

Big T Weekly
February 21, 2025
A Message From the Principal
Dear Big T Families,
This week certainly brought another roller coaster of weather! We appreciate your understanding and flexibility with our modified arrival and dismissal processes due to the cold. Thankfully, it looks like the warmth of a February thaw is on the way, and we’re all ready for a little more sunshine!
Students are hard at work preparing for their student-led conferences, which will take place on March 4th and 5th. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to share their learning, progress, and goals with you. Be on the lookout for a sign-up from your student's teacher to schedule your conference time.
Thank you for your continued support—we couldn’t do this without our amazing Big T families!
Upcoming Events & Important Dates
📅 March 4-5 – Student-Led Conferences (More details to come from your child’s teacher)
📅 March 6-7 – No School for Students
Warmly,
Sarah Walgast
Principal
RamSmart winners 2-21-25
Time to update your information for next year!
As we continue in the winter season, it’s important that your contact information in the Parent Portal is updated to receive any communications regarding school closures, school delays, or other school emergencies. Please add emergency contacts to your child’s profile also in case you are unable to pick up your child if school is closed early. This resource will help clarify the process to update your Parent Portal:
Staff Luncheon Volunteers Needed
Let's celebrate our incredible staff during Parent/Teacher Conference Week with a special luncheon on March 4th! The PTA is seeking donations of food and beverages, as well as volunteers to help with set-up and clean-up. Your generosity will help to say THANK YOU for all they do! Sign up here.
Unified Basketball Game
Pack the Stands – Unified Basketball Pack the Stands Event - Mountain View HS Unified vs. Loveland First Responders Basketball Game
Join us for a night of basketball and community spirit at Mountain View High School as the MV Unified Basketball Team faces off against the Loveland First Responders.
Date: Wednesday, February 26
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Mountain View High School
Let’s pack the stands and show our support for these incredible athletes. Free pizza for students — bring your friends, cheer on the teams, and be part of this exciting event. We look forward to seeing you there!
Get your 2024-2025 Big T yearbook - orders are open now! These keepsakes allow students and families to reflect on their time at Big T, and reminisce about fun memories, teachers, friends, special moments, and so much more!
Order yours today online now:
https://bit.ly/BuyBigTYearbook24-25
Yearbooks are hardcover for $30. There are personalization options for an additional cost.
Orders are due March 1st, 2025.
KidsPak Food Drive
Eco Bricks
We have some completed eco bricks and some donated materials in the lobby already! We need one thousand so keep up the good work!
What Are Eco-Bricks?
Eco-bricks are plastic bottles tightly packed with clean, non-biodegradable waste to create sturdy building materials. If every Big T family makes five eco-bricks, we’ll meet our goal of 1,000 eco-bricks by May 1st!
Materials Needed to Make Eco-Bricks
Clean and Dry Plastic Bottles: Any size works, but 16-20 oz bottles are ideal.
Non-Biodegradable Plastic Waste:
Plastic wrappers (from snacks, candy, or packaging)
Plastic bags
Straws
Bubble wrap
Plastic film (e.g., bread bags or packaging materials)
Styrofoam pieces (cut into smaller pieces if needed)
A Stick or Rod: To compact the materials tightly into the bottle (e.g., a wooden dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon).
How to Make an Eco-Brick
Start with a clean, dry plastic bottle.
Fill the bottle with non-biodegradable plastic waste, ensuring each piece is clean and dry.
Use a stick or rod to tightly compress the waste into the bottle. The tighter the packing, the stronger the eco-brick.
Continue filling and compressing until the bottle is completely full and dense (it should feel rigid and not easily squeezed).
Seal the bottle with its original cap.
Collection bins for completed eco-bricks and/or materials to make the eco-bricks will soon be available at the main entrances of the building. Thank you for helping us make a difference and supporting our sustainability efforts at Big T!
There will be a fundraising night at Pelican Jo's Pizza on March 5th. They have locations in Loveland, Milliken, and Windsor and will be donating 25% of sales back to the Y. I would be so grateful if you all could share with your families. The YMCA of Northern Colorado has started our biggest fundraiser of the year, the Community Support Campaign. All funds raised at this event and from now until the end of March go back into the community to help families and children participate in our programs. Site directors will also have fun things happening at each site to raise money.
