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Thompson School News : May 21, 2018

Save The Date

* New *

  • May 21 and 22 – Science MCAS Grade 5
  • May 22, 29 – Thompson Tuesdays at Not Your Average Joe’s
  • May 22, Tuesday – Incoming Kindergarten Visit, 1:30-2:30 PM
  • May 24, Thursday – In School 3rd Grade Enrichment
  • May 25, Friday – Field Trip Grade 3
  • May 25, Friday – Spirit Day – Red, White and Blue
  • May 28, Monday – No School
  • May 29, Tuesday – All School Enrichment: “One Day Song”
  • May 30 and 31 – Field Trip Grade 3
  • May 30, Wednesday – Green Team’s End of Year Dinner (RSVP below)
  • May 31 Thursday – Thompson Art Show
  • June 1, Friday – PTO Coffee Thank you to Volunteers
  • June 3, Sunday – Kindergarten Meet Up, 3-5 PM, Thompson playground
  • June 4, Monday, 7-9 PM – AHS Building Project Forum, Town Hall
  • June 7, Friday 5 PM to 8 PM – Thompson Picnic
  • June 7, Thursday – Field Trip Grade 4
  • June 12, Tuesday or June 15, Friday – Kindergarten Screening 20 min appointments
  • June 14, Thursday – Field Day (Rain date June 21st)

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.

Highlight of the Month

PicnicSave the date! The annual school picnic is coming!

Thursday June 7th from 5-8pm. (Rain date Friday, June 8th)

New this year the PTO is adding a Playspace by Knucklebones! There will still be the traditional favorites: Cake Walk, Dunk Tank and Bouncy Houses as well. And this year’s even will include a special Community Sing of the song “One Day.”

What’s for dinner? This year you can pre-order a picnic dinner from the Fuller Cup (more details on menu and ordering coming next week), purchase pizza at the picnic or plan to bring your own food.

As always we will need a number of volunteers to pull all of this off! Consider volunteering for a short shift selling concessions, helping with an activity or donating a cake.

You can sign-up here: https://tinyurl.com/ThompsonPicnic18

Thompson News & Events

Thompson’s Art Night

Please save the date for Thompson’s Art Night on Thursday, May 31st from 6:00-7:30pm. All student’s will have artwork on display and there will be artmaking activities for the entire family.

Students have been practicing with art media, learning new techniques, finding inspiration from other artists and reflecting on their artmaking processes since September to prepare for this show. We hope you will join us to spend some time talking with your student about their artwork and to view all of the creations coming from Thompson’s Art Studio.

This year, the art teachers have switched to a Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) model. This philosophy focuses on student choice. Students generate their own ideas and work to solve visual problems. For more information on this philosophy, please visit: http://teachingforartisticbehavior.org/

We look forward to seeing you there!

Deb Campagna and Melody Wolfe Thomas

Green Team News

Green TeamThompson Green Team Integration Ensures a Win for National and State Recognition for Green Ribbon Schools Award!

Rachel Oliveri, APS Sustainability Coordinator, and the Thompson Green Team will give a presentation “Becoming a Green Ribbon School” at the upcoming School Committee meeting this Thursday. Contact Elizabeth Rocco @ egrocco@gmail.com if your student wants to participate.

APS Green Team’s End of Year Dinner and Celebration!

You are invited to join us as we celebrate an exciting year of making a difference for our schools and our planet! When you RSVP by signing up, please note how many will be attending and Thompson School! https://www.signupgenius.com/g o/20f0a4dacac2fa64-green1

Date: 5/30/18 (Wed)
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Location: Thompson Cafeteria

Arlington Schools Win the U.S. and Massachusetts Green Ribbon School Sustainability Award

It is such an honor for the Arlington Public Schools to receive both the Massachusetts and U.S. Green Ribbon School Award. This is a well-deserved recognition of all the important work happening across the district to promote environmental education, wellness, and positive change.

Thompson Elementary School was featured in several places in the district’s winning application, with energy efficiency and water conservation in the school rebuild, no idling signage in front of the school, and mindfulness programming. The winning application even concluded with the Thompson Green Team song lyrics: “We are awesome, we are powerful, we can change the world!” Three Thompson students, parent and Green Team lead Elizabeth Rocco, Rachel Oliveri, the school district’s sustainability coordinator, along with district officials, received the State award.

Green Ribbon School Award Winner

Arlington Public Schools Named 2018 Massachusetts Green Ribbon School District

Not Your Average Joe’s

Not Your Average Joe'sOnly Two Thompson Tuesdays Left!

