Final 2017-2018 Message from Mr. Azimi
Dear Thoreau Community:
This final Thoreau Matters message of the 2017-2018
school year affords me the opportunity to offer my gratitude. I extend my
sincere appreciation to our dedicated faculty and staff who collectively commit
to enrich the lives of our students. I thank our parents and families who
tirelessly support Thoreau in numerous ways and a special thanks goes out to
our PTA who is always there for us. I am grateful to Navy Federal Credit
Union, our loyal business partner for 28 years, for the financial support they
provide us as well as the mentorship they offer a number of our students.
While no school is perfect, there really is not a day that does not go by where
either a student, employee, parent, or community member tells me the positive
experience and sentiments he/she feels about Thoreau.
I would like to wish farewell to the following staff members
who are leaving our school. I thank them for their faithful service and I
wish them the very best in their future endeavors.
- Mr. Ben Bishop, Social Studies Teacher – 5 years of service to Thoreau – leaving FCPS to move to
work for Loudon County (VA.) Public Schools
- Ms. Mary Clare Boucher, Learning Disabilities Teacher - 4 years of service to Thoreau - leaving FCPS to move to Richmond, VA.
- Ms.
Katie Cole-Kelly, Science Teacher – 8 years of service to Thoreau – leaving
FCPS for personal reasons.
- Ms.
Sandra Cruz, Public Health Training Assistant – 2 years of service to Thoreau –
in the process of determining her next move.
- Ms.
Alice Gnall, Spanish Teacher – 7 years of service to Thoreau – leaving FCPS to
move to Richmond, VA.
- Mr.
Jonathan Katz – English Teacher – 1 year of service to Thoreau – leaving FCPS
to pursue another opportunity.
- Ms.
Joan Lee, School Counselor - 7 years of service to Thoreau – promoted to
Educational Specialist, Office of School Counseling, FCPS Department of Special
Services.
- Ms.
Belinda McGehee, Learning Disabilities Teacher - 7 years of service to
Thoreau – leaving FCPS to move out of the area.
- Ms.
Megan Mills, English Teacher – 6 years of service to Thoreau –
transferring to Lanier Middle School.
- Ms.
Denise Schwandt, Registrar/Student Services Assistant - 11 years of service to
Thoreau – retiring from FCPS and moving to Durham, NC.
- Ms.
Debbie Suranovic, School Health Aide - 5 years of service to Thoreau –
retiring from the Fairfax County Health Department and moving to NY.
Finally, I would like to say goodbye to all of our students
who are leaving Thoreau, particularly our 8th graders. I wish
success and happiness to our 408 8th graders who will attend
Madison, our 34 8th graders who will attend Marshall, our 4 8th
graders who will attend TJHSST, and our remaining 22 students who will attend
high school elsewhere. Have a fantastic and safe summer!
Sincerely,
Yusef Azimi
 Thoreau Honors You - (L-R) Mr. Katz, Ms. Mills, Mr. Bishop, Ms. Gnall, Ms. Lee, Ms. Cole-Kelly, Ms. McGehee, Ms. Suranovic, Ms. Boucher, and Ms. Schwandt (not pictured, Ms. Cruz)
Thoreau Summer Office Hours:
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Monday - Friday
Upcoming Important Dates
- Friday, June 15th - Last Day of School, 2-Hour Early Release
- Tuesday, August 28th - First Day of School
- Monday, September 3rd - Labor Day Holiday
- Wednesday, September 19th - 3-Hour Early Release
Student Services Updates
Report Cards: Report cards will be mailed home from Thoreau to parents the week of June 18th.
SOL Scores: Thoreau teachers have conferenced with individual students and have shared initial SOL scores as they have been uploaded. An official SOL score report, including all test results, will be sent home with final report cards.
Course Verifications: Course verifications will be sent home on or before Friday,
June 29th. Please review your
child’s course requests and follow the instructions to make any necessary
changes. Requests for changes must be
received in writing by Friday, July 13th.
You may also review your child’s course requests through
your SIS ParentVue
account. In the Course Request tab,
you will see a verification list of the courses you and your child selected for
the 2018-2019 school year. This is NOT a
schedule. Class schedules will not be
finalized until mid-August.
Students who would like a printed copy of their class
schedule prior to the first day of school may join us for our Open House on
Thursday, August 23rd from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM. If you or your child is unable to attend this
event, class schedules will be available on SIS for you to access at home beginning
on Thursday, August 23rd.
Student Information System (SIS): Access to SIS ParentVue and StudentVue accounts will end on
Friday, June 22nd at 4:00 PM and will be unavailable until
Wednesday, June 27th. After
that time, students and parents will once again be able to access their
accounts, but the Grade Book and Report Card views will have no
data. This is due to the fact that the
system will reset to the 2018-2019 school year.
 Congrats to our 8th graders receiving awards on Wednesday, June 13th.
Student Learning Plan - Current 8th Grade Students
All Thoreau 8th
graders are working with their counselor and teachers to develop a
Student Learning Plan to discover their personal strengths and interests,
create goals to help them achieve success, and plan for their future.
This link gives details about the School Learning
Plan and how a parent can help his/her child.
8th
Grade Parents!
Once you have reviewed your child's plan, completing this verification form will serve as your
signature. For more information about your child's SLP, visit the SLP website.
