TTUSD District Update

Hello TTUSD Families,

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, it is a perfect time to reflect on the strength and generosity that define our school community. November is often celebrated as Gratitude Month, and I would like to express my deepest appreciation to each of you.

Thank you to our students for showing up ready to learn with enthusiasm and curiosity. Thank you to our families for partnering in your children's education and prioritizing attendance, making sure students are at school. I am also immensely grateful for our staff—our teachers, administrators, and support teams. Their energy and passion create exceptional places for our students to learn and grow.

I’d also like to extend a huge thank you to the Excellence in Education Foundation and every person who contributed to their recent "Support our Students" campaign. We were thrilled to learn the campaign raised an astonishing $56,990! This money goes straight into our TTUSD classrooms to enhance learning opportunities and resources.

It is this collective spirit that makes TTUSD a remarkable place to learn and work.

From all of us at TTUSD, we wish you and your loved ones a very happy and joyful Thanksgiving.

With gratitude,

Kerstin Kramer

Superintendent Chief Learning Officer

This month, in our Strategic Plan update, we’re highlighting work being done to make sure every student receives instruction designed to support their individual success.

To deliver on this goal, we're adjusting how lessons are planned, providing teachers with tools to teach both subject matter (such as History or Science) and language acquisition (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) at the same time. This is part of our Integrated English Language Development (ELD) approach.

While this work applies to all grade levels, our focus in October and November was on high school. Over the past few months, our ELD Specialist has been working with content teachers across all three high school campuses to share best practices. As students progress into high school, they encounter subjects that contain complex, new academic vocabulary. This is why we say that all students are learning a new academic language. And while ELD strategies are critical for our English Learners, they also benefit all students by providing clear pathways to master this challenging content.

Boosting Confidence and Mastery for Every Student

The training equips teachers with research-backed strategies to level the academic playing field. The practices provide support for vocabulary and discussion skills, such as:

• Diving into Word Understanding: Teachers are using a proven strategy to ensure lasting vocabulary understanding, not just memorization. Students first define a term, then identify its key characteristics, provide concrete examples, and list non-examples (what it is not). This strengthens comprehension and depth for all students.

• Confident Class Discussion: We are using the Enhanced Think/Pair/Share strategy. Students first have time to think quietly to themselves and write down ideas, then discuss in a non-intimidating pair with one classmate, and finally share with the broader group. This process provides students with the support they need to articulate their thoughts confidently.

Ultimately, by integrating content and language strategies, our teachers are working to create a more equitable, effective, and successful learning experience for every student in the classroom.

As snowflakes arrive, here’s a reminder about school schedule changes due to weather. Our priority is always the safety of students and staff. We have multiple options to navigate challenging conditions, including:

• Full Snow Days: School is closed, and regularly scheduled activities are canceled.

• 2-Hour Delayed Starts: School starts 2 hours late, with regular dismissal times.

• Minimum Days: Schools are on a regular minimum-day schedule.

Congratulations to all of our fall student-athletes for a successful season! Their commitment to balancing athletic performance and academic achievement is truly commendable.

A special celebration goes to the teams honored by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) for achieving the highest team grade point averages (GPA) within their divisions. We want to recognize these state academic championship awards equally to any athletic championship awards, strongly reinforcing that our competitors are students first, then athletes.

Congratulations to the following teams for their top academic rankings!

During the week of November 3rd through 7th, 2025, TTUSD celebrated National School Psychology Week! This year's theme, "Finding Your Path," highlights the essential work our school psychologists do to connect students with the resources and support they need to succeed.

As recently recognized by the TTUSD Board of Trustees, our school psychologist team plays a key role in helping students thrive in school, at home, and in life. They use specialized training and evidence-based, data-driven practices to offer a range of comprehensive mental health and academic supports. Their focus is on nurturing individual strengths, ensuring school safety, and reducing barriers to learning, ultimately guiding every student toward their unique path to success.

Please join us in showing our deep appreciation for these dedicated professionals!

A huge thank you to our outstanding School Psychologists: Dana Adams, Laura Burley, Meagan Cohee, Hannah Hargrave, Whitney Lewis, Kelly McKurtis, Alex Weedman, and Jordan Wolf!

Our fantastic nursing team is working hard to keep students healthy, and your partnership is key! We understand the challenge of balancing your child's learning with the need to prevent illness. Knowing when a cough or sniffle requires a day at home can be a tough call, but making that informed decision helps prevent the spread of illness across our campus.

To help, our nurses created suggested guidelines on when your child should stay home and when they are well enough to attend school. Please take a moment to review the graphic below. We appreciate your partnership in making informed health decisions for your child and our entire school community!

Exciting news for student support! TTUSD is thrilled to welcome Shannon Decker as our new Substance Use Navigator (SUN)! Ms. Decker, a mental health educator, will bring expertise from her current role as Executive Director of the local non-profit, The Speedy Foundation, to this part-time position.

The new grant-funded SUN position will strengthen our student safety net by providing a specialized focus—proactively preventing substance use, delivering early interventions, and seamlessly connecting students to specialized care when they need it most.

Positively Rolling is not your average school activity—it's a unique 5-week workshop dedicated to boosting confidence, supporting social connections, and encouraging self-expression among our 7th-grade students!

This hands-on program uses skateboard art and guided discussions to create a fun and open space for exploration. Students dive into themes such as community building, acting with integrity, and learning from both success and failure. The goal is to empower students with a resilient attitude and the confidence to celebrate who they are.

This work is made possible thanks to a partnership with the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF). We are deeply grateful for their generous $5,000 grant for the 2025-2026 school year, which supports staffing and materials that make this workshop possible. Thank you, TTCF, for your investment in the well-being of our students!

This holiday season, make a difference in the lives of local families, seniors, and individuals through the Truckee Community Cares (TCC) annual giving campaign. TCC, an all-volunteer nonprofit, coordinates this to make sure every child and neighbor has essential items and a gift to open.

November 20 | Glenshire Elementary Enrichment Lion King Performance

November 20 | Tahoe Lake Fall Musical

November 21 | An Elegant Affair North Tahoe High School Booster Club Fundraiser

November 26 - 28 | No School, Thanksgiving Break