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Dear Thornton Creek Elementary families and caregivers,

As we complete the "first 6 weeks" of the school year and the weather turns from warm to chilly, glimpses into our incredible community here at Thornton Creek Elementary continue to warm our hearts. Parents are back to volunteering in the classrooms, students are spending quality time with their "buddies," volunteers are helping to landscape our gardens, families are gathering for weekend play dates, and pods of kids and grown-ups linger on the playground after school, delighting in budding friendships. We're feeling very grateful for these signs of a more normal school experience.

At the heart of our warm, supportive community is our school's commitment to each student's well-being: academically, socially and emotionally. Option schools like Thornton Creek require additional support to provide this level of exceptional learning; the resources deployed for teacher professional development, academic support (e.g. tutors and reading interventionist), supplemental specialist instruction beyond what the district provides (e.g. art, music, library), and our reinvigorated commitment to Expeditionary Learning are made possible in part with contributions from our generous community. Simply put, Thornton Creek won't be the school it is without your help and support.

Each fall, the Thornton Creek Parent Group sponsors our Annual Appeal fundraiser to solicit and replenish these much relied upon funds. Today, we ask for your support. This year, we aim to raise $175,000 with 100% participation in support of TC. We need you to help us get there so Thornton Creek can deliver on its mission to engage students in academically rigorous exploration and discovery through expeditionary learning. Please consider donating today. An average gift of $425 per student would allow us to reach our goal. But ultimately, we measure our success through participation - we ask that every family gives an amount that is meaningful to them. You can make a difference. You can make an impact.

With immense gratitude,

Sterling Maximo, TC Parent Group Fundraising Chair

Erin MacDougall, TC Parent Group Chair

Inspired by the Expeditionary Learning model, we’ve decided to make our own mini expedition to become experts on TC’s mascot, the DRAGONFLY.

Did you know there is one kind of dragonfly called the Globe Skimmer that travels 11,000 miles on its migration back and forth across the Indian Ocean?! Quite the impressive migration route! We hope every family joins us in our expedition. Our Dragonfly Corner is meant to be a place for every family to have fun and learn about this extraordinary insect. Join us!

Every special edition newsletter will feature a Dragonfly Corner where we get to learn more about these inspiring insects through fun activities. We encourage you to get the whole family involved and please share any pictures of any learning and artwork with us! 

Today we will learn about one kind of dragonfly called the Globe Skimmer. We have named our Dragonfly Skimmy, and are using part of its migration route to help us track our Annual Appeal progress. So what is so special about Skimmy?

Globe Skimmer Dragonfly - Pantala flavescens

Tax ID Number: 501-C- 91-1037596