TSD News & Notes
March 10, 2021
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Educational Equity Update
In June 2020, the Thompson School District Board of Education unanimously approved the ADB Educational Equity Policy. The policy describes the creation of an Educational Equity Framework and a Five-Year Strategic Implementation Plan to begin to map out a comprehensive approach to addressing equity.
Students and community members have been working over the past three months to share identified needs and aspirations to guide the strategies we choose. Educators will continue giving us input and feedback over the next few months, too. Please contact Dr. María Gabriel, Director of Language, Culture and Equity at maria.gabriel@thompsonschools.org with any questions you may have.
SAVE the DATES!
Get a Move On!
With spring not far away, parents/guardians have a great excuse to help get their kids moving! Everyone knows that moderate regular physical activity can improve physical health, but not everyone knows it can also improve social, emotional and mental health as well. As the impacts of COVID-19 continue, supporting children in this area is critical.
Check out these articles for the "how" and "why" of encouraging your kids to get a move on!
How and Why to Get Children Moving Now from the American Psychiatric Association
How Can I Help My Child Be More Physically Active? from the American Heart Association
TSD FAMILY CENTER
Updated Quarantine Guidance
Thompson School District has worked in collaboration with the local health department to determine that all quarantines for TSD students and staff will last a minimum of 10 days before a return to school and cannot be shortened by a negative COVID-19 test result.
Quarantine is staying home from work, school and/or activities after a person was in close contact with someone with COVID-19 or someone with symptoms of COVID-19 but testing either will not be done or is pending.
Quarantine begins after the last day of close contact with someone with COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19. Colorado recently updated their guidance to include options for shortening the length of quarantine. Prior to this change, all quarantines were set at 14 days.
The decision to require a 10-day quarantine period is based on the number of persons who will go on to develop COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms on or after day seven and the increased risk this would pose to students and staff. Those receiving health department quarantine letters will see that the seven-day return with a negative test option is included with the 10-day and 14-day options. That option is not currently available to TSD staff and students, though it may be used for early release to other non-school settings.
Home Symptom Screening Alert:
As Spring approaches and staff and students begin to experience usual symptoms like runny or congested noses or coughing, be aware that the home symptom screening does not exclude staff or students from school or work if they are experiencing their usual symptoms. However, if symptoms are new or usual symptoms are more severe or accompanied by symptoms of illness such as low-grade temperatures or fever, sore throat or fatigue, please visit our free COVID-19 testing site on Mondays and Fridays from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. at Ray Patterson Stadium or at the TSD administration building on Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to be sure that your symptoms are not in fact COVID-19 symptoms. You can access testing using this link or the QR code below and the pin code: TSDRAPIDTEST20Enter TODAY! - "Thompson Kids Can Change the World" Contest
- $250 to implement the idea
- assistance in connecting to a business to help
- a feature story about the winner and their idea
To learn more, please visit: www.thompsonschools.org/ChangeTheWorld
The Loveland City Council Needs Your Input on Youth Tobacco Use and Access
Based on the utilization rates and associated public health impacts of flavored tobacco products by our youth, the Loveland City Council needs your feedback! At the April 20th City Council meeting, proposed legislation will be considered one last time before becoming a law. If adopted, the local law would ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products within city limits. A ban would limit access for both youth and adults, preventing the sale of flavored tobacco at gas stations, convenience stores, tobacco shops, grocery stores and other retail locations in Loveland.
In an effort to understand how tobacco use has adversely impacted youth and their families, the City Council wants to hear from you! There are three ways to engage and provide your feedback before March 26, 2021:
Youth Survey (under 18-years)
If you are a youth member of Loveland’s community, use this link to a 10-minute survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KDJL62Q
Adult Survey (over 18-years)
If you are an adult member of Loveland’s community and either have or had a child, children or family member adversely affected by the use of tobacco/vaping, follow this link to take a 10-minute survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F7QLFHP
Remote Roundtable Discussion
Loveland community members who have been adversely impacted by tobacco use are invited to engage on the proposed tobacco regulation at an evening roundtable discussion through Zoom. Follow the link below to register:
https://www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org/events/event-registration-forms/tobacco-discussions
Questions about the surveys and/or roundtable process can be directed to Amber Greene at 970-962-2797 or Amber.Greene@cityofloveland.org.
