The Coyote Howler

Dear CRES Community,

With just two weeks left in the school year, there is a lot going on in a short amount of time. Exhibition was a big success, with our 5th graders presenting to students, parents and district leaders about the research they've done, the things they've learned, and the action they have taken. Exhibition is the culminating experience of students in the IB Primary Years Program, The students did a great job and we're all very proud of them!

A big THANK YOU to you for everything you did during Teacher Appreciation Week -- you really spoiled us and we appreciate it!

We have many students participating in the TSD Summer Scholars program this summer. If your student is participating s/he will need to bring their Chromebook (and charger) home over the summer,, but they can not do that until you complete the new Responsible Use Policy. Please read the information below about how to do that. It needs to be completed before the last day of school.

Friday, May 24th is the last day of school and it is a half-day, with dismissal and bus service at 11:10am. Breakfast will be served, but lunch will not be served on that day.

Best,

Deon Davis, Principal

If your student will be in summer school this year, or, if they are a 5th grader who will be attending Lucille Erwin MS next year, you must read this document and complete the Responsible Use Policy (in bold, below) before the last day of school.

Dear Families of Students in Summer Programming and Incoming LEMS 6th-Graders,

Welcome to Summer Scholars and Summer Programming. We are excited to have your student join us for a summer filled with learning and growth. To ensure a seamless experience, here’s what you need to know about the digital aspect of our programs.

1. Chromebook & Power Cord Distribution:

Your student will be issued their Tech4All Chromebook or iPad, and power cord (at Elem level only) on the last day of the school year. This device is essential for accessing our learning tools over the summer, including SORA, BrainPop, and iReady and Lexia lessons.

2. Guidance and Resources:

As a guardian, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with resources from Securly (chromebook and iPad tool), Jamf (iPad only tool), and Common Sense Media to set healthy tech use guidelines at home. Resources like The Smart Talk or Family Tech Planners can also be helpful.

3. Responsible Use Policy (RUP):

Before your Chromebook or iPad can go home, families are required to acknowledge our Responsible Use Policy in Infinite Campus. Instructions are available in our HowTo guide.

4. Continuing Education After Summer Scholars & Programming

After summer programming, we encourage your student(s) to keep learning. Our Summer Activities Guide offers a variety of fun and educational activities. Tell us about your learning and you could even win a prize!

Tech Support:
If your student has any technical problems with their TSD device, our HelpDesk is here for you! Call 970-613-7777, Monday through Thursday 8:00am-4:00pm. Check out some Quick tips and tricks for Chromebooks to set you up for success.

Optional Insurance Offering:

To protect against potential damage, we’re offering optional insurance for Chromebooks. Sign up by May 24th, for coverage until Aug 2025. See this link for more information.

Device Return:

Please ensure your student brings their Tech4All device with them on their first day of the new school year.

We are looking forward to a fantastic summer of learning. Thank you for your cooperation and support in making this a productive learning season for your students. We trust you to take care of your device and continue to learn during the summer.

Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals, I.T.S. and Learning Services

Lost & Found is full! All items will be donated after the last day of school, May 24th. Several “expensive” items are in the office; call or come in to identify.

We are so happy for these two wonderful humans who will be retiring at the end of the year. Thank you so much your fabulous years of service and support for the CRES community. You are wonderful and we are going to miss you so much!

Olympic FIELD DAY Logistics

Friday, May 17

Morning stations from 8:15 - 11:00 am

Lunch (regular times)

Afternoon stations from 1:00-2:00 pm

5th grade vs Teachers Kickball 2:15-2:45

Parents are welcome to come and watch the fun!

Thank you to our parent volunteers who will be helping out!

Questions? Contact deborah.luithly@tsd.org

Thank you for participating in the surveys this year. I take your feedback seriously and, to paraphrase Maya Angelou, we can't "do better" if we don't "know better."

As a leader, I am fortunate to have lots of opportunities to receive feedback from the CRES community, both inside and outside of the actual school building. In the interest of transparency, I am including both internal and external survey results.

I downloaded the reports as PDFs and linked them below. The PDFs aren't as easy to read as the bottom link, but the teacher and staff Panorama responses are not available online, as the TLCC survey is. Please note that, in the PDFs, the comparison percentages are on the right side of the page.

Panorama Leader Relationships -- Teacher Responses

Panorama Leader Relationships -- Staff Responses

Panorama Survey -- TLCC (Teaching and Learning Conditions in Colorado)

Statewide TLCC Survey Data are public for all schools and can be viewed/compared on that site.

Summer is an exciting time for students (and teachers). The shift from structured days and weeks of school to a somewhat less structured environment can be somewhat disorienting for many students. This article from Edutopia and this one from Seattle Children's Hospital offer valuable insights into the why and how of setting students up for success this summer.

TSD has created the Summer CLAMPS website which gives information about activities that students can participate in.

