Thoreau Matters
March 31, 2023
Dear Thoreau Families,
Spring break is upon us! I have enjoyed walking around the building today observing high levels of student engagement due to the fun activities our teachers have planned! Thoreau has an amazing and dedicated staff and they have worked hard these first three quarters of the school year. Break is an opportunity for both students and staff to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. With that in mind, our main office will also be closed next week.
I am excited to announce that two Thoreau staff members have been recently honored. Assistant Principal Tracy Bromberg has been named the Region 1 CARES employee of the month. The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. Math teacher Mersedeh Darvish has been nominated for a 2022-2023 Fairfax County Special Education PTA Award recognizing outstanding achievement in supporting students with disabilities and learning differences in Fairfax County Public Schools. Way to go Ms. Bromberg and Ms. Darvish!! A parent recently made me aware of another opportunity for staff to be recognized. Northern Virginia Magazine Teacher of the Year award is now accepting nominations until April 23. Click on this link for more information if you would like to nominate one of our exceptional teachers :https://northernvirginiamag.com/teacheroftheyear/
We look forward to seeing students back on April 10th for our final week of the third quarter. As a reminder, April 13th is a two-hour early release at 12:15 PM and April 14th is a teacher workday, so there is no school for students.
Wishing you a wonderful spring break!
Sincerely,
Teresa Khuluki
Principal
Upcoming Dates:
April 3rd -- April 7th - Spring Break (office closed)
April 13th - Two-hour early release (office closed at 1 PM)
April 14th - School closed (office hours 8 AM - 1 PM (teacher workday))
April 21st - School & office closed (Holiday)
SOL Calendar
The SOL schedule at Thoreau MS can be found below. The testing schedule will impact the bell schedule each day. Please avoid prearranged student absences on the dates your child will be taking an SOL test. More information regarding middle school SOLs is available on the SOL assessments webpage.
Please use the following checklist to address important steps to ensure a positive testing experience.
Parent/Guardian SOL Checklist:
- Ensure your student is present and on time.
- Ensure your student gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast in the morning.
- Remind your student to have their cell phone off and away in their backpack.
- Verify your student’s laptop is in working order.
- Computer issues should be reported immediately to Student IT Support.
- Fully charge their laptop every night.
- Pack their charger in their backpack (if your student lost their charger, please purchase a replacement via MySchoolBucks).
If you have any questions regarding testing, please contact Thoreau’s school test coordinator, Erin Lynch (703.846.8058 or emlynch@fcps.edu).
Proposed Updates to Student Rights and Responsibilities
The Department of Special Services will host a virtual meeting for the FCPS community regarding proposed updates to the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) regulation on Monday, April 10, from 6 to 7 p.m. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about the suggested updates and ask questions via Zoom Chat. Language interpretation will be available in Spanish. A certified deaf interpreter will be available as well. Please register online.
Thoreau After-School Program
After-School has been amazing for our staff & students! Students & staff are coming up with some really creative clubs so far this year. After-School clubs & late buses occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between the hours of 2:25pm - 4:45pm.
After-School Schoology Folder: Students should check this folder weekly as this is where the weekly After-School clubs schedule will be posted as well as important announcements:
Schoology > Courses > All School Courses > After-School Program Folder
THOREAU WEEKLY AFTER-SCHOOL CLUBS SCHEDULE:
Week of April 10th - April 14th
 QUESTIONS/CONCERNS?
Email Ms. Colleen Taylor at cmtaylor1@fcps.edu or call 703.846.8089.
Madison Warhawks 2023 FROSH Football
An introductory meeting for family & players interested in Warhawk Frosh Football will be held April 11 at 6:30 pm in the Madison Weight Room (back of the building across from the tennis courts & baseball outfield). Whether able to attend this meeting or not, all prospective players should provide the information requested at: http://tinyurl.com/jmhsfbinfo; this ensures receipt of all future communications.
Eight graders planning to play football are invited to our after-school lifting program starting April 12. These voluntary sessions will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays through the end of the school year and will last approximately 90 minutes. Students must submit completed Emergency Care Forms & weight room waivers to Coach Michael Ginley; blank forms will be provided at the meeting or can be found in the Activities Office (Room 131). No student may participate until these steps have been completed
See https://www.warhawksports.org/page/hot_news/view/77 on registration for Fall athletics. Madison hosts an Activities Fair for 8th graders on 3/24 (during the day in conjunction with the Middle Schools); all are invited to stop at the Football table.
Team Goals:1. Teach class and character; 2. Practice & play safely; 3. Teach the Warhawk approach to football; 4. Have fun; 5. Keep Academics first
Summer lifting sessions will be offered 4 mornings & 2 evenings a week (voluntary)
Summer Camp for rising Frosh Football players is scheduled at Waters Field from June 19 through June 22nd, likely 10:30am to 1pm. This is a voluntary, non contact camp open to all rising frosh.
Practices (required) start the first Monday in August, 6:30 am to noon, with a Saturday morning intra-squad scrimmage. PLEASE SCHEDULE PLAYER VACATIONS BEFORE AUGUST, as these two a-day practices are essential for individual & team development, especially for players new to football. Once school starts most practices are after school and most games are played Thursdays at 5:30 pm. Coaches are flexible working with athletes who play other sports. All who follow team rules & attend practices make the team. Every effort is made to play each player in each game. Helmets & shoulder pads are provided by Madison. Players provide their own footwear and football girdles.
Please feel free to share this information with any interested parties. Contact me at any time with questions. Thanks for your interest,
Coach Michael Ginley, Madison Frosh Football
michaelginley@gmail.com, 703-204-1967 (home), 703-789-6221 (cell)
Activities Office Contact Information John Kenny, DSA 703-319-2499 (jakenny@fcps.edu); Andrew Baird, ADSA 703-319-2362 (arbaird@fcps.edu); Polly Colwell, Admin Assistant 703-319-2360
PTA News
Join the Thoreau PTA and support Thoreau and your student! Please consider making an additional donation to help fund PTA sponsored activities.
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