November 11, 2022

Dear Parents,

Fall is finally here! (Although, I wouldn't mind a few more 70 degree weather days.) With fall also comes the flu as well as increased COVID and RSV infections. If your child is COVID free but has symptoms of a cold - we encourage them to wear a mask to keep our absences to a minimum. 

Lost and Found
We have quite a few items that were not picked up from our lost and found during Fall Fest. If your child is missing any lunchboxes, or articles of clothing - please let Mr. Serbia know at the security desk when you pick up or drop off your child.

Parent Teacher Conferences 11/21/2022 
On Monday 11/21 we will have in-person and virtual conferences during normal school hours 7:30AM - 2:30PM. Many of you have already made arrangements with your child's teacher, but we would love to give you an opportunity to connect on other days as well. We have made it a goal to speak with every parent with good news at least once this year. If you have not had a personal conversation with your child's teacher(s) this year, please let us know on this Conference Request Form.

Communication and 1st Quarter Survey
Each year at Thorp we try to be better than the last. Please help us measure our progress by filling out the 1st quarter survey by the end of the week. We have had about 50 families already fill it out, but we have over 600 families at Thorp. Our LSC CIWP committee will be using these surveys to help prioritize improvements at our school. 

Each week we highlight a member of Thorp's faculty and staff. (Please make sure you read the entire Friday Letter to find out who we're highlighting this week).  Also, remember to vote for October's Teacher of the Month here. The voting will be open until November 13th.

Thank you to our Student Council for an amazing Spirit Week last week. Here are some pictures:

Thank you and have a fantastic week!

Efren Toledo
Principal
 

Parents,

Each week, we will be highlighting different teachers. This week we would like to showcase our 7th and 8th grade Science Teacher - Mr. Mackie.  Please vote for October's Teacher of the Month here. The voting will be open until November 13th.


Mr. Mackie was recently honored as a Museum of Science and Industry Distinguished Teacher.  (Ms. Colvin was also honored as an MSI Distinguished Teacher in 2018). 

Greetings. My name is Tom Mackie. I am the 7th and 8th-grade science teacher. I am so thrilled to be back at Thorp and I hope you are too. I was born in Chicago but grew up in NJ. I have a BS degree in Environmental Science and a BA degree in Education. I have acted in movies as a child, practiced and taught massage therapy, and worked at Colgate-Palmolive formulating toothpaste. I have had many occupations throughout my career, but I feel as though I have found my niche in teaching middle school science. I have a beautiful wife, a sweet baby girl, and three dogs: Millie, Merlin, & Gracie. Our baby girl, Philomena, is the apple of my eye. When I am not reading or doing something "sciencey", I love to cook, antique, and follow the Chicago Bears. I am excited to bring my love of science to all the students I meet.
 

Questions or Feedback?