Back-To-School Update I- 8.19.20

With about twelve days to go before the launch of the new school year on August 31 and September 1, Thompson School District teachers, support staff and administrators are working hard to put the final touches on plans for our students and families. Here is a quick update on what you can expect on the first days of school, as well as some other key information for your consideration. We hope you enjoy the remaining weeks of the summer!

TSD @ Home-School Remote Learning. “How to” Translate Newsletter Guide

TSD @ Home- Aprendizaje remoto escolarGuía para traducir el boletín informativo

We know you have questions about how school will be different this fall. Please see the information below for an overview.

Spring 2020: Teachers used different platforms. Parents and students had to learn multiple platforms.

Fall 2020: Google Classroom will be the main platform, with some use of SeeSaw and/or Class Dojo in the elementary grades. See this link to learn about how Google Classroom works. Haga clic aquí para aprender Google Classroom.

Spring 2020: Students completed work when they were able.

Fall 2020: Students will have a daily schedule to promote participation throughout a typical school day. They will receive regularly scheduled live lessons from their teacher(s) daily. Attendance is expected.

Spring 2020: Students had inconsistent teacher interactions.

Fall 2020: Students will have daily, live interactions with teachers.

Spring 2020: Students were mostly doing assignments based on previous learning.

Fall 2020: Students will have access to recorded video lessons as well as live lessons and small group instruction to address new content and grade level standards.

Spring 2020: Student grades were based on an end-of-quarter performance rating as of March 16, 2020.

Fall 2020: Teachers will be grading work using TSD Grading Practices and Policies.

Spring 2020: Students and families may not have known what to expect from day to day.

Fall 2020: Students will have a consistent schedule and will receive a weekly plan from their teachers on a scheduled day for the following week. Families will be included in this communication.

TIME COMMITMENT

Students will spend 6-7 hours per day learning and building community with their classmates and teachers. (6= Elementary, 7= Secondary). No more than 4-5 hours per day will be spent in an online classroom, learning at the same time with teachers and classmates. Attendance in live class meetings is expected.

Families of elementary school students can expect to spend a significant amount of time supporting their children in learning at home.

Middle school and high school aged students might need varying degrees of family support, especially with time management, organization and goal setting.

Students in Honors and Advanced Placement classes may have increased workloads and time commitments.

Regardless of how much help and support your student needs, we recommend checking in with your student daily on the progress in their classes.

ASSIGNMENTS AND FEEDBACK

Students work on learning activities to show what they know, understand and are able to do.

Students in kindergarten and first grade will probably need help opening materials and completing and turning in assignments. Older elementary students will need similar support, but likely not as much as their younger peers.

We recommend checking in daily with your student about assignment completion to help ensure that they are staying on track.

COMPUTER BASED ACTIVITIES

Activities for students will include: attending class time, working with classmates online, reading, engaging in educational games, listening to audio clips and watching videos.

Younger elementary students will likely need help logging on, opening materials and reviewing lessons. Older elementary students might still need some help, but probably not as much.

Most secondary students will be able to access their online lessons and learning materials on their own, although some students may need some assistance.

OFFLINE ACTIVITIES

Students will be expected to participate in the following activities offline: reading, handwritten work, physical movement, projects and experiments.

Families will need to encourage and support students to complete offline activities, including movement breaks.

ATTENDANCE -- PARTICIPATION, COMMUNICATION, ENGAGEMENT

Students are expected to be present and participate in all classes. Adjustments will be made on a case-by-case basis when technology access or other circumstances do not allow for this to happen.

Families will need to help students know when to log-on for their classes based on their daily schedules. Students and families should partner with teachers for alternative ways to demonstrate participation, communication and engagement when there are attendance challenges.

Please see this link for specific information about special education services.

Student Device Checkout at One-to-One Schools

The following schools will check out devices to students at their school locations. If your student is enrolled at one of these schools, please contact their front office for checkout information. To receive a school device, you will need to update your school registration here and if you checked out a student device last Spring, you will need to check it back in.

1. Mountain View High

2. Conrad Ball Middle

3. Laurene Edmondson Elementary

4. High Plains School

5. Turner Middle

6. Berthoud High

7. Bill Reed Middle

8. Walt Clark Middle

9. Carrie Martin Elementary

10. Monroe Elementary

11. Berthoud Elementary

12. Ivy Stockwell Elementary

13. Mary Blair Elementary

14. Loveland High

15. Big Thompson Elementary

16. Ferguson High

Student Device Checkout at Schools Without One-to-One Access

The following schools are centrally supported by the district for student device checkout from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday-Friday, August 19-28 at Conrad Ball Middle School (2660 N Monroe Ave, Loveland). If your student is enrolled at one of these schools and needs a device, please fill out the checkout form here. To receive one, you will need to update your school registration here. If you checked out a device last Spring, you can continue to use it if your student is enrolled in one of the schools below.

1. Thompson Valley High

2. Lucile Erwin Middle

3. B.F. Kitchen Elementary

4. Centennial Elementary

5. Cottonwood Plains Elementary

6. Coyote Ridge Elementary

7. Garfield Elementary

8. Lincoln Elementary

9. Namaqua Elementary

10. Ponderosa Elementary

11. Sarah Milner Elementary

12. Truscott Elementary

13. Winona Elementary

14. Early Childhood Center at Stansberry

Need technical support? TSD is here to help.

TSD Help Desk staff will support students and families who need help with their technology during remote education at 970-613-7777, Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. During online learning, ITS will use the district’s FAQ technology webpage to post important updates regarding technology. Thank you for your patience during this time as ITS staff work hard to support students, families and staff.

Most teachers will be using Google Classroom and Google Meet to manage online learning curriculum. See the Family's Guide to Google Classroom (Guía sobre Google Classroom para las familias de TSD) for more information. Questions about class assignments should be directed to the classroom teacher and NOT the ITS Help Desk.

If you have technical problems once you receive your school or TSD-issued student device, please contact the Help Desk at 970-613-7777. More details from the TSD Innovative Technology Services team is also available by clicking here.

Breakfast and lunch meals will be available for drive-through pick-up at the regionalized school locations shown below. These meals will consist of a hot entree and sides for lunch that day and a grab-and-go breakfast meal for the following day. The USDA is still in the process of determining if these meals will fall under the Summer Food Program (free for 0-18 year olds) or the National School Lunch Program (free, reduced, full pay). More information will be provided as details are finalized.

1. BF Kitchen Elementary
2. Cottonwood Plains Elementary
3. Ivy Stockwell Elementary
4. Laurene Edmondson Elementary
5. Lincoln Elementary
6. Sarah Milner Elementary
7. Winona Elementary
8. Conrad Ball Middle School
9. Lucile Erwin Middle School
10. Bill Reed Middle School
11. Mountain View High School

Please feel free to click these links for more information about Return to Learn in Thompson School District. You can also visit the Thompson Educational Expectations webpage to understand how we're thinking about education in an online setting.

Email: info@thompsonschools.org
Website: https://www.thompsonschools.org/Page/21622
Location: 800 South Taft Avenue, Loveland, CO, USA
Phone: (970) 613-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThompsonSchoolDist/
Twitter: @ThompsonR2J