It's not too late to order a yearbook! If you missed the deadline to order a book for arrival before the end of the school year, don't worry: You can still purchase a yearbook online any time (including your two FREE custom pages) and your book will be sent to your home address for a small additional shipping fee.

Click to learn more about YMCA Summer Camp!

Annual Family Check-In (AFC)

Once again it is time for families to review their Annual Family Check-In (AFC) information. It is important to complete this step as we start gearing up for the next school year.

The Annual Family Check-In is required for ALL current students in Thompson School District. Families are required to have a parent or guardian in the student’s current primary household review and sign permission forms and update (if needed) the student’s household information, emergency contacts, and health information.

Annual Family Check-In is located in the Parent Portal Account. For assistance, please contact Portal@TSD.org.

We will need new PTO officers for the next school year. These positions may include the president, secretary, treasurer, and volunteer coordinator. Please contact Deon Davis (deon.davis@tsd.org) or Caitlin Miskelly (gustafa03@gmail.com) for more information!

Are you interested in your child being ready for kindergarten? The Thompson School District's Integrated Early Childhood Program provides quality preschool experiences for three and four year olds at 15 different sites around the Loveland and Berthoud area. If your child will be 3 or 4 years old by October 1, 2024, your child may be eligible to participate in the Thompson School District's Early Childhood Program. We ask all interested families to complete our Preschool Interest Form available on our preschool website. If you have any questions about our program, please call 970-613-5052.

We have created this CRES Year at a Glance (Updated link 2/24)document to help parents know what to expect. This is our first time creating such a document, and it's a bit of a work in progress, and we're definitely working on it. Some of these dates are still TBD because we need input from PTO or other groups. We will update and share this as we get more information.

Parents, a few reminders:

The Attendance Line is 970-679-9490. Please leave details in your message concerning why your student is out that day, including illness symptoms.

Cutoff time to order Hot (#1) Lunch is 9:30 am. If your student will be late due to an appointment, call the office by 9:25 to notify the cafeteria.

Email: deon.davis@tsd.org
Website: https://www.thompsonschools.org/coyoteridge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoyoteRidgeIBWorld

PTO asked that we share CRES staff favorites, so here you go!

Parents and guardians, thank you for reading this document regarding the CRES Mobile Phone and Communication Device Procedure

The short version:

Students and families should only use the crosswalk(s) south of the school parking lot. The crosswalk north of the parking lot will not be supervised, and should not be used.

The backstory:

Parents, this is an important change to our safety procedures for students who walk to and from school. There are three crosswalks near the school on Avondale. One is north of the school parking lot and two (perpendicular to each other) are south of the parking lot.

As our neighborhood has aged and we have been able to accept more choice students, we have fewer walkers than in previous years who use these crosswalks. Student safety is a vital concern and we want to ensure that there is always an adult crossing guard, but we have had an increasingly difficult time finding enough staff and volunteers to serve as crossing guards at the north and south crosswalks each morning and afternoon.

Our solution is simple. We are asking our students and parents to use only the south crosswalks when walking to/from CRES and to NOT use the north crosswalk, which will not be supervised. This presents no real inconvenience to walkers since students and families need to enter and exit the playground area from the south end of the school, near the garden, anyway. This change will also reduce the number of students crossing the driveways into the parking lot -- another hazard to pedestrians.

If you live on the east side of the school and your children will be walking, please instruct them to use the south crosswalks. We will have staff out there at the start of the year to redirect crossers to the south crosswalk. Thank you for helping us to keep all students and families safe!

The security upgrades completed this summer include a second set of security doors in the office area. This will allow visitors to enter the office area while still keeping the rest of the campus secure. You can still interact with the office staff through a transaction window. Volunteers and other visitors who have business in the school will be "buzzed in" through the second set of doors. If you are one of our awesome volunteers or presenters, it is very important that you do not hold the door or grant access to the school to anyone that has not been specifically cleared by the office staff.

We will be continuing this year to partner with and ask for your support in ensuring that your child is in school each day. You did a great job last year and our chronic absenteeism rate fell, but I know we can still improve on it.

The unfortunate reality is that, although we try, there is no way to actually "make up" the learning that is missed when a student is absent, whether that is due to illness, appointments, or other reasons.

Students that miss just two days per month are considered to be chronically absent and at risk for academic and social difficulties.

Students are in school for 170 days per year. This means that there are 195 days each year that they are not in school. Thank you for reviewing the district calendar and planning trips and outings during non-school times. Thank you!

While TSD has had a long-standing contract with Loveland PD regarding a School Resource Officer (SRO) program, we have never had an actual SRO at CRES because we are in the city of Fort Collins. I am very pleased to be able to share that we now do have an SRO, contracted through the Larimer County Sheriff's Department. This will provide enhanced cooperation as well as more frequent patrolling of our school community.

