800 S. Taft Ave., Loveland, CO 80537 970-613-5000 Fax 970-613-5095 w w w. t h o m p s o n s c h o o l s. o r g Spring 2011

Empower to learn — Challenge to achieve — Inspire to excel

CONTENTS2 Letter from superintendent3 Student is mini barista3 Staff serve as baby buddies to

teen moms4 School spirit at

Stansberry Elementary5 Districts host Special Olympics6 Students headed for

robotics nationals7 Educators of the Year8 LHS Wind Symphony9 School & district briefs9 Artistic achievements

10 Little books make a difference

� See OX Y G E N /Page 6

� See KITCHEN/Page 2

� See MVHS/Page 4

� See AY E R S /Page 5

B. F. Kitchen first in state to earntop USDA healthy school award

OptimalOxygenFive Walt Clark

students developrobotics project

The idea behind their project isto automatically adjust oxygenflow for long-term oxygen ther-

apy users. No, these are not Ph.D.candidates working in the biomedicalfield.

They are five 8th graders represent-ing Walt Clark Middle School who de-signed Optimal Oxygen as part oftheir FIRST LEGO Robotics project,one reason they earned a spot among24 other U.S. teams in internationalcompetition at the end of April.

Known as Knights of the FieldTable, the impressive quintet articu-late like adults and seem to think likepeople who have earned several de-grees. Their ability to work togetherfor many months, many hours a week,

would be envied by major corpora-tions. They are: Nick Brubaker,Patrick Canny, Cody Marvin,Daniel Probasco and Ian Spence.

“These kids are leaders,” saidDawn Canny, one of the coaches.“They are composed, organized,creative, and understand one another.I can’t even imagine myself gettingup in front of a crowd when I was

14 and talking the way they do,” shesaid. “Of course, I am a coach, andthe coaches and parents are veryproud of these kids.”

Also coaching is parent CathyBrubaker and her husband, Mike, whois an engineer and helps the studentsby questioning them — not by giving

MVHS partners with Fort Collins Habitat for first Youth Build home

Thompson Valley High Schoolteacher Kris Ayers was one of fiveteachers in the nation recog-

nized as a region-al High SchoolPhysical Educa-tion Teacher ofthe Year for2011.

Ayers washonored as theCentral DistrictHigh SchoolPhysical Educa-tion Teacher ofthe Year by theNational Association for Sport andPhysical Education (NASPE) at itsnational convention March 29-April 1.The Central District represents anine-state area from Colorado toMinnesota. The award is given inrecognition of outstanding teachingperformance at the high school leveland the ability to motivate today'syouth to participate in a lifetime ofphysical activity.

A physical education and healthteacher for 14 years at TVHS, Ayerswas considered with four otherdistrict winners for the national awardsponsored by NASPE and Sportime.

The National Physical EducationTeacher of the Year award recipientwas also announced on April 1 at theNASPE Hall of Fame Banquet spon-sored by Playworld Systems. Golfgreat Annika Sörenstam wasinducted into the NASPE Hall of Famethat evening.

“As a physical education teacher, thecurriculum is based on promotingmaximum participation and engage-ment through a variety of physicalactivities. My goal is to motivatestudents to live a life full of passion,movement, and balance between workand play,” Ayers said.

While she would like to contributemore time at the state and nationallevel of physical education, her primary

Daniel Probasco shows the robot that must solve problems on a worktable.

B. F. Kitchen 3rd graders sing asong about loving vegetablesduring the awards celebration.

Superintendent Ron Cabrera thanks everyone for their support of theGeometry in Construction program.

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Mountain View High School hasbuilt a house and a partnershipwith Habitat for Humanity in

Fort Collins that keeps partnering be-yond the school.

Fort Collins Habitat purchased thehouse that MVHS’s Geometry inConstruction students built last year,moved it to a Fort Collins location, andproceeded to use more student labor toadd a garage, a basement and more.

“We are calling it our Youth Buildhouse,” said Candace Mayo, executivedirector of Fort Collins Habitat. “Wehave had an incredible amount ofsupport from youth organizations andColorado State University students,”

she said. Several businesses andorganizations also assisted with cash,labor and supplies, she added.

The house was officially unveiled dur-ing a ceremony on Feb. 28. This firstYouth Build home takes Habitat in alittle different direction, Mayo said.Normally, houses are built with majorsweat equity from the family that willreceive the home. This house focusesmore on assisting the Geometry inConstruction program as well asgarnering more youth volunteerism tobuild an affordable home that a familycan purchase. “We will sell it to a family

FRO M THE U S DAMO U N TA I N PLAINS REGION

B. F. Kitchen ElementarySchool in Loveland is thefirst Colorado school to earn

the prestigious Gold of DistinctionAward from the U.S. Department ofAgriculture for meeting Health-ierUS School Challenge (HUSSC)school meal criteria.

