Greetings, Thompson Community:
I hope you are having a great fall season so far. As our students continue to move through another excellent and productive school year, I wanted to take a few moments to share some information with you about three key programs in particular that are providing extraordinary service to students and families.
Our Freshman Academy at Mountain View High School is a robust program that purposefully welcomes incoming freshmen, helping to create a sense of belonging and community while establishing personal accountability for academic achievement and positive pro-social behaviors. A special focus for each freshman is placed on meeting their social-emotional needs, earning sufficient credits to be on track toward on-time graduation, and the notion that school is relevant to themselves and their future. This comprehensive program includes the Lion Launch summer program, a freshmen orientation day, the Freshman Seminar course, after-school tutoring, smaller core content class sizes, and an embedded partnership with upperclassmen leaders. With a dedicated team consisting of a freshman assistant principal, a freshman counselor, and fourteen teachers who design and deliver Freshman Seminar coursework, the foundation is set for students to build positive relationships not only with their peers but also with a trusted adult who will assist them throughout their high school experience.
Meanwhile, Big Thompson Elementary School is in its second year of partnership with EL Education. EL Education is a national nonprofit partnering with K-12 educators to transform public schools and districts into hubs of opportunity for all students to achieve excellent, equitable outcomes and apply their unique genius to the world. It was founded in 1991 and currently serves 440,000 students in diverse communities across the country. Big T’s partnership with EL Education will foster classrooms where learning is active and meaningful. The staff strives to elevate their instruction and learning to the next level so that students become leaders of their own learning and “accomplish more than they thought possible.”
This process is a multi-year journey for EL Education and Big T. In the 2021-2022 school year, Big T focused on student-engaged assessment practices (SEA), a collection of practices that support students to own their learning by setting goals, reflecting on their learning and monitoring their progress. For the 2022-2023 school year, Big T is diving into developing the structure and spirit of Crew to support students as they develop a strong sense of belonging, purpose, and agency.
Speaking of world impacts, Walt Clark Middle School is very proud of the real-world learning experiences that are being offered to students. The campus’ mission is to provide students with rigorous and relevant learning opportunities that embed community connections and college and career exploration in an inclusive and supportive environment. To prepare learning opportunities, teachers are trained in problem-based learning lesson planning, as well as AVID cooperative learning structures that enable students to take more ownership and voice in their learning. In addition to general courses, WCMS provides six pathways for students to explore in their STEM X program. These pathways include Aviation and Robotics, Applied Arts, Computer Sciences, Communication and Information Systems, and Health Sciences. Within each of these pathways, there are three courses that students will experience, such as Geometry in Construction, Aviation and Flight, and Robotic Design-Battle Bots.
Each of these programs is doing an excellent job not only preparing students for the challenges of today but also providing them with the skills that they will need most when they graduate from high school. The staff members who operate them are 100% dedicated to supporting each student, and I am exceptionally proud of the team and all of our staff throughout TSD. These efforts are just three of the many high-impact programs that are in place to serve our students. To learn more about all of the great opportunities that are offered, I invite you to explore our website.
Thank you for your support,
Dr. Marc Schaffer
Superintendent
Thompson School District