2018-2019 Thoreau Yearbook Club
Would your child like to help preserve memories for our
students and staff? The Thoreau Yearbook Club is looking for dedicated
and creative students to join our team. Please direct questions to Ms. BenZion,
yearbook sponsor, at gbenzion@fcps.edu
The link to the yearbook club application can be found here.
Where Are You Going This Fall?
If you will not be attending Thoreau (rising 8th graders) or a Fairfax County high school (rising 9th graders) this fall, please let Thoreau Student Services know now. Please click here and fill out this form. Student Services will make sure all transcripts are forwarded to your child’s new school so his/her file is complete. If you have any questions, please contact Thoreau registrar Denise Schwandt at 703-846-8003 or dschwandt@fcps.edu.
Thoreau Health Room News
The Thoreau health room reminds parents and guardians that all medications stored in the health room must be picked up no later than 12:15 PM on the last day of school, Friday, June 15, 2018. Medication left in the health room after that time will be discarded. It is school policy that medications must be picked up by the parent or guardian. Medication cannot be sent home with your child.
2018-2019 School Supply Lists
Please see the attached lists of general school supplies for the 2018-2019 school year. Some teachers and elective courses may require other supplies for their classes in addition to these lists. Students will receive information regarding those supplies during the first week of school.
Supply List - 7th Grade
Supply List - 8th Grade
 Congratulations to Daniel Cho for receiving the 8th Grade Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for the 2017-2018 school year.
Thoreau Summer Reading
Rising 7th grade students are asked to read at least three books over the summer. Students will complete an activity during the first two weeks of school based on one of their summer reads. Suggested Summer Reading List
TJ Prep Camp
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is holding a TJ Prep Camp for rising 8th grade students. The camp will take place at Luther Jackson Middle School. Two sessions are being offered during the months of July and August. Please see this link for details.
Thoreau Excellence in Action Summer Camp
This week-long program is designed by our own staff members to provide students with the essential background knowledge and skills that will help them have a successful transition to middle school. For more information and to register, please see details here.
Two sessions will be offered, running 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM.
Session 1: Monday, July 16th - Friday, July 20th
Session 2: Monday, July 30th - Friday, August 3rd
Thoreau Ambassador Program
Do you like to meet new people? Do you like helping others? Do you like volunteering at school wide events?
If you answer yes to any or
all of these questions, the Thoreau Ambassador Program may be of interest to
you. A Student Ambassador at Thoreau is someone who will
represent our school positively and help build community within our school.
Student Ambassadors are asked to provide new students with an introduction to
Thoreau by giving them a tour of the school, help them with their locker,
introduce them to their teachers and provide them with a familiar face on
their team. We are looking for outgoing, responsible, friendly students
who are willing to spend time with new students and families to make them feel
welcome to our community.
Instructions and the application can be found here.
Contact Thoreau registrar Denise Schwandt at dschwandt@fcps.edu with questions.
Madison HS Summer Acceleration Academy
Madison HS will offer face-to-face courses this summer in Geometry Honors, Health & PE 9 and Health & PE 10.
Registration is open to Madison, Marshall, McLean, and Oakton High School students. Click here for more information.
Madison HS Bridges Program
Madison will once again hold its annual Bridges program for rising 9th grade students. This summer program is designed to help bridge the connection between middle and high school through a camp-type program very similar to Thoreau’s annual Excellence in Action summer program for rising 7th grade students. Details can be found here.
Marshall HS Summer Reading
Please see this link for Marshall HS's summer reading requirements.
2018-2019 PTA Board Members
Congratulations and THANK YOU to our 2018-2019 PTA Officers!
- President - Emily Korff
- Vice President - Stacey Leimbach
- Treasurer - Amanda Dixon
- Secretary - Debbie Gardner
And, THANK YOU to our 2017-2018 PTA officers: President Beth Eachus, Vice President Stacey Leimbach, Treasurer Laura Schmorrow and Secretary Sarah Helmicki. We appreciate you!
We are still looking for PTA Board members and chairpersons for the 2018-2019 school year. Open positions include 7th Grade Dinner co-chair, Garden chair or co-chairs. Please contact current PTA President Beth Eachus at president@thoreaupta.org for more information.
School Supply Kits
School supply kits will be available for rising 7th and 8th graders and can be ordered online starting later this week. Information will be sent via email. Huge thanks to parents Lucy Arrington and Cheryl Bredehoeft for chairing this effort.
8th Grade Dance
Thanks to all who donated or volunteered for the 8th Grade Dance on Friday, June 1st. It was a huge success. Special thanks to chairs Diana Nash and Paris Jacobs. Here is a link with lots of great pictures.
Thoreau Food Program
In partnership with the PTA, Thoreau Student Services will be packaging and sending home weekend food bags for families in need. We are looking for donations of non-perishable food items as identified on this Amazon shopping list. For your convenience, these items may be ordered from Amazon and delivered directly to the school. Donations may also be purchased and dropped off in the Thoreau front office to the attention of Director of Student Services Rebecca Aguilar. Gift cards are also greatly appreciated. Thank you to all who have already supported this program!
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Our two front office assistants, Ms. Gomez and Ms. Dwyer, send well wishes. "We hope you have a wonderful summer filled with great adventures. Best of luck to our rising 9th graders as they move on from Thoreau!" |
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