Greetings Thompson School District Community,
As the Thanksgiving holiday quickly approaches, I want to express my thanks and gratitude for all of the support you provide for our school district community. Our staff members work tirelessly each day to educate and support each student in TSD, and none of our success would be possible without your dedication.
One of the things I am particularly thankful for is the incredible partnership we have with businesses, agencies, and organizations throughout the district who assist us in our mission. Thompson School District is dedicated to supporting not only the academic but also the mental health needs of our students and families.
Mental health is critical to our students’ success in and out of school. Generalized anxiety can affect protective factors, including school success and engagement in extracurricular activities. Situational and clinical depression can contribute to withdrawal from the support of friends, family, and school and community members, as well as struggles with success in school, extracurricular activities, and employment. Supporting our youth in preventing and treating anxiety and depression can increase protective factors and decrease severe mental health concerns.
Our TSD community is committed to strong relationships with our community partners to improve our students’ access to proactive and responsive mental health services. This month, we invited our outstanding community partners to our Mental Health Summit: Eliminating Barriers, Illuminating Partnerships.
Hosted at The Ranch in Loveland, the event was an opportunity for community leaders, mental health providers, and school staff to join forces for a full day of connection and problem-solving. We exchanged information about the many services available in our community and how to access them and identified barriers to services for our students. We also spent more than half the day problem-solving the challenges our community faces.
Participants left the event having committed to bringing about change for the better of our community by eliminating a barrier within their control. It was a special day of networking, information-sharing, and problem-solving mental health challenges on behalf of the children of Larimer County.
Our strong community partnerships with local mental health providers and prevention experts are critical to our layered system of support. We are proud to partner with our families and community members to help each student build this foundation and succeed in their academic, social, and emotional growth.
As we work together as a community to continue this important work, please remember that you are not alone. If you need immediate help, a special service called “988” offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people who are experiencing mental health-related distress.
People can call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one. In addition, you are always welcome to call 1-844-493-TALK (8255), visit www.ColoradoCrisisServices.org, or send a text to 38255 and type “TALK” in the message for additional support options.
Thank you once again for all that you do for each of our students and families. On behalf of our entire district team, I wish you an enjoyable Thanksgiving season.
Sincerely,
Dr. Marc Schaffer
Superintendent
Thompson School District