aims to empower and support students and the broader Thompson community to take action to preserve our environment and create a just and life sustaining society. Guided by student interest, ideas, and energy, the Green Team provides opportunities and coordinates activities that will have a meaningful and positive impact.

Email Elizabeth Rocco at egrocco@email.com for more information.

Support Thompson

Please remember to use the Amazon link on the PTO Website for your back-to-school shopping!

Welcome Back Breakfast for Staff

To welcome back our tremendous Thompson Staff, the PTO is planning an appreciation breakfast on Tues, Oct 2nd at 7:45am. We need help with set-up, clean-up and with donations of breakfast items. Sign up here.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Melissa Crowley (melish26@yahoo.com) & Judy Hu (hudyju@gmail.com)
Spirit & Appreciation Co-Chairs

Be a Room Parent!

Room Parents play an important role at Thompson! One to two volunteer Room Parents collaborate to support each class teacher and specialist. Room Parents may be called up to: communicate important class and PTO information to families, organize supplies for special class projects, organize class celebrations, recruit volunteers and organize class gifts for the teacher. The role does not require you to be present at school during school hours.

If you would like to volunteer to be a Room Parent or have any questions about Room Parents, please contact Christy Murphy-Macinta, cembc99@yahoo.com

Volunteer Survey

We are looking for parents to help during the 2018 – 2019 school year for roles large and small. If you are just a little bit interested, please check off the position(s) in this survey. This simply shows your interest, it doesn’t commit you to the position! The PTO board will correspond and/or meet with interested parents.

Thompson PTO Involvement 2018-19

Thank you for your interest!

Movie Night at Waldo Park

Join us for the Annual Movie Night at Waldo Park on Saturday, September 22nd. The film will be Sing.  It’ll be preceded by a couple of young-kid friendly short films. Bring a blanket to sit on the hill and a picnic dinner if you’d like. . Around 6:45 pm, we’ll show the short films, and around 7:00, we’ll start the feature.   We’ll also have refreshments on sale to raise funds for Park maintenance and future events. Waldo Park is located at the end of Waldo Road, off Cleveland Street, between Mass Ave and Broadway.

Touch a Truck

DeVito Funeral Home is proud to sponsor a free “Touch a Truck” event in Arlington on Sunday October 21st from 1-4pm at the St. Camillus Church parking lot.  We will have fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, dump trucks, excavation equipment, bobcats, oil trucks, paving equipment and more!!  Take your turn sitting in the front seat of all of these awesome trucks and seeing how they operate up close.  This is going to be a great event for children of all ages and will be held rain or shine.

Paint the Town Green

Celebrate Arlington’s Path to a Sustainable Future
Sunday, September 23, 2018 – 3-5 p
Arlington Town Hall, 730 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA
Green Teams will be recognized at this event.

If you have news to share with the community, please email ThompsonPTOevents@gmail.com by Thursday at 12 noon to be included in the next newsletter.

Please note that we will only include news from the Thompson School and Town of Arlington. Announcements of interest to the Thompson community from other non-profit organizations may be included at our discretion.