Schools on the Move Challenge
Healthy Kids 5210 Challenge is a one month program (sponsored by Healthy Kids Club, UC Health) to encourage students, teachers, school staff and families to learn and practice healthy habits.
Research shows that doing something for 18 days or more can form a habit.
From: February 1-28
For: Students, Staff, and Families
Why
Research shows that good nutrition, plenty of sleep, and daily activity leads to better concentration, increased attention, improved memory, better moods, less fatigue and improved brain function.
HEALTHY KIDS LEARN BETTER!
Join the Challenge – practice healthy habits AND GET a FREE T-SHIRT!!
SCHOOL CHALLENGE – Students will fill out the yellow log
FAMILY CHALLENGE – Fill out the blue or white family log
Logs must be entered online by Wednesday March 5. If you would like to have your challenge log entered by a staff member, please send it to school by Tuesday, March 4 They will not take late submissions.
Thank you,
Deb Luithly
PE Teacher
Extra student calendars in Big T front office. Link to extra Family logs.
We had a great response to our Elementary Spin and Dance Camp last year so we are doing it again! This camp will be a short introduction to the unique activity that is colorguard/winterguard. Students will be introduced to dance and flag choreography. This is open to any TSD or local charter students. The camp will be taught by our amazing Director of Guards, Mrs. Katelyn Kellogg, her staff, and some select high school colorguard students.
The camp will be happening March 10th-11th at Lincoln Elementary (thank you Principal Stotter) and March 12th at Loveland HS where the camp students will get to perform as part of our Winter Ensembles showcase. After they perform, they'll get to see the "big kids" doing the same activity which I'm sure will be a highlight for them and their families. This performance will be free of charge, donations to the LHS Bands program accepted but not expected.
Here is the link to registration
The cost of the camp is $35 and includes, t-shirt, pizza dinner, and instruction. We tried to make it very affordable, but we can also offer financial assistance to any families that need it. We want to be fully inclusive. We know that most families and students don't know what colorguard is and we are hoping to change that. It's a really fun activity and they can participate in middle school and high school groups as they get older no matter what school they attend.
Messages From The Office
* When your student is absent it is a good idea to reach out to their teacher to get work to do at home. However, still call the attendance line or email the office to excuse the absence. Teachers are busy and may not have time to let the office know that the absence was excused through them.
You can now excuse the absence through the parent portal if that is more convenient for you.
* If your student is absent due to an appointment, please get a medical note from the clinic and send it to the front office. Medical appointments with a note are the only absences the state of Colorado considers as excused for their count purposes.
* Remember, if you need to change how your student normally goes home please call or email the office before 2:30 PM. Stacey.faykosh@tsd.org or 970-613-5600
* Please remember that toys are to remain at home. They can be a distraction in the classroom and there are tears if the toy disappears.
**Small lost and found items are usually kept at the office.
100 Mile Club
Here is the link to see the club stats: https://chelsiwoodcoxphotography.my.canva.site/big-thompson-running-club
Healthy Kids Club Monthly Newsletter
Upcoming Dates
March 4th - 4th Grade to FACE concert
March 4 - 5 - Parent/Teacher conferences
March 6 and 7 - No School
March 17 - 21 - No School - Spring Break
March 25 - PTA Meeting 5:30 - 7:00
March 27 - STEM Night 5:30 - 7:30
Email: info.bigt@thompsonschools.org
Website: https://www.thompsonschools.org/BigThompson
Location: 7702 W Hwy 34, Loveland, CO, USA
Phone: 970-613-5600
Facebook: facebook.com/BigThompsonElementarySchoolofNatureandStem
Immunization Letter for 2025-2026 School Year
Preschool for 2025-2026
Preschool for 2025-2026
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, 2025, 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.
School Year District Fees
School year District Fees have been added to your student's account. See the link below for how to pay online. You can also bring cash or check to the front office. If you bring cash, please bring the exact amount as we do not have change.
Number to call for school weather closures
School Closure Line
Linea de Cierre Escolar
(970) 613-6788
Pokemon Cards
NOCO Emergency Alert
Hi Principals! Larimer County Fire Departments have asked us to share this information. Please be sure to pass this information out to your families. This emergency alert will alert those who sign up for it with emergency notifications from Larimer county. Please text NOCOALERT to 888777.