IDEAS TO SUPPORT READING OVER SPRING BREAK … AND ALL THE TIME!
- Read aloud with your child. Find a comfortable spot where the two of you can read together every day for about 30 minutes. Take turns reading chapters from a book for pleasure or read books that are above her reading level but are about things that interest her.
- Encourage all reading. Comic books and magazines can provide a good reading experience as long as they are age-appropriate and don't discourage your child’s interest. But keep a stock of high-quality books in your home so there are other options easily available.
- Keep a dictionary handy. Together, look up words your child doesn't know and invest in a dictionary your child can use. (Your phone works great for this!)
- Use informative books. Encourage reading for information. If your child has a science report, help find books for needed research rather than only going to the Web. While the Internet is an easy resource, teach your child that books are often more detailed.
- Discuss the books. Ask your child what an author's main theme is, how characters are alike or different, what your child likes or dislikes about the story and how it compares to other books they know. Share your own thoughts.
- Expect plateaus. Following some big leaps in reading progress, your child may stay at the same reading level for several months. Keep encouraging and offering praise.
- Set a good example. Read for your own pleasure and information every day at home in a room without television.
2020-21 State Assessment Testing Information
State assessment administration season is scheduled to resume in the coming months as required by state and federal law. School districts across the State of Colorado will be administering state tests, including Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS), PSAT and SAT.
These assessments form a baseline for benchmarking student learning against state expectations and assist teachers and administrators in knowing how individual students are progressing over time. Scores on tests contribute to a body of evidence for identifying individualized supports needed for each student. Results are used by schools and administrators to inform program, school and district improvement. In addition, the data will support the evaluation of our educational efforts to provide staff with information that will be used to adjust our opportunities across all of our student groups.
For a general schedule of these assessments in Thompson School District, including the grades affected, please click here. This additional link provides information about Colorado state assessments. Here in Thompson School District, our amazing staff members are dedicated to making sure that each student is able to succeed and is prepared for the future. That, first and foremost, is our focus.
TSD Student ID Numbers Provide Access to Many Library Services
Announcing the Inaugural Colorado Virtual Career Fair for Youth!
Date: April 19-22, 2021
Time: 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. each evening (4-5 p.m. Career Panel, 5-6 p.m. Career Panel & 6-6:30 p.m. Special Topic Presentation)
Format: via Zoom
Cost: FREE
This explorative & informative fair for youth will feature career panels representing a wide variety of industries throughout the state. REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for youth attendees, parents, educators and potential career panelists via the website: www.youthcareerfair.org.
The Colorado Virtual Career Fair is a collaboration between the Colorado State Youth Council, Colorado Workforce Development Council, Colorado Association of Career & Technical Education, other Colorado professional education agencies and organizations and many Colorado school districts.
The fair is designed to facilitate access and awareness of career path opportunities to students who may or may not have been able to access the options before. Beyond geographic location, beyond zip code, beyond regional location and beyond school district - students and families, youth and individuals of any age or grade level are welcome to attend.
Panelists will represent diversity of backgrounds, ethnicities and races and are intentionally recruited to help our students "see themselves" in that future career.
If you are interested or know of others (think of your own friend, family and contacts) who would be a perfect fit, please see the attached Panelist Flier AND extend the "application" here: https://forms.gle/6Gf1mFtZ1N64jvfm8
Equity and mental health within our youth communities is an investment the design committee wanted to focus on and the attendee registration form reflects this.
- Educator/Adult/Family Registration form: https://forms.gle/dmFeLaFnG41YqWHy8
- Youth Registration form: https://forms.gle/Ud9BMuHqtCcfg7GB6
- See the attached fliers!
- Visit: www.youthcareerfair.org
Follow us on Social Media!
Via Twitter: @career_youth
Also, hashtags to follow: #OwnMyFuture, #YouthCareerFair, and #ColoradoYouth.
Looking forward to "seeing" you and your students and families there!
If any questions arise, please contact: admin@youthcareerfair.org