Thoreau Matters
February 9, 2024
Dear Thoreau Families,
Did you know that Thoreau has a staff Equity Team and an after-school Culture Club for students? Both of these efforts support our culture of belonging and emphasize our “You Matter” mantra. We are seeking your help in presenting monthly Culture Club workshops/activities/potlucks based on the FCPS Heritage Months, Celebrations, and Traditions Calendar. Our February celebration for students and staff will be held on Monday, February 26th, from 2:25-3:20 PM. For this afterschool session, the Culture Club staff and student members will host a community potluck with storytelling, music, and arts & crafts activities to celebrate Black History Month. If your family or community would like to take part in helping organize or leading this and future heritage month workshops/activities/potlucks, please contact the Culture Club co-sponsors Karen Alexander-Romeo at kcalexanderr@fcps.edu and Jennifer Wharton at jfwharton@fcps.edu.
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Congratulations to (Left to Right): Daniel L, Nathan L, Lilian K, Kai T, Elisha C, Anna B, Maddie T, and Jade S for being invited to perform with the VBODA District XII Middle School Honor Band on Feb. 03, 2024. They rehearsed at Oakton High School for 2 ½ days and then put on a spectacular performance with their conductor Lou Bean!
Thoreau is in need of additional track coaches, or we may not be able to fully participate in this new opportunity this spring. Please see below for all of the information and consider coaching or spreading the word within our community! Thank you for your ongoing support of our students.
Sincerely,
Teresa Khuluki
Principal
Student Intention Forms
Moving this summer? If your family plans include relocation, please notify us by completing the Intention Form and send it to Ms. Karla Macoto - kmmacoto@fcps.edu at your earliest convenience.
Middle School Sports
Track and Field Competition is coming to Thoreau MS this Spring. We will be scheduling an interest meeting for students in the coming weeks!
- Events to choose from will include 100m, 200m, and 400m Sprint Events; 800m and 1600m Distance Events; Long Jump and Shot Put
- Practices start in March and will be held Mondays and Wednesdays 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm. Additional After-School activities are available if students wish to use the Late Buses to get home
- There will be four meets scheduled in April and May. These will be held on Saturday mornings on High School Tracks
- To participate in the Middle School Track Program the following information must be completed:
- Complete this form Thoreau MS Sports Registration
- Have a doctor complete the MS Sports Physical Form. (Physical forms on record for Cross Country are valid if they were done within the current school year). Please have your student turn in the forms to the main office
- Complete and sign the attached Emergency Care Card. The ECC can also be found and printed from your Parent Vue account. Please double-check that all information is current
The 3 steps must be completed before students can participate.
We are pleased to welcome back Coach Sharphorn as one of our Track & Field coaches this spring!
Interested in becoming a coach alongside Coach Sharphorn? Please email our Athletics Coordinator, Chris Pinkerton at cpinkerton@fcps.edu and let him know that you're interested! There is a $500 contract offered for this position.
School Laptops
This is a reminder that a student’s FCPSOn device must be used responsibly at school and at home, in accordance with the Acceptable Use Policy outlined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities. The FCPS student device is valuable and should be treated appropriately. It should not be thrown or dropped. It should never be placed on the roof or hood of a car, on the sidewalk or street, or treated in any way that may cause it to be crushed, dropped, or damaged. Laptop keys and screens and iPad screens are all delicate equipment and should be treated gently. Do not push too hard or bang on any device. The student device and charger are for the assigned student’s use only. Friends, other students, siblings, cousins, or other people should not use it. If a student decides to lend their laptop or charger to a fellow student, it is still their responsibility if it is damaged or goes missing. Additional device guidelines may be found here.
If it is found that a laptop was damaged on purpose, or because a student was being careless, there will be a charge to fix the device. Please remind your student about the importance of being responsible with these devices.
School staff should be informed of a lost/stolen device as soon as possible. The sooner it is reported, the more likely it can be found. Students and parents can submit support tickets at this site: https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/student/
It's Time to Register for the 2024 Thoreau MS Spelling Bee!
Are you ready to "BEE" amazing? The PTA Is pleased to announce that the 2024 Thoreau Middle School Spelling Bee will take place on Thursday, February 15, 2024 from 6:30pm - 9:00pm in Eagle Hall.
ALL Thoreau students are invited to participate in the Thoreau MS Spelling Bee
Registration for the Thoreau MS Spelling Bee is OPEN (click here) and will take place through Friday, February 9, 2024. Registrations received after February 9 cannot be accepted.
The Thoreau Spelling Bee Champion will compete with other regional school champions in the Fairfax County Spelling Bee on Sunday, March 17, 2024. Last year's Fairfax County champion, Charlotte Walsh, was the runner-up in the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2023!
Questions? Contact TMS Spelling Bee Coordinator, Gayle Schlueter at gschlueter5@gmail.com.
The Thoreau MS Spelling Bee is sponsored by your Thoreau MS PTA and is part of the Fairfax County Spelling Bee Program.
SOL Test Calendar
The SOL assessment schedule 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.
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Date
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7th grade
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8th grade
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April 16th
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Integrated Reading & Writing SOL
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May 9th
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Science SOL (Except for the Turtle Team)
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May 13th
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Science SOL (Turtle Team)
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May 15th
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Reading SOL
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Reading SOL
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May 17th
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Math SOL
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Math SOL
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Make-Ups
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Scheduled as needed throughout window
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Retakes
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For any student who receives a score of 375-399, they will be offered a retake. Thoreau staff will make parent phone calls to obtain parent permission and teachers will provide remediation to students.
Retakes will occur May 28th-31st.
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If you have any questions regarding testing, please contact Thoreau’s school test coordinator, Erin Lynch (703.846.8058 or emlynch@fcps.edu).
Thoreau After-School Program
After-School clubs & late buses occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between the hours of 2:25pm - 4:45pm for the remainder of the school year!
THOREAU WEEKLY AFTER-SCHOOL CLUBS SCHEDULE:
Week of February 12th - February 16th
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QUESTIONS/CONCERNS?
Email Ms. Colleen Myers at cmmyers@fcps.edu or call 703.846.8089.
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