TSD EC Family Newsletter
November 2026
Welcome November!
Thank you for joining us for Parent Teacher Conferences! It is always a great time to partner with your teacher to support your child's growth! We had a great turn out, and look forward to working with you this year!
On November 12, 2026 from 5:30-7 the district will be hosting a Kindergarten Open House at Thompson Valley High School. This is a time when you can discover what each elementary school has to offer and gives you a chance to ask some questions, before Open Enrollment begins.
As we enter into the holiday season, things can get busy and hectic. It is a great time to slow down and share your family traditions and make new ones. Some of my happiest memories are of picking up pretty leaves, sticks and acorns with my grandmother and making a beautiful piece of art by gluing them to a paper plate in her back yard. Please see below for a great list of holiday resources. You can also reach out to your Family Engagement Specialist for support.
Respectfully,
Amy Gerhard
Director Early Childhood
Thank you to those families who were able to come to our annual Hugs Family Night. We had 494 participants join us. Many of the resources that were offered at the event are now in our TSD Early Childhood Website Resource Library. Click the link below to access the Resource Library. There are resources from last year's event and this year's event is at the bottom of the page. Resources include ways to help your child manage anger and frustration, yoga and mindfulness for preschoolers, and learning to self regulate through music and movement. We have also included information about screen time and how it is impacting your child's brain and development. Research is showing that when children spend time on screens rather than actively playing their development of language, movement, attention and problem solving are not developing properly. See the video by Emma Hubbard entitled "The Impact of Screens on our Children's Brains" on our website for more information. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me. We are thankful for your partnership as we work to teach your child important social emotional skills that will enable them to learn in the educational environment now and in the future.
Warm regards,
Susan Bartlett, School Social Worker
Early Childhood Mental Health Coordinator
Fundraiser for EC
Families, we hope you enjoyed our Health and Safety Night with Hugs last month! Our family nights are made possible through fundraising partnerships with local businesses. Our next fundraising night is Wednesday, November 11th from 4 - 8 PM at Subway on E. 29th Street, next to Fantastic Sams. We will receive 20% of sales during the fundraising times. Please see the attached flyer - we hope to see you there!
Julie Lindsay
Family & Community Partnership Coordinator
Smoke Detector Safety
Every November at the end of Daylight Savings time is the perfect time to remember to change the batteries in your smoke detector. Smoke Detectors with working batteries are essential for child and family safety. During the cold-weather months of November through March, home fires and home fire-related fatalities are more likely to occur. As the weather becomes colder and families are indoors, there is increased usage of space heaters, fireplaces, holiday candles etc. Teaching children about the sounds of the smoke detector and knowing what to do if they smell smoke or hear the alarm go off is a great thing to know at a young age. Planning and practicing a fire escape route with your family and talking to your children about what to expect in a fire are simple steps anyone can take. A prepared child is more likely to escape unharmed. Here are a couple of safety teaching points to review with your child:
Teach children what to do when they hear the sound of the smoke alarm.
If there is fire, crawl low under the smoke.
Touch doors before opening them; if the door is hot, use another exit.
Never go back into a burning building; children should be reminded not to stop or return for anything, such as a toy or to call 9-1-1.
Upon leaving the burning building, any one whose clothes have caught fire should immediately stop, drop to the ground and roll back and forth quickly to extinguish the flames.
Practice an escape plan with your child.
Teach young children not to play with matches or lighters. Lock up matches and lighters out of their sight and reach.
Keep all portable heaters out of children’s reach and at least 3 feet away from flammable objects.
Have a Safe & Healthy November!
Christiana Shorten
Health Coordinator
(970) 613-5063
Cook's Corner: Holiday Crackers
Ingredients
10 round whole wheat crackers
2 slices low-sodium cooked lunch meat, such as beef, chicken, or ham
2 slices low-fat yellow or white cheddar cheese
Directions
Place crackers on a plate or platter.
Cut ham into circles using a round cookie cutter.
Place a ham circle on each cracker.
Cut cheese into shapes using holiday cookie cutters such as trees, snowflakes, snowmen, stars, and bells.
Place a cheese shape on the ham on each cracker.
Makes 5 servings
Safety tip: An adult should supervise the use of the cookie cutters.
Thanksgiving and Holiday Resources
Families, we have created a list of resources for Thanksgiving meals and holiday toys and meals. We highly recommend signing up early as these organizations may run out or have deadlines to sign up. Please click on this link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1b51yJTaSQ_mbXm3vzVCVncU_JrlQQ7XJxQrYhD_uAUk/edit?usp=sharing
Julie Lindsay
Family & Community Partnership Coordinator