Eat or get take-out at Not Your Average Joe’s on any Tuesday in May, mention Thompson when paying the bill, and 15% of your check will go to the PTO Enrichment Fund! You can use your Community Card to save yourself 10% too – SAVE and GIVE at the same time! Excludes alcohol. Arlington location only.

Thompson Community Sing

Family Folk ChoraleChris Eastburn, the artistic director of the multigenerational Family Folk Chorale, will teach Thompson students and staff Matisyahu’s hopeful and uplifting song, “One Day,” on the mornings of May 29th and June 5th.

All parents are invited to attend the June 5th 8:40 am rehearsal and join the Community Sing of “One Day” at the annual PTO picnic Thursday June 7th. Link to “One Day” is here.

Please contact Elizabeth Rocco at egrocco@gmail.com if you want to help with the Thompson Community Sing project.

Volunteer Opportunities

The Thompson PTO has many volunteer needs both small and big. If you’re looking for a way to give back to Thompson, here’s a list of ways you can help.

Videographer Needed!

We are looking for a individual to take video of one of the “One Day” rehearsals on Tuesday May 29th. Times are 8:30-9:30 or 9:35-10:20. We also need video of the performance on at the picnic June 7th. If you can help with one or both events, let us know!

Contact: Kate Murphy, thompsonschoolvolunteers@gmail.com

Field Day

The annual Field Day is set for Thursday June 14th this year! The whole school will get together to participate in traditional outdoor summer games. We will need parent volunteers to help Ms. Brayfield to set up, help the teachers to supervise the kids and keep them together eating their lunch outside while the teachers go inside the school to have lunch. If you have time to spare that day please sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/ThompsonFieldDay18

Help Throughout the Year

To check all current volunteer opportunities: http://tinyurl.com/ThompsonPTOVolunteers

Community

Snacks Needed For Thompson Kids!

Arlington EATSWhen you are doing your weekly grocery shopping, consider grabbing one extra box of pretzels or rice chex or a box of apple squeezers or something from the list below.

  • Fruit
  • Baby carrots
  • Nutrigrain bars (only the Kellogg’s Nutrigrain brand)
  • Applesauce (squeezers preferred)
  • Single serve fruit cups in fruit juice
  • Triscuits
  • Wheat Thins
  • Pretzels
  • Craisins
  • Plain Cheerios (please use Cheerio brand)

Drop the snacks off in the labeled Arlington EATS tote in the front office or please contact Sarah Gupta at sarah@arlington-eats.org if you would like to arrange an alternate drop off or even have someone pick up your snacks. THANK YOU for you continued support and donations! They are all greatly appreciated!

The Arlington EATS program provides snacks in all schools across Arlington. “Arlington Public Schools offer free and reduced price lunches that feed more than 650 students on school days. When school is not in session, family food resources are stretched. Arlington EATS’ mission is to help our students Eat All Through Summer and the school year.”

Our Kids, Our Community

The 20th annual Read to Ride Program

The Read to Ride Program, sponsored by Dependable Cleaners, is kicking off this week! We welcome students at Thompson School to enter to win a bicycle and other prizes by reading each week during summer vacation. It’s a great way to encourage children to read. To date, more than 70,000 books have been read! Click here for an entry form with rules.

5th Grade Social

Friday, June 8th
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Ed Burns Arena, 422 Summer Street

Come celebrate with old friends and meet new friends!
Click HERE for details and to purchase tickets.

Arlington High School Building Project Forum : Design Feedback

Monday, June 4th, 7-9 PM, Arlington Town Hall

Get up to speed with the AHS Building Project and let the Building Committee know what you think.

The Building Committee will be submitting the Preferred Schematic Design Option for the new/rebuilt high school in July and is seeking community input.

At this Forum

  • HMFH Architects will present more details about the four design options
  • MSBA process and decisions to-date will be reviewed
  • The Building Committee will outline criteria for choosing the preferred design
  • Feedback will be gathered for future Building Committee decisions

Can’t attend? A forum recap and feedback form will be available by June 7th on the www.ahsbuilding.org web site.

Interested in Playing Ice Hockey in Arlington?

Registration is now open for the Arlington Hockey Club’s (AHC) 2018-2019 Mite, Squirt, PeeWee, and Bantam Inter City Travel Programs. Teams in this program play local teams in the greater Boston area, providing a fun, competitive hockey experience for children born between 2011 (Mites, 2010 – 2011) and 2004 (Bantams, 2004 – 2005). Boys tryouts for all teams will occur in September. Girls tryouts have already occurred, however, if you are interested in playing please contact us through the website at arlingtonice.com.

