Good evening 8th grade families!  This is Katie Slifkin, assistant principal, with an overview of our 8th grade activities and celebrations. 

Tomorrow, May 16, 2023 all Algebra and Geometry students will take their End of Course exams.  Please ensure these students get plenty of rest and come prepared with a fully charged computer. 

May 18th will be our 8th grade student versus staff kickball game at 3:00pm.  All 8th grade students will be invited to watch in addition to those 8th graders who signed up to play.  On this day we will also hold locker cleanouts in the afternoon which has been changed from May 17th due to overwhelming parent feedback.  May 18th will also be the very last day students may bring backpacks. 

May 19th will be our final exams for all non FAST or EOC courses in periods 6 and 8.  Students will not be permitted to bring backpacks beginning May 19th.  Backpacks will be confiscated beginning May 19.  Students may still bring a water bottle and lunchbox. 

Saturday, May 20th is our 8th grade dance at the Gulfport Casino.  Any student who received a referral since 2/10/23 may not attend.  Also, today is the last day to RSVP and students can do so on the link associated with this callout.  The dance will be from 5pm to 8pm and students will need to be dropped off and picked up on time.  The theme is Hollywood Nights a Red Carpet Affair and the dress code is formal/semiformal.  Only 8th grade Thurgood students are permitted to attend.

RSVP LINK - https://forms.office.com/r/zYcntcTr9m

Thursday, May 25th is the last day of school.  Buses will be running and the school day will end at 2:10pm.  All car riders will need picked up by 2:40pm at the latest. Our 8th graders will receive yearbooks and have a breakfast and yearbook signing in the morning. 

•            8th Grade Parade Timeline - (11:00AM-12:50PM)

8th graders will be dismissed from the cafeteria at 10:55 to line the car circle and await the parade to begin. Ms. Slifkin will provide direction to all students. 

The car circle gate will be opened no later than 11:00am in which cars may begin to drive through the parade.  Parents please decorate your cars and be ready to celebrate our students.  You will be able to loop through the line as many times until 12:50pm when we will promptly end the parade.

We are asking all 8th grade students to wear their pink 8th grade shirt if they have one.

•            Parents who would like to pick students up immediately after the parade will need to park in the main parking lot and sign students out from the front office.  No pickups will begin prior to 12:50pm.  Please be patient with us during this sign out process.