For all information related to the Thoreau Middle School PTA, please visit our website.

In this Issue:  

• Panera Bread Dining for Dollars is TOMORROW, February 28th
• March PTA Meeting is Cancelled - See you in April
• Donations needed to support the Hero Drive at Club Phoenix Teen Center
• Rising Freshmen - Activities Fair on March 15th & Fall 2024 Sports Reminder
• Welcome to our Thoreau PTA Business Sponsors:  Sun Radia & Navy Federal Credit Union
• Thoreau PTA Business Sponsors - Support extended through 2024-2025 school year
• News from our local high schools - Info for Rising Freshmen,  Madison Cheer Camp (THIS Saturday), and Marshall's Mulch Sale

Lots of great info - check it out!

Join us TOMORROW at Panera Bread for Dining for Dollars Take the night off and treat yourselves to dinner at Panera Bread TOMORROW, Wednesday, February 28th from 4:00-8:00pm!  Bring the flyer into the store or use the code FUND4U online or on the Panera App to help support Thoreau Middle School. Thank you for your support!

March PTA Meeting Update Thank you to everyone who attended our February PTA Meeting & Parent Coffee last week.  It was so nice to meet in person!  Since our February meeting was so late in the month, we will be cancelling next week's March 4th PTA meeting. Our next meeting will be Monday, April 15, at 7:00pm, on Zoom.

Club Phoenix Teen Center Hero Box Donations   The Town of Vienna Club Phoenix Teen Center is asking the Thoreau community for help as it collects donations for its Hero Box volunteer initiative to support our troops overseas. Members of the Club Phoenix Teen Council will be packing 20 boxes to send troops to help give them a sense of comfort while they are away from home. Donations will be accepted through February 29 and can be dropped in the collection box in the Thoreau front office marked Hero Box or at the Community Center.  Commonly requested items are new/unopened packages of beef jerky, granola bars, hard candy, noodle cups, drink mix, sunflower seeds, Twizzlers, dried fruit, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, deodorant, body lotion, sun block, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, lip balm, throat lozenges, Tums, books, DVDs, CDs, puzzle books, pens/pencils, drawing pads, journals, magazines, Tupperware, socks, and undershirts. Thank you for your support!

Rising Freshmen - Activity Fair Information

Our 8^th graders will be going to Madison, Marshall and Oakton High Schools on Friday, March 15^th, for their annual activity fair. Almost all 8^th grade teachers and counselors will be assigned as chaperones for the trip. Students will be bused over to the high schools around 9:45am.

• Madison students (around 375 students) will return to Thoreau around 11:45am, eat lunch, and then be sent to 9th period
• Oakton students (around 200) will return to Thoreau around 11:45am, eat lunch, and then be sent to 9^th period
• Marshall students (around 25) will return around 12:45pm and will be sent directly to their 9^th period class because they will have already eaten lunch while visiting Marshall

All of this information & more can be found on the student field trip permission slips that were handed out to students last week (February 14th) in their science classes. Parents/guardians please be on the lookout for these permission slips because they are due back to your child’s science teacher no later than Friday March 8^th. If a student fails to hand in their signed permission slip, they will not be allowed to attend the field trip.

If your child is scheduled to attend a high school other than Madison, Marshall or Oakton, please reach out to your child’s counselor!

More Info for Rising Freshmen - Fall 2024 Sports Tryouts For those rising freshmen interested in participating in Fall Sports at your high school, please know that tryouts will take place during the first week of August, and practices start right afterwards.  This means, plan your vacations for June and July, just to be safe! Your students will get more information at their respective Activities Fairs on March 15th.  We just wanted to give you a heads up!

Welcome Sun Radia and Navy Federal Credit Union as Thoreau PTA Business Sponsors

We would like to recognize both Sun Radia (http://www.sunradia.com/) and Navy Federal Credit Union (https://www.navyfederal.org/) as our new Thoreau PTA Business Sponsors!  Thank you for your support!

You can link to their businesses by clicking on their logos at the end of this newsletter.

Update to Thoreau PTA Business Sponsorships - Your Support will be extended through 2025! This year, the Thoreau PTA is inviting local businesses to partner with the school to help create a welcoming and accessible community by offering programs, activities, and financial support.  We introduced Business Sponsorships for $250 for the 2023-2024 school year.  We would like to extend these Business Sponsorships through the 2024-2025 school year for the same price.  Now, Thoreau PTA Business Sponsors will be recognized for $250 from Fall 2023 through June 2025! As a TMS PTA Sponsor, businesses can showcase their support to families of more than 1200 students by having their company logo on the PTA website and in the PTA's e-mail newsletters distributed weekly throughout the school year. The Thoreau Middle School PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and 100% of sponsorship proceeds will directly benefit the students and staff of Thoreau Middle School. All donations are tax-deductible and letters for tax purposes will be sent out at the end of the calendar year. Your support matters! Together, we can create a strong and vibrant community that will make a difference in our children’s lives. Thank you for your consideration! Interested?  Click here to join us today in making a difference at Thoreau.