Registration for AHC’s no-checking learn-to-skate/ instructional, developmental, and in-house hockey programs will open in September and play begins in October. AHC practices USA Hockey’s American Development Model in its program.

Please see our web-site at www.arlingtonice.com for more information.

Connect with Us

Thompson PTO Board

Nandana Mewada, Co-President
Diana Trudell, Co-President
Yael Beals, Vice-President
Danielle Gottesman, Communications Chair

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.

Posted on

Thompson School News : March 12, 2018

Save The Date

* New *

  • March 12, Monday, Science Week Kick Off, Dress for Science
  • March 15, Thursday 7-9pm PTO Meeting (Parents Only) NOTE: Date changed
  • March 16, Friday, All School Spring Concert  K-2 9 am. 3 – 5 9:45 am Note: time change
  • March 16, Friday, Spirit Day – Dress to Impress
  • March 17, Saturday 11 AM to 3 PM – Science EXPLO
  • March 19, Monday, Fit Girls Starts, grades 4-5
  • March 26, Monday – Grade 3 -5 Enrichment, ImprovBoston Anti-Bullying Workshop

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 http://tinyurl.com/y7u5k2on for a printable version of this month’s calendar.

Highlight

Science EXPLO Saturday, March 17th, 11 am – 3 pm

Science Explo 2018 aThe biennial Thompson Science EXPLO is back! Join us on March 17th as the Thompson school is transformed into a space filled with scientific explorations and hands-on learning. More than 50 exhibitors from the Thompson community will present interactive demonstrations to engage, enthrall and entertain students.

Besides the engaging exhibits, there will be a science-based scavenger hunt, raffle baskets, a bake sale and lunch options at the Brain Fuel Cafe.

As one of the showcase events of the year, the Science EXPLO is well attended and the perfect time to volunteer while your children are exploring and learning; please sign up to volunteer https://tinyurl.com/scienceexplo18

Science Week

The Science EXPLO will mark the culmination of Thompson’s first Science week; a week of celebrating science at school. Morning announcements will include fun scientific facts and music, the library will showcase science-themed books, and parents are encouraged to present a science topic to their child’s class.

Raffle Baskets

Each grade is sponsoring a basket to be raffled off at the end of the event as an easy and fun way to raise funds for school enrichment. Please consider helping even in a small way. Please bring all donations to school by Wednesday, March 14th.

Ecofest Trashformations

EcoFest Transformations 2018 03 aEcofest Trashformations “Ecosystem Superheroes” will focus on “The Decomposers, Nature’s Recyclers!” Thompson classrooms and families are encouraged to submit a 100% non-recyclable trash sculpture of their “Ecosytem Decomposer Superhero” at the Science Explo. Students can include a comic strip about their superhero’s super power to recycle nature’s waste into food and energy for the food chain.
Trash-straws, toothbrushes, non-recyclable plastic including silverware, mix material trash. Trashformation entries less than 5″ x 5″ x 5″. Comic strips- on 8.5 x 11″ paper (on back of reused paper).

EcoFest Transformations 2018 03 bInformation about trash, ecosystems and decomposers: 1. Arlington recycling guide 2. Ecosystem video for young readers 3. Decomposer video 3. Worm video 4. Video on amazing fungi systems in forests 5. Gut microbiome 6. 15 min. Decomposers video for older students

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” – Carl Sagan

Thompson News & Events

Green Team

Green Team 2018 03 a
Green team first graders show off their soil bacteria trashformation. “There are more organisms in a teaspoon of dirt than there are people on Earth.”

For Science Week the Green Team challenges Thompson parents to go in the classroom and make a Trashformation of an Ecosystem Superhero Decomposer with our children this week!

Optional themes:

  • Kinders – worm super heroes
  • 1st graders – gut bacteria super heroes.
  • 2nd graders – fungi, moss, mold and lichen superheroes on a tree
  • 3rd graders – wood wide web; mycorrhiza fungi in forests
  • 4th graders – red wiggler worm super heroes, composting and plastic villains.
  • 5th graders – micro-organism super heroes

Picture: Green team first graders show off their soil bacteria trashformation. “There are more organisms in a teaspoon of dirt than there are people on Earth.”

Interactive Fun!

Science Explo 2018 Interactive Fun aOh Ick! Jessica Garrett, author of Oh Ick: 114 Experiments Guaranteed to Gross You Out, visited Thompson to build excitement for the upcoming EXPLO.

In 2 assemblies, she explained why we burp, and made a stinky burp factory before our very eyes-and noses. Pee ew! Students learned about the chemical reaction involved in making the ever popular slime, and the entire audience became a model for how a polymer is created on a molecular level! Student scientists performed a viscosity race to test the hypothesis that molasses is the slowest liquid in the kitchen. Mustard, ketchup, dish soap were the challengers. Which was the most viscous? Ask your student!

