Greetings, Thompson Community:
Please see below for this week’s important notes from around the district.
Thank you,
Dr. Marc Schaffer
Superintendent
Thompson School District
Process for Submitting “Public Comment” at Board of Education Meetings
The next TSD Board of Education meeting will be held this Wednesday, May 6, at 6:00 PM. The virtual meeting will be streamed live on the district’s YouTube page. Due to the current virtual meeting structure of all Board of Education meetings, the Board recently adopted a temporary adjustment to the process that will be in place for public comment during the meetings.
Beginning at 7 a.m. and concluding at 3 p.m. on the day of the scheduled regular Board meeting, the community member may call (970) 613-6776, state his or her full name, address and the topic of their message. Please provide a method of contact, such as a phone number or email address, at the conclusion of the message. The community member shall then record a message not to exceed three (3) minutes in length. A speaker may only record one message for consideration to be played at the next scheduled regular Board Meeting.
The nature and subject matter of recorded messages shall comply with the requirements of Board Policy BEDH and the Board’s public participation statement, including the following:
- Speakers are responsible for their own speech
- Speakers’ remarks should be suitable for an audience that includes kindergarten through twelfth grade students
- Profanity, yelling, fighting words, defamatory or abusive remarks or derogatory language is out of order and shall not be tolerated.
The Secretary to the Board of Education will review all saved recorded messages to verify compliance with Policy BEDH and these procedures. The Secretary to the Board of Education will cut any recorded message that unreasonably exceeds the allotted three (3) minutes at the most logical break in the speaker’s message. Recorded messages that otherwise do not conform to the requirements of Policy BEDH and these procedures will be disregarded and deleted and the Secretary will notify the speaker of such. Only pre-recorded voice messages saved to the mailbox associated with the telephone number stated above prior to the expiration of the deadline established will be played during the time reserved for brief comments and questions from the public at the next scheduled regular Board meeting.
National “Teacher Appreciation Week” Begins Monday
May 4 – May 8 has been designated as 2020 National Teacher Appreciation Week. The commemorative week was created as an opportunity for students, families and community members to recognize educational professionals for their service and dedication. As part of the celebration this year, Thompson School District is inviting students and family members to submit a photo of a favorite teacher, along with a brief description of why that teaching professional means so much to them. To submit your photo and description, please email it to the following address: info@thompsonschools.org. Send your entry soon! A select number of the photos and stories that are submitted will be shared next week on the district’s Facebook page and Twitter account (@ThompsonR2J). We hope you will join us in thanking the teachers in your life who make a positive difference every day.
Ferguson High School and Thompson Career Center Update
Construction is proceeding well at the new Ferguson High School and Thompson Career Center campus. In a recently created video segment, JHL Constructors superintendent Rod Riddle provided some information on the project and also talked about safety features that have been put into place during the construction process.
Turn-In of Technology Checked Out to Students
Only seniors and students leaving the district for the 2020-2021 school year are required to turn their device back in to the district by the end of the school year. All other students may keep their device for home use throughout the summer. Every Tuesday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm during the month of May, Mary Blair Elementary School (860 E 29th St, Loveland) will be open for turn-in of devices checked out to seniors and students not returning to school for the 2020-2021 school year. About 30% of students received a district-issued device to supplement their technology at home for online learning. Most will get to keep the device to continue their learning.
For seniors and non-returning students, please wait for a Tuesday in May after you no longer need the device for school work before you turn it in. Students may check-in the device without a parent, but they will need a student ID or other valid form of identification. Please check-in the charger, cord and device all at once. Mountain View High School students should not come to Mary Blair Elementary School for turn-in. They will have their own days for the process at MVHS on May 20-21.