TSD EC October Newsletter

Happy October!

One of the things that we value in our program are developing a strong relationships with each and every child! Strong relationships between staff and students are at the heart of early learning. When children feel safe, cared for, and connected to their teachers, they are more confident to explore, try new things, and engage with their peers. Research shows that positive relationships build trust, support social-emotional development, and set the foundation for lifelong learning. Simply put, when children know they belong, they are better able to learn and grow. Over the last month, our staff have been doing things such as ensuring that your child feels welcomed each and every day, checking in with them in different ways, and inviting them back the next day through a Friendly Farewell.

Literacy Matters! Literacy doesn’t start only when your child starts school. From birth, babies and children are gathering skills they’ll use in reading. The years between ages 3 and 5 are critical to reading growth. The best way to instill a love for and interest in reading is to simply read to your child. Reading gives you the opportunity for close bonding with your child, and it also provides a window into a world of literacy that your child is about to enter. As your child goes from saying her first sentences to speaking in paragraphs, you will start to see exciting milestones develop with reading. Your child will begin to recognize print on the street, stop signs, familiar store signs, and the address posted on your home.

*If you were to read one book a day with your child from the first day of preschool, s/he would have read 730 books before kindergarten!

Communication is important! You should be receiving from your classroom teacher a newsletter every two weeks to fill you in on things such as what's happening in the classroom, what your child is learning, upcoming events (conferences in Oct.), and more. If you haven't received this communication, please reach out to your child's teacher. A strong partnership with your classroom teacher is a vital component to your child's success. In addition, you'll be receiving a monthly newsletter from the EC Administration sharing information about our programming as well important information for you about the Thompson School District.

Kindergarten Bound Parents for 2026-2027. If your child attends a school that is not your neighborhood school and would like them to continue at that elementary site, you will need to Choice Enroll your child.

• Kindergarten Open House will be held at Thompson Valley High School on Thursday, November 6, 2025, from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. This will be an opportunity to speak with staff from each elementary school in the Thompson School District and learn more.

Have a wonderful October!

Lamb Caro

DIrector of Early Childhood

Happy October!

Fall in Colorado has to be one of my favorite times of year. We are able to enjoy beautiful weather, changing trees and the smell of Autumn. This month we will be starting a new curriculum study about Trees! Please take some time this month to go on a walk with your little one. Talk about what you see, hear and smell. Share with them your thoughts and wonderings. There is so much to see and learn about right in our own back yard. This develops language, curiosity and a love and respect for our environment, not to mention what a little fresh air can do for our outlook!

"Haven’t you found that one of the best ways children learn is from the example of the grownups they love? When children see that you wonder about the world around you…that you ask questions…that you notice things and look carefully, then they’ll want to be curious about the world around them, too.” Mr. Fred Rogers

Best,

Amy Gerhard

Assistant Administrator

At Thompson School District, we know that regular attendance in preschool helps children build routines, develop friendships, and make the most of their learning. To support families, we have created a Positive Attendance Campaign to encourage and celebrate consistent attendance.

As part of this campaign, families will automatically receive letters when their child has missed

certain numbers of school days (4, 7, 10, 20, etc.).

These notifications are sent for both excused and unexcused absences.

Our Integrated Early Childhood Program requires children to attend at least 85% of the time in order to meet funding and program requirements. If your child’s attendance falls below this level, we will reach out before any changes to enrollment are made. Our Early Childhood Program Secretary will contact you to talk through how we can best support your family in helping your child attend preschool every day. Together, we can make sure your child has the best possible start in school!

Did you know that the proposed $99 million bond, placed on this November’s ballot by the Board of Education, would provide funding for key projects at many of our schools? To learn more about the proposed bond, please visit Propsed 2025 Bond - No Tax Increase

Example: Did you know that the proposed $99 million bond, placed on this November’s ballot by the Board of Education, would provide funding for key projects at Berthoud Elementary School? To learn more about the proposed bond, please visit bes.tsd.org/bond.

We have seen some amazing growth in our students already this year! I am hearing the kids ask for a toy by trading or getting a timer to take a turn in 5 minutes. I have seen them stating "I don't like that, next time please ________". It is wonderful to see and hear. Since our last newsletter our preschoolers have learned about Following Directions as well as Asking for what I need and want. The next few weeks our lessons will be identifying feelings including happy, sad, surprised, scared, and anger. You will find all the home links below. Please focus on weeks 5-9 for this month's learning.

