Dear Thompson Community: I hope you are having a terrific early fall season! Our 2024-2025 calendar is moving at full speed and we are looking forward to yet another successful school year for our students and families. The first new days of a school year are filled with back-to-school events as well as other activities for students to get to know their teachers and staff. On the district side, it is also a time for us to reflect on our successes as we fine tune our educational plans for the new year and beyond. The Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) program is the formal mechanism that the State of Colorado uses to evaluate student and district achievement. Completed each spring, the CMAS assessments are critical tools to not only gauge the instruction that students are experiencing, but to also highlight building-wide and district-wide successes. Assessment results are released in August each year, providing districts with the ability to make adjustments and create student opportunities for the upcoming year. We are pleased to announce that Thompson School District is celebrating its highest rating since 2016 on the Colorado District Performance Framework, which was when the state began using this tool to rate school districts. TSD achieved many gains in student growth and achievement across the district, with four district schools receiving a performance rating at or above 74 points – some of the highest ratings for schools in the state. Additionally, the number of schools receiving the highly desirable rating of Performance increased this year to twenty-four schools, up from nineteen last year. Every TSD high school demonstrated a solid rating on Performance, with PSAT and SAT scores exceeding the state in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade English Language Arts and 10th grade Math. Our 2023 graduation rate reached an all-time high of 91.1% and we also experienced improvements in attendance and matriculation data. Elementary and middle school students saw gains in mathematics, with academic growth surpassing last year's levels, and overall average scores also increased district wide, with notable gains in 3rd, 6th, and 8th grades. English Language Arts scores increased in both growth and achievement, with averages increasing in 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. TSD is especially grateful for the staff, students, families and community members who have worked hard to support the recuperation of learning loss caused by the pandemic. Our school district continues to make strong academic gains through high quality teaching and learning in our classrooms. You may be wondering what the long-term significance is for all of these results that I’ve shared. Ultimately, it means that our district has been able to establish a strong foundation that allows us to celebrate and continue our successes, while also focusing our efforts on growth opportunities in key areas across TSD. Our staff members are fully dedicated to providing the best possible education to each student in Thompson School District. And with your support, we are confident that we will achieve the goals we have established. We look forward to continuing to strive for excellence this year and beyond! Sincerely, Dr. Marc Schaffer Superintendent Thompson School District
September marks Suicide Prevention Month. Create hope in your family and your community by educating yourself about suicide prevention. Learn the warning signs and risk factors for suicide, how to support someone considering suicide, and familiarize yourself with the 988Lifeline.
Learn more at samhsa.gov/suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. For additional mental health resources, please reach out to your school counselor or social worker.
Resources:
Promote National Suicide Prevention Month
Are you an adult or student member of the TSD community who is interested in learning about how TSD addresses equity, diversity, and inclusion? If so, sign-up to join the TSD Educational Equity Council (TEEC)! We will host quarterly meetings this school year to increase knowledge of the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) work throughout TSD.
We are seeking broad and diverse community participation to help us move our work forward in alignment with the TSD Strategic Plan and TSD Board Policies related to Educational Equity (Policy ADB), Equal Educational Opportunities (Policy JB), and Non-Discrimination/Equal Opportunity (Policy AC).
The first meeting of the Thompson Educational Equity Council (TEEC) will take place October 24 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. If you or your TSD student are interested in attending, please complete the sign-up form. We will have pizza!
Nights with the Colorado Avalanche
Thompson School District's Nights with the Colorado Avalanche returns in 2025 with two exciting winter games, both benefiting Thompson Education Foundation:
- Wednesday, January 22, 7:30pm vs. Winnipeg Jets
- Friday, February 28, 7pm vs. Minnesota Wild
Get your tickets here:
https://avalanche.ksetickets.com/ThompsonSchoolDistrict
Moonlighting Teachers
Laugh along as "Moonlighting Teachers" poke good-natured fun at just about every facet of the world of education. This is a hilarious, fast-moving show that appeals to anyone who has ever attended school - or worked in one. All three shows benefit Thompson Education Foundation. Get tickets here: https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/15973/rialto-theater
TEF GIVE35 Fundraising Campaign
For 35 years, TEF has served students and educators in Thompson School District with over 70 programs, activities and scholarships benefiting students in Loveland, Berthoud, south Fort Collins and outlying communities. We’ve set a lofty goal to celebrate our 35 years of service to TSD: Raise $35,000 to support the many programs that provide exceptional educational experiences for students and teachers in TSD.
YOU CAN HELP! If 1,000 of our donors give just $35 this year, we will reach our goal!
GIVE TODAY: https://www.thompsontef.org/donate and see your name on TEF's GIVE35 Leaderboard.
During periods of inclement weather, Thompson School District is occasionally faced with the difficult decision on whether or not to close schools. You can find more information about these policies and how these announcements are communicated here:
https://www.tsd.org/departments/communications/school-closing-delayed-start
If you think back to when you were a child or teenager, sleep probably wasn’t high on your priority list. Your evenings were likely spent sneaking in more TV time, chatting with friends or making more time for hobbies like music and video games.
But just as making sure your kids have the right school supplies, getting them back on a sleep schedule is the foundation for a successful school year. Sleep is a key part of their physical and mental health and can lead to better attention and performance in school, as well as emotional regulation and greater impulse control.
While the number of hours of sleep your kids need will change with age, an easy way to get them back on a sleep schedule is to get them to bed at the same time every night. If that sounds easier said than done, check out the national PTA's six tips to make bedtime more enticing.