Norah Dooley

Science Explo 2018 Interactive Fun bStoryteller and author Norah Dooley, Everybody Cooks Rice, lead an interactive assembly with K-2 learners. Norah shared how telling stories became a pathway to becoming an author, and her first book was inspired by her neighbors in Central Square Cambridge. She then regaled the group with traditional tales from around the world. The students participated right along with her, bringing the story to life with sound effects and chants.

Second graders extended the learning with theater/storytelling workshops. Students worked with Norah to use their voices and their bodies to create character and to harness their imaginations to create a detailed driven adventure.

Textile Recycling Bin

Support Thompson while donating your unwanted clothing, shoes, linens, stuffed animals, and more (in any condition as long as they are clean and dry). Bay State Textiles gives the schools a share of their profit from the sale of these materials. The more you donate, the more the school will receive! The bin is located on the Everett Street side of the school, near the loading driveway.

You can learn more about the Bay State Textiles program at http://www.baystatetextiles.com/schools-box-program

See the acceptable items and other participating schools in the AHS Textile Recycling 2018 Flyer.

Community

SEPAC Meeting Notice

In accordance with the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 30A Section 20, notice is hereby given for the following meeting of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council on Tuesday, March 13 th , 8:30 a.m. at the Jefferson Cutter House.

Gibbs Parent Forum

March 14th, 2018, 7-9 pm, Stratton School Cafeteria

Kristen DeFrancisco, principal of the the Gibbs 6th Grade School, will be hosting a parent forum. On the agenda:

  • Building a Social Emotional Responsible School
  • Academics and Courses
  • Schedule
  • Busing
  • PTO Plan

Thompson’s representative on the Gibbs Parent Advisory Committee is Juliet Moir (juliet.moir@gmail.com). Please reach out if you have any questions!

Annual Arlington Trivia Bee

JOIN or come cheer on school & community teams as they compete in the 23rd Annual Arlington Trivia Bee hosted by Arlington Education Foundation!

March 25th from 3-5pm at Town Hall

On March 25th, Arlington’s Town Hall will be abuzz with the friendly yet fierce team-based competition of the Arlington Trivia Bee. Live music, kids activities and the opportunity for audience participation help create the lively, family-friendly atmosphere that defines this annual town-wide event.

Calling all Thompson 5th graders! Form a team and join the competition, or stop by on the 25th and join in the fun! Find more information HERE.

Volunteer Opportunities

The Thompson PTO has many volunteer needs both small and big. If you’re looking for a way to give back to Thompson, here’s a list of ways you can help.

Annual Picnic Organizers

Though it seems a long way off the planning for the annual June picnic is starting now. The PTO is seeking parent volunteers interested in taking an active role in planning to join the picnic organizing team.

Contact: Kate Murphy, thompsonschoolvolunteers@gmail.com

Science EXPLO – March 17th

One of the biggest PTO events of the year, the Science EXPLO requires many helping hands! There are many ways to get involved – here’s the list:

We are in need of a few Cafe Coordinators to help run the Cafe on the day of the Explo. If you can help with this task please contact Yael Beals and/or Chris Pacheco at thompsonexplo2018@gmail.com or Kate Murphy at thompsonschoolvolunteers@gmail.com

Explo Day-Of Volunteers

https://tinyurl.com/scienceexplo18

Bake Sale

https://tinyurl.com/ExploBakeSale

Raffle Items

Safe Routes to School Coordinator

Looking for a parent interested in helping with the Safe Routes to School program. This is the program that has organized the Walk/Bike to School Day among other projects. The current parents in charge have graduating 5 graders. If interested there is a March 8th meeting about Safe Routes to School you might be interested in attending.

Contact Kate Murphy: thompsonschoolvolunteers@gmail.com

Join the Community Card Team!

Believe it or not planning begins NOW for the 2018-19 Community Card! This is Thompson’s second biggest fundraiser each year, bringing in $16K+ annually for School Enrichment.

Whether you’re totally ready to take something on, have some good ideas to pass on, or are just curious about what’s involved before committing to anything, please email the co-chairs:

Help Throughout the Year

To check all current volunteer opportunities: http://tinyurl.com/ThompsonPTOVolunteers

Connect with Us

THOMPSON PTO BOARD

Nandana Mewada, Co-President
Diana Trudell, Co-President
Yael Beals, Vice-President
Danielle Gottesman, Communications Chair

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.