Now that we’re in our second month of preschool, the children are settling into routines and building important social–emotional skills. In our classrooms, we are focusing on:

• Building Friendships – learning how to invite others to play, share materials, and take turns.

• Identifying Feelings – practicing naming emotions like happy, sad, frustrated, or excited.

• Problem Solving – using words, taking turns, and asking for help.

• Calm-Down Strategies – trying tools like deep breaths, songs, or our classroom cozy corners.

You can support this learning at home by naming emotions you see (“You look proud of your drawing”), practicing turn-taking during games, or trying a calm-down strategy together (let's take a rainbow breath). Asking simple questions like “Who did you play with today?” or “What made you smile at school?” also helps your child reflect on their growing friendships and feelings.

Together, we are helping children develop the skills they need to build strong relationships and manage their big feelings!

Warmly,

Karyn O'Connell (Behavioral Specialist)

Susan Bartlett (Social Worker)

Macaroni Kids has put together a comprehensive list of fall festivals, trick-or-treating, and pumpkin patches. Check it out: https://fortcollins.macaronikid.com/guides/5bae796f454588285b920356/2025-pumpkin-patches-and-fall-festivals

Julie Lindsay, Family & Community Partnership Coordinator

julie.lindsay@tsd.org

Families, now that we are all getting used to the preschool schedule, we would like to invite you to volunteer in your child’s classroom. Here are some ways you can assist your child’s teacher:

• Read books to a small group of children

• Share your unique culture with the class

• Assist teachers with mealtimes

• Help with classroom parties/activities

• Provide your expertise with one of our learning units

• Cut things out at home if you are unable to come to the classroom

• Serve on an advisory council, such as Head Start Family PIE

All volunteers must be registered through Thompson School District. If you have not yet registered, here is the link:

New Volunteer Registration

Once you have completed the Volunteer Registration which includes a background check, a volunteer badge will be sent to your child's school. Check-in with your teacher to see how you can volunteer.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Julie Lindsay, Family & Community Partnership Coordinator

julie.lindsay@tsd.org

See the attached flyer if you have not already signed your child up to receive a free book each month until their 5th birthday from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

Good eating habits begin early in a child’s life. Eating a wide variety of foods is important. This is because different foods promote growth and health in different ways. Children who learn to eat a variety of foods when they are young are more likely to have a healthy diet.

Try these easy tips to help your children try new foods.

• Try and try again. It may take up to 10 times of trying a new food before your child likes it. It is normal for children to be cautious at first.

• Have your child choose a new food at the grocery store. Trying new foods is more fun for children when they pick them.

• Try new foods too. Children look to their parents and siblings as role models. They will be more willing to try a new food if the rest of the family is eating it too.

Prepare new foods in different ways. If your child doesn’t like cooked broccoli for example, try giving it to them raw with a low-fat dip.

Cook’s Corner: Recipes for Healthy Snacks

Mummy Dogs

Ingredients

1 8-ounce roll or can of crescent dinner rolls

10 all-beef or turkey hot dogs

Cooking spray

Mustard or ketchup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.

2. Unroll the dough and separate at the perforations, or cut into 4 rectangles.

3. Cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces.

4. Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog, stretching the dough slightly to completely cover the hot dog.

5. Place the wrapped hot dogs on an ungreased cooking sheet, and spray the dough lightly with cooking spray.

6. At about ½ inch from one end of each hot dog, separate the dough so that the hot dog shows through for the face.

7. Bake for 13 to 17 minutes or until the dough is light golden brown and the hot dogs are hot.

8. Using mustard or ketchup, add eyes to the mummy.

Makes 10 servings

Safety tip: To prevent burns and other injuries, an adult should slice ingredients and supervise use of the oven.

Christiana Shorten

Early Childhood Health Coordinator

(970)613-5063

Thanks to Corban Hymel, Eagle Scout, for his project at our Berthoud Elementary Early Childhood Site! His fundraising efforts created the opportunity for him to upgrade our storage for our outdoor toys! We are grateful for him supporting our program!