| Save the Date |
| *New* Today, Feb 4, Monday – 2019 Thompson School Wide Yearbook Ordering – FINAL DAY! Feb 6-8, Wednesday-Friday – Schoolwide enrichment, Bash the Trash Feb 8, Friday – Game Night Feb 13, Wednesday – PTO meeting, 7-9 pm Feb 14, Thursday – 1st grade enrichment, Veronica Robles, Mexican Dance Feb 14, Thursday – 4th/5th grade enrichment, author Holly Goldberg Sloan Feb 14, Thursday – Arlington EATS Community Dinner Feb 15, Friday – Spirit Day: Mismatch Day Feb 18-22, Monday-Friday – NO SCHOOL, Winter Break Feb 28, Thursday – Kindergarten enrichment, Animal Adventures |
| School Calendar Click here 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 @ www.arlington.k12.ma.us/calendar |
| Principal’s Update |
|
Dear Thompson Families,
My
apologies for being MIA these past few weeks with regards to the
newsletter! The weekends go so quickly and have been filled with lots
of basketball playing. We have had a strong start to 2019 and the
students and staff returned from break rejuvenated.
Thank
you to our Thompson DIG for organizing such a thoughtful and engaging
presentation this past week with Dr. Liza Talusan. It was great to see
so many of our parents there, as well as connect with others across the
District. It is powerful to see how invested we all are in engaging
with our children on the topic of race. I look forward to our next
steps!
Now bear with me as I go through some “housekeeping items” that I’ve been saving up!
Arrival:
*Students
must be in the building and on the way to class by 8:15 in order to not
be marked Tardy. Even if your child is in Kindergarten or First grade,
please walk them up to the main door for entry.
*Indoor Arrival happens when it is raining or the feels like temperature is below 20 degrees
*When
those conditions call for Indoor Arrival, ALL students who arrive
before 8:10 should proceed to the Cafe (K-2) and Gym (3-5). Please DO
NOT enter through any doors other than the main doors for indoor
arrival.
Recess:
*We
call for indoor recess when the weather is inclement, the “feels like”
temperature is below 20 degrees, or the playground conditions are deemed
unsafe due to ice.
Snacks:
*Please
speak with your child about whether or not they have been accessing
school snacks. Some students are accessing them just because they are
there, even though they have a snack. Some students are accessing them
because they are still hungry after their home snack.
MCAS:
Here is the schedule for this year’s statewide testing:
Grade 3 ELA April 11 & 12 Grade 3 Math May 8 & 9 Grade 4 ELA April 22 & 23 Grade 4 Math May 6 & 7 Grade 5 ELA April 24 & 25 Grade 5 Math May 2 & 3 Grade 5 STE May 20 & 21 We have a busy few weeks ahead of us! Thank you to our PTO for organizing our upcoming All School Enrichment “Bash the Trash” as well as numerous grade level events. The Thompson Drama Project Directors and Students have begun rehearsal for our upcoming performances. And, before we know it, Spring will be here! I look forward to a solid two full weeks with our students before we head into February break. As always, thank you for your support! Karen |
| PTO Spotlight |
|
Game Night Is 6-8 pm Friday, Feb. 8
Come with the kids and join the fun! Bring
your favorite game(s) or try demo games from local company Gamewright.
Eat dinner before you come, or bring a picnic-style dinner to eat in the
cafeteria. Additionally, we will have healthy snacks, baked treats, and
drinks available for purchase. We will sell used games donated by
Thompson families and new Gamewright games. All profits go to the PTO. To donate a game or puzzle, bring it to the designated bin in the front lobby. We are still looking for volunteers! Sign up to volunteer and/or donate food. |
|
Bash the Trash!
Bash the Trash is this week (BTT)! We need volunteers to help cut/tape/etc in classroom workshops as the BTT musicians show students kids how to make musical instruments. Please sign up here! For a list of materials needed, click here. |
| Thompson News & Events |
| Winter Party Recap & Survey The Winter Party on January 26th was tons of fun as usual. Gorgeous space, great conversations, and lots of dancing! Thank you to Anne Moore and Don Mei for spearheading the event and all the volunteers who helped make this a big success. A special thanks to Jodi Auerbach from Something Savory Catering for donating her time. Congratulations also to our raffle winners (some of who won more than one item)! To help us continue this unique annual tradition, kindly give us your feedback on the event. |
| Get Involved |
|
Community Card Committee Seeks Chairperson Trainees for 2019-2020
The Community Card Committee is looking for a 2nd and 3rd co-chair to shadow the existing team for a year, learn the ropes, and be ready to take over. Join this talented team! No prior experience required. There are many ways you can lend your talents to the success of this profitable fundraiser. If you would like to come aboard, or are even just a little curious, email Ashley: ashley.e.lorenz@gmail.com. |
| Community News & Events |
|
Parent Forum – Homesick and Happy: How Children Grow and Change When They are Away From Their Parents Presented by Dr. Michael Thompson Wed, February 6th, 7:00pm – 8:30pm at Ottoson Middle School In this talk, Dr. Thompson will explain how the greatest maturation in childhood occurs when children are away from their parents. It will describe the experiences, excitement, fears and growth of situations away from home, especially in summer camps, that bring him to his conclusions. He and his co-author, Dan Kindlon, wrote the New York Times best-selling book, Raising Cain. See a full list of upcoming forums here. |
|
Special AHS Building Project Info Session for Middle School Parents Wednesday, Feb 13, 7 to 8:30 PM, Ottoson Media Center Join Arlington High School Building Committee members for an informal project information session to answer your questions. The new building design is taking shape and a townwide vote (anticipated for June) is needed before the project can move forward. For more information about the project, visit www.ahsbuilding.org. |
|
Donations needed for the Children and Young Adult Book Sale at Robbins Library! The Robbins Library’s annual Children and Young Adult Book Sale is on Saturday, February 23rd from 9:00 to 2:00 pm in the Robbins Library Community Room. Donations can be dropped off at the Robbins Library beginning February 1st. Look for the big blue bin near the Circulation Desk of the Robbins. |
| Arlington EATS Community Dinner Join us for a Community Meal on Thursday, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m. and for School Vacation Lunches Tuesday-Friday, Feb. 19-22, from 12-1 p.m. We have a limited number of open volunteer slots for vacation lunches. Sign up here. And save the date for Beats for EATS: Saturday, March 23, 2019, 7-11 pm at Town Hall. More information coming soon! |