Please be aware that we will be asking all visitors to show ID to the camera before being admitted to the building. While this is not an entirely new practice, the biggest difference is that we will require it for all parents, even those that we recognize, so thank you for understanding the necessity of this practice and bringing your ID with you to the door. We continue to welcome our volunteers and awesome parent community in the building, we just need to do everything we reasonably can to ensure controlled access to our school.

Parents, please help us to keep classes calm and students healthy by not sending or bringing sweet treats for students' birthdays. If you would like to commemorate your child's birthday, it is best to coordinate with your child's teacher to send in a small toy/item/trinket that the student can distribute at the end of the day.

The TSD VITAL program encourages parents and community members to share their time and knowledge with Thompson students by becoming authorized volunteers. We welcome and appreciate your involvement. If you are new to volunteering in the Thompson School District, please register at https://www.thompsonschools.org/volunteer.

We will be sharing more information about volunteering at CRES soon.

Please note: Even if your only volunteer activity is to attend a spring field trip, you must complete this process. Toward the end of the year, they close this window and we'd hate for you to miss the trip because you hadn't signed up in time.

Have you ever had concerns that your child lacks patience, seems easily distractable, or has difficulty getting along with others? Perhaps s/he struggles with multi-step directions or tends to have very "black and white thinking?" Would you believe that you can help your child develop and grow these important skills in a way that is actually fun for all involved? Well, believe it!

The traits described above may indicate that your child would benefit from practice in developing her/his executive function skills.

"Executive function and self-regulation skills are like an air traffic control system in the brain—they help us manage information, make decisions, and plan ahead. We need these skills at every stage of life, and while no one is born with them, we are all born with the potential to develop them."

A really great way you can help your child build these important skills is by simply playing board games! It could be a family game night or just the two of you, but board games teach important skills, including: taking turns, perseverance, dealing with setbacks and frustration, fair play, communication, and so much more. Importantly, it is much better with actual games rather than computer-based games.

Talk about a win-win situation -- your child develops skills while all of you have a fun time playing games!

If you would like to learn more about executive functioning and how you can help your child develop these important skills that will have a life-long impact on her/him, see this link to Harvard University's website about it.

Those new to CRES may not realize that one of our students was tragically struck and killed by a distracted driver several years ago. Please do your part by staying off your phone, keeping your eyes up, driving slowly and responsibly in the kiss and go lane and on Avondale -- even after you drop off your own child -- and by not parking in or blocking the crosswalks. Thank you!

A few years back one of our 5th-grade Exhibition groups selected Safety/Distracted Driving as their topic, and they created this video as part of it. It's only three minutes long. It may save a life. Even if you read nothing else in this update, please watch this.

Erica’s Law

We the students of Coyote Ridge Elementary School

hereby proclaim that any person riding anything with

wheels (besides a car, bus, plane, or train)

must wear a helmet and follow the safety guidelines

of the road

AT ALL TIMES!

This rule will be called Erica’s Law,

in memory of a dear friend we lost.

Please help us keep our students safe by driving slowly around the school and please do not text and drive. If dropping students on Avondale, please be sure that they use the crosswalks.

We had a few close calls last year, and I know we can do better. Please help us to keep all students and staff safe by observing these safety protocols.

If you are parking in the lot and walking your student around, please use the kiss-and-go crosswalk which is near the office.

Please note that the kiss-and-go crosswalk is not monitored. Therefore adults must walk their child across, in either direction. Please do not drop your child off in the parking lot and send them on their own to cross. There are two lanes of traffic in the kiss-and-go lane and it is very difficult to see children crossing.

Also, please instruct your children to use the crosswalks in Avondale and not run across the street elsewhere.

Coyote Ridge is an International Baccalaureate (IB) School. The Thompson School District (TSD) offers 3 IB programs for students ages 3-19.

• The Primary Years Programme* (PYP) for children ages 3-12

• The Middle Years Programme* (MYP) for children ages 11-16

• The Diploma Programme* (DP) for children ages 16-19

Coyote Ridge implements the Primary Years Programme*, or the PYP.

See graphic below for more information about the IB programmes in TSD.

The aim of all IB World Schools is to create a more peaceful world through education. Students at IB World Schools receive a unique, challenging, and diverse educational experience.

IB learners:

• are encouraged to think critically and solve complex problems

• drive their own learning

• are more culturally aware through the development of a second language

• engage with people in an increasingly globalized, rapidly changing world

There are approximately 2,000 public, private, and international PYP schools across the globe. Coyote Ridge is a member of a wider network of IB World Schools around the world, and in our Rocky Mountain region.

Want to learn more? Stay tuned! Each edition of the Howler will include information about the IB program at Coyote Ridge. If you have questions about the program, feel free to contact PYP coordinator Jennifer Bozic at jennifer.bozic@tsd.org.

We partner with the YMCA of northern Colorado to provide on-site afterschool care.

YMCA REGISTRATION LINK

If you find yourself wondering, "...where did I see that?" check out the archive! This archive contains newsletters from last year and this year.