Thoreau Matters
May 19, 2023
Dear Thoreau Families,
We are in the final month of the 2022-23 school year! This week the majority of our students finished taking their SOLs. Next week we will work on make-ups and some students may be eligible for a retake. We have many cumulative events coming up including the 8th grade celebration on June 15. This year the PTA has partnered with the Thoreau Administration to plan an unforgettable afternoon of dancing, food, games and fun! Below the PTA section of the newsletter you will find the signup genius to help volunteer for the event as well as additional details.
Teachers understand that we have 19 more days of instruction remaining and they are planning engaging and meaningful learning opportunities for their students. Please help us ensure a positive end to the school year by reminding your child that students are still expected to be ready, responsible, and respectful in their words and actions.
Thanks to all of our families for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Teresa Khuluki
Principal
FOOTLOOSE: THE MUSICAL YOUTH EDITION
 Based on the 1980’s hit musical film, Footloose will explode with singing and dancing on the Thoreau stage, June 1-3rd.
Last year we sold out all shows, so be sure to get your tickets ahead of time via the QR code or www.thoreaudrama.com
Tickets are $12 and make sure to bring cash for concessions and Break A Leg O Grams for the cast and crew.
Saturday, June 3 at the 7pm performance there will be a 360 Photo Booth for the audience to experience!
Come support the 7th and 8th graders of Thoreau and enjoy an afternoon/evening toe tapping and singing the classic songs like “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” all the way home!
Making the Transition to High School
A recent episode of the FCPS multilingual podcast “En Pocas Palabras” covers the transition to high school. When teenagers move from middle school to high school, a world of opportunities opens up. High school offers new courses, new friends, new activities, and new responsibilities. Hear about these new opportunities in your teenager’s life and how parents can be supportive in the transition. En Pocas Palabras is available in Arabic, English, Korean, and Spanish. Listen and subscribe.
 May is a national month of recognition of the history of Jewish contributions to American culture, acknowledging the diverse achievement of the Jewish community in the U.S. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
Mental Health Awareness Month
The month of May is a time to pause and raise awareness of the fact that many people live everyday with mental and behavioral health issues and there is a need to reduce the stigma attached with the experience. Post-COVID the reality is that millions of Americans are dealing with an increase in mental, behavioral, and substance misuse illnesses in their families (NAMI). Additional mental health challenges by the COVID-19 pandemic have also increased youth related substance use, mental health struggles, and suicide (HHS). According to HHS, suicide is still the second highest cause od death in youth ages 10 to 14 and adults from ages 24 to 35. This prompted the July 2022 launch of 998 the new three digit code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7 call, text, and chat access to crisis counselors. It is for anyone experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crises or emotional distress. Concerns about loved ones may also be addressed using the 988 dialing code. SAMHSA has described the new 988 dialing code as an important step in transforming how crisis and trauma situations are handled in the United States. Please note that the 800-273-8255 number still works, 988 is just built off of the 10-digit number.
Resources:
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @FCPSSAPS.
For further Information & support:
Michael McNulty
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
mpmcnulty@fcps.edu
Thoreau After-School Program
The last day of after-school clubs and late buses will be Thursday, May 25th!
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 May 22nd - May 26th
 QUESTIONS/CONCERNS?
Email Ms. Colleen Taylor at cmtaylor1@fcps.edu or call 703.846.8089.
School Supply Kits
 Make things a little easier for next school year for your rising student by ordering your 2023-24 school supplies online today through June 25th! The Thoreau PTA has partnered with EPI to offer this convenient service. Required supplies pertinent to each grade can be ordered, shipped to Thoreau, and waiting for your student at the Open House before school starts. Order now with our School ID of THO119 (three letters, three numbers) at https://www.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks/. Keep your online confirmation as your receipt. If you have questions, please contact Nicole Gilman at nicoleegilman@gmail.com.
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PTA News
Join the Thoreau PTA and support Thoreau and your student! Please consider making an additional donation to help fund PTA sponsored activities.
Help Needed for the 8th Grade Celebration
Thoreau has joined forces with the PTA to celebrate our 8th graders with a fun afternoon filled with food, ice cream, outdoor activities, a DJ and dancing, photo booth, raffle prizes, and more! The celebration will take place on Thursday, June 15 at 11:45am. The event is free for all 8th graders. Parent volunteers are needed to help with set-up, monitoring food booths and activities, and clean-up. We are also looking for ice and water donations, as well as gift card donations to be used in the raffle drawing - top choices are WAWA, Chipotle, Ben & Jerry's, Fosters Grill, DonutChew, Chick Fil-a, and Starbucks. Sign up to help here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4baaa72ca4f49-8thgrade#/ Questions? Contact Lisa at: ldowell14@gmail.com.
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