Spring 2026 Newsletter

💘January 27, Tuesday

Administrative/Professional/Technical staff in the district are honored on this day. This includes principals, assistant principals, and some employees who work in the Administration Building, SSC Building, and Transportation.

💘February 14, Saturday, 9:30AM

in downtown Loveland

Participants will run 4 miles to raise money for the TSD middle school and high school running programs.

💘March 2 - March 27

Every spring Thompson School District holds this contest, which recognizes students who are making a positive difference in their community. Students submit ideas for projects they would like to implement at tsd.org/make-a-difference-contest starting March 2. The deadline is March 27.

💘March 12, Thursday, 9:30AM-10:30AM

@ TSD Admin. Bldg., 800 S. Taft Ave., Loveland

Receive information about TSD's volunteer recognition process and help to coordinate that with your school's event. Pick up recognition materials for Volunteer Appreciation Week.

💘April 14, Tuesday, 5:00PM

@ Embassy Suites, 4705 Clydesdale Pkwy., Loveland

Thompson School District will hold a district-wide awards reception for TSD employees and retirees as well as businesses who have won awards.

💘April 20-24, Monday-Friday

Thompson School District will honor all volunteers this week through emails, signs, and treats.

💘May 4-8, Monday-Friday

Thompson School District will honor all teachers this week.

💘May 7, Thursday, Noon-1:00PM

@ McGraff's American Grill, 1602 E. Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland

This year we are thrilled to celebrate at a local restaurant that has been a foundation in the Loveland community as well as a TSD sponsor. Enjoy a special lunch to thank you for your hard work. You must RSVP and give your order to Lisa Wegener by April 30.

• You can see if a volunteer is registered at a different school than yours by going to the volunteer module and then clicking on the "Add Volunteer" button on the top left-hand side of the screen. This will open a pop-up box in which you can type their last name. You cannot type their first name, only their last name to do the search. If they are listed, do not add them manually. Contact Lisa Wegener to add your school to their registration so that she can print a name badge.

• Volunteer hours need to be logged by March 31 for spring recognition certificates. If you are a high school volunteer coordinator, you may need to contact booster clubs for volunteer hours and manually log them.

STAFF AWARD

• You will need to choose a TSD teacher or staff member to receive an award for most support and involvement in the volunteer program by March 12 and provide that name at the coordinator meeting.

VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION DEADLINE

• May 1 volunteer registration closes. Parents who want to attend a field trip with their child's class must be registered by April 30 or they cannot go.

As spring recognition nears, you may want to check the volunteer hours for your school. To see each person who has volunteered at your school, their hours, and total volunteer hours for your school, follow the steps below on VITAL Online.

1. Click on the picture of the bar graph at the top of the screen (the reports feature).

2. Click the “EZ Volunteer” Tab.

3. Click “Hours” on the menu.

4. For “Report Layout” click on “Vol Total Hours.”

5. For “Locations” click on your school.

6. For “Hours Calculated From” click the small circle that says “Only Selected Location.”

7. Scroll down to “Date Range” and type in the dates of 7/1/2025 to current date.

8. Scroll down and click “Generate Report.” You can then export it to Excel on the top right side of the screen.

Your position as a volunteer coordinator involves more than obtaining volunteers for classrooms, events, and activites. Obtaining volunteers to help is only part of what you do. It goes beyond volunteers just completing tasks and helping get things done at the school. What you are really doing is engaging families and the community with your school because their involvement positively impacts students no matter what volunteer role they play. In order to do this, you need to help volunteers feel a sense of belonging in the school's community. Thompson School District's Family Center recently identified key areas that impact your volunteers' sense of belonging: feeling welcome, seen, heard, valued, and included.

Start by thinking of past experiences with others that have made you feel those things. What did they do? You may have been greeted by name, which is important to do. Learning the names of those who volunteer for your events and acknowledging them lets them know they are seen and welcome. Listening to feedback and affirming that you will consider it helps them feel heard. Telling them thank you makes them feel valued. Providing instructions and information to volunteers in an encouraging way will not only help them do their volunteer position, but will also demonstrate that they are included and a part of the school community.

The more you can help volunteers feel like they matter and are an important part of the school community, the more they will want to be involved and engage in volunteering with the school. Remember your past good and bad experiences as a volunteer, employee, or member of an organization to identify small steps you can take to positively influence families and the community to connect with your school.