Get your Thoreau Spiritwear! Looking for Thoreau swag?  We have extra spiritwear items that you may purchase right now!  There are hoodies, long/short sleeve t-shirts, sweat pants, flannel pants, baseball caps, and beanies!  This is a great time to stock up! E-mail Nindy Gill (nindygill@gmail.com) for availability and purchase instructions.   Thank you for your support!

Thank you for your support! Thank you to everyone who has joined the PTA and also donated to our No-Fuss Fundraiser!  We are so appreciative of your generosity and support.  Thank you for supporting the PTA and our Thoreau community! It is not too late to join the PTA or contribute to our No-Fuss Fundraiser - see below!

How You Can Get Involved

We appreciate your support and dedication to our students, teachers, staff, and Thoreau community!  Please see below for how you can get involved and help support our Thoreau PTA.

Join the PTA Please consider joining our Thoreau PTA.  Memberships are $15 for one adult and $25 for a family membership for two adults. Anyone can be a member - teachers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.  Memberships are tax-deductible.

Volunteer to help with Events Are you interested in volunteering with the Thoreau PTA?  There are plenty of opportunities to help with staff appreciation events, social events such as Crosstown Hoops, our grade level events, and so much more.  Please fill out this form to let us know!

Support our NO FUSS Fundraiser During the pandemic, many Thoreau PTA events and programs were put on pause.  The budget remained stable despite minimal fundraising.  As a result, the Covid cushion is now almost gone, so please consider donating to our NO-FUSS Fundraiser!   We would appreciate a one-time donation of $50 per family, but are thrilled to receive any and all contributions. Donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of your contribution goes directly back to supporting our Thoreau Middle School students and staff.  Your donations will help the PTA support our community throughout the 2023-2024 school year.  Among other things, our Thoreau PTA: Organizes appreciation events for our teachers and staff regularly, such as pies at Thanksgiving and cookies before Winter Break Coordinates special events such as the 7th Grade Fall Social and 8th Grade End of Year Party Grants financial support to teachers and staff for classroom or program needs

Special Education Resources

Did you know that our PTA website has a page dedicated to Special Education resources?  Please visit our website for more information on offerings in our area. 

Madison High School News

Rising Freshman Information

JMHS Student Services has a Google site for students and families to access more information about Academic Advising, including curriculum overview, graduation requirements, summer school information, Dual Enrollment, and more. 

Use this link to access the Rising Freshman Curriculum Night 2024 slides.  

JMHS Winter Cheer Camp is THIS Saturday Please see the flyer below for more information about MAD Cheer's Winter Cheer Camp THIS Saturday, March 2nd, from 9:00am - 12:00pm for all 2nd - 8th graders! The registration deadline has been extended - don't hesitate to sign up now.

Oakton High School News

Rising Freshman Information

You can find information about Oakton High School classes, explained by our teachers, through our course offerings website. Additional information can be found on our academic advising and course offerings page.  

Please click here for the Curriculum Night Presentation (held on January 3, 2024).  

The Oakton Pantry

The Oakton Pantry is available to any Oakton student or neighbor who is in need. We stock non-perishable food, personal hygiene items, and household supplies. 

For assistance: ohsfood@gmail.com 

Volunteer/Questions: oaktonpantry@gmail.com

Donate via PayPal

Most needed items: website

Amazon Wish List 

Marshall High School News

Rising Freshmen Information

Please visit Marshall High School's Academics page for information about what is offered at Marshall.  

The GCM Boosters Annual Mulch Sale is Open!

Get ready for Spring and support GCM Student Athletes!  The Marshall HS Boosters have started their Annual Mulch Sale.  

The Marshall HS Boosters The mulch sale is open for orders.

Order Here by March 1st!

Mulch will be delivered to your house by student athletes on Saturday, March 9.  The students are also offering a separate service to spread the mulch for any family at $2/bag.  For more information, check out the flyer below.

Thank You Thoreau PTA Business Sponsors

2505 Cedar Lane Vienna, VA 22180  | Main Office: 703-846-8000
Attendance: 703-846-8080 | Web | Twitter