Save The Date
* New *
- June 18, Monday – Colonial Day Activities, 3rd Grade
- June 19, Tuesday – Celebration of Learning, 5th Grade
- June 20, Wednesday – Field Trip, 5th Grade
- June 21, Thursday – Arlington EATS Pop Up Pantry, 6 -7 PM
- June 23 & 24, Saturday and Sunday – Community Service Day for Thompson Trees
- June 25, Monday – Last Day of School, 11:30 AM Dismissal
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.
PTO Update
Join us!
As you know, the Thompson PTO works hard every year to raise money to fund EVERY enrichment opportunity for students, as well as build community within Thompson. To do this, we need your help!
We are seeking parents to help us offer these amazing enrichment opportunities and wonderful community events for the 2018-2019 school year. 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 – 2019
Thank you for your interest!
Nandana Mewada & Diana Trudell (Thompson Co-Presidents)
Thompson News & Events
A Message from the Library
As the school year draws to a close, I am aiming to get as many books returned as possible. Notices with specific titles for overdue books will go home in a couple of weeks, but until then, please check your homes for any extra library books! Getting everything back means the library will be organized and full for the next school year. Any questions or concerns can be directed to me, Miss Mak, at amakrianis@arlington.k12.ma.us. Best, and happy almost summer!
Book Event by Thompson Teacher Sarah Marie Jette
Join us to celebrate Ms. Jette’s debut novel What The Wind Can Tell You, on June 21st at 3pm by the Sprinkler park with a book reading. by Ms. Jette.
About the Book
Isabelle is fascinated by wind. And this year, she’s determined to win the middle school science fair with her wind machine. She’s just as determined to have her brother, Julian, who has a severe form of epilepsy and uses a wheelchair, serve as her assistant. But after Julian has a grand seizure, everything changes. Isabelle is suddenly granted entry into Las Brisas, a magical world where Julian’s physical limitations disappear, and one, she discovers, that he visits every night. The more Isabelle explores Las Brisas, the more possibilities she sees–for Julian, and for herself–and the more she finds herself at odds with her parents.
“A heartwarming, magical middle-grade novel, Sarah Marie A. Jette’s What the Wind Can Tell You tackles tough issues with sensitivity.” Foreword Reviews
Thompson Trees Need You!
Join the Thompson community during our family community service work days to take care of the trees Thompson School Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and June 24, from 9 AM-12:00 PM. The idea is for people to come for some amount of time during these windows – any hour or half hour is great! And kids are all welcome! Arlington DPW has given us additional “gator bags” for the trees and will be dropping off mulch, and we’ll be weeding and mulching around trees, and setting up and filling the “gator bags” on the trees. We’ll have some tools so you can just show up, but if you have them bring any trowels, hand-rakes, etc. you may have to use. No need to RSVP, but if have questions or would like to learn more, please contact Phil Tedesco at philip.tedesco@gmail.com.
SUMMER TREE WATERING: We also need to fill the tree bags once or twice a week throughout the summer. This is a team effort, and we need your help! If you would like to learn more or get involved, please contact Phil Tedesco at philip.tedesco@gmail.com
Green Team News
Bikeway Haiku
Call for Poems to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Minuteman Bikeway!
Selected poems will be stenciled on the surface of the bikeway in early September. This is a perfect opportunity to transform our love of biking and nature, our Zero Waste/This is the Last Straw campaigns and our green team song: “We are awesome. We are Powerful. We can change the world. We can do it together” into haikus, public art and environmental action! The 1st and 3rd lines of a haiku are 5 syllables and 2nd line is 7 syllables. Please submit your entries to egrocco@gmail.com.
www.arlingtonpublicart.org/bikewayhaiku
Strawless Summer Challenge
Inspired by the 4th graders’ This is the Last Straw campaign, Ms. Dichter’s second graders are challenging the Thompson Community to not use plastic straws this summer!
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.
Town Day Community Card Sales – Saturday Sept 15th
Town Day is where we launch, and sell the majority of, our Community Cards each year. Current town day record = 1000 cards! We will need ~75 volunteers throughout the day in 1 hour shifts between 8:00 AM and 4:00PM. No ‘sales’ experience necessary! If you can work a cash box or carry a sign, you are good to go. This is a great way to get to know other parents, and kids are welcome to join you during your shift if they are capable – nobody can resist those cute faces.
The signup is ready, get your preferred time slot today! https://tinyurl/townday2018
For more about the card, visit www.arlingtoncommunitycard.org.
Help Throughout the Year
To check all current volunteer opportunities: http://tinyurl.com/ThompsonPTOVolunteers
Community
Arlington EATS
Community Meal Has Been Redesigned And Rescheduled
On June 14, many of our community members will be with their families and friends celebrating the end of Ramadan. Arlington EATS has made the decision not to hold a Community Dinner on June 14, in recognition of this.
Instead, we will hold a robust Pop-Up Pantry on Thursday, June 21, from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM. The usual array of proteins, produce, eggs, milk and pantry items will be available, in addition to a number of other items that will help families get stocked up for the summer break.
Please remember to bring your reusable shopping bags.
We look forward to seeing you!
Attention 5th Grade Parents!
GO-PTO, the parent-school partnership for the Gibbs and Ottoson Middle Schools, seeks new board members to serve in the 2018/19 school year. Parents of rising 6th graders are especially needed; no previous PTO experience is necessary. The board generally meets once a month, and related duties can take up a few hours a month; there are also other volunteer opportunities for non-board members.
This is a great way to get to know the principals and teachers and stay involved in your child’s education. Anyone who is interested should contact GO-PTO via e-mail at dearGO.PTO@gmail.com.
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.