“Your school is an exceptionalmodel to others,” Darlene Barnestold a crowd of cheering students,district staff and representativesfrom Healthy Kids Community, theCity of Loveland and the ColoradoDepartment of Education. Barnes isregional administrator for the

U S DA ’s Food and Nutrition ServiceMountain Plains Region. She pre-sented the award to Principal KandiSmith at a school assembly inMarch. Also on hand was Jane

TVHS teacherreceives regional,

national recognition

Kris Ayers

Thompson School District website: www.thompsonschools.org.This publication is a project of the Thompson School District, 800 S. Taft Ave., Loveland, CO

80537. All editorial content is provided by the Thompson School District. Advertising sales andrevenue are generated and gathered by the Loveland Reporter-Herald.

Editor and Writer: Melissa Adams, Communication & Community Resources, ThompsonSchool District

Assistant Editor/Proofreader: Debbie Wright, Thompson School DistrictPhotography: Melissa Adams, Thompson School District, and contributions by staff and parentsPage Design: Jade Cody, Loveland Reporter-HeraldThompson School District is an equal opportunity educational institution and will not discrimi-

nate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disabili-ty, marital status or veteran status in its activities, programs or employment practices. The prohi-bition against sexual harassment includes a prohibition against harassment based on race, color,national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status or veteran sta-tus. For information regarding civil rights or grievance procedures, contact the Department ofHuman Resources, 2890 N. Monroe Ave., Loveland, CO 80538 (mailing address) or 800 S. TaftAve., Loveland, CO 80537 (physical address), 970-613-5000, or the Office of Civil Rights, U.S.Department of Education, Region VIII, Federal Office Building, 1244 N. Speer Blvd., Suite 310,Denver, CO 80204, 303-844-5695.

The Spring 2011 Thompson School District Community News is published by the L ovelandReporter-Herald on behalf of the Thompson School District. Contents are copyrighted by theLoveland Reporter-Herald and the Thompson School District. All rights reserved. Reproductionor use of editorial or graphic content, in part or in whole, without express written permission isprohibited. Neither the Loveland Reporter-Herald nor the Thompson School District assumes anyliability for errors or omissions.

From the SuperintendentDear Friends,

Imagine a great district ...Over the course of 12

months, communitymembers, parents,and ThompsonSchool District staffdid just that as partof our strategicplanning process andcame up with Vision2020, the ThompsonSchool Districtstrategic plan for thenext 10 years. Over4,000 participants and over2,000 feedback surveys and fo-cus group responses were uti-lized to create a comprehen-sive plan. Vision 2020 is builtaround five important goals:Robust Learning, Equity inAccess, Responsible Steward-ship, Healthy ConstituentRelationships, and a Cultureof Excellence.

These five goals serve asbuilding blocks for thedistrict’s work and provide thedirection for our instruction,curriculum, budgeting,staffing and partnershipsthrough the next 10 years.With our limited resources, weneed to be focused on thegoals and strategies that will

best prepare all our studentsfor college, a career, and life ina globally competitive environ-

ment. Our five goalsare broken out withthe key objectiveslisted below:

ROBUSTLEARNING

• Develop successfullearners• Develop globalcitizenship• Pro v i d e

personalized learning

EQUITY IN ACCESS

• Close the learning gap• Demonstrate interculturalp ro f i c i e n c y• Provide optimal learninge n v i ro n m e n t s

RESPONSIBLES T E WA R D S H I P

• Provide exemplary talentand leadership development• Exhibit fiscal responsibility• Demonstrate civicresponsibility

HEALTHY CONSTITUENTR E L AT I O N S H I P S

• Ensure satisfied constituents• Provide effective

communication• Cultivate strong alliances

CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE

• Continuously raise thes t a n d a rd

Vision 2020 means beingfully transparent in thedecisions we make to guideour district, setting prioritiesand sticking to them, andconcentrating our resourceson the programs, practicesand staffing that will bestserve our students in achiev-ing academic success. Vision2020 is ambitious and aimshigh because we are preparingstudents for success in a worldin which many of the jobs theywill hold have yet to be creat-ed. The strategies and actionsteps in this plan are designedto help us reach those goalsand will require significantchanges in policies andpractices throughout thedistrict. You can read moreinformation about Vision 2020on the district website(www. thompsonschools.org).

Additionally, for the firsttime in Thompson SchoolDistrict history, we havedeveloped a plan to achieve

the specific results we areseeking. Our progress towardour goals and objectives willbe monitored using keymeasures such as graduationrates, financial reports,satisfaction surveys and stateassessments. We will reportour progress on a scorecard,published annually so that theresidents of the ThompsonSchool District can see bothour successes and areas fori m p ro v e m e n t .

The success of Vision 2020calls for a commitment fromthe entire Thompson commu-nity to work with us to provideservices and support to closeour achievement gaps andraise the level of achievementfor all students. This will en-sure every student graduatesready for college, a career, andlife in a continually changing,highly competitive and excit-ing world. In advance, I thankyou for your support.

S i n c e r e l y,

Dr. Ron CabreraSuperintendent

Our direction:Vision 2020Dear Readers:

This spring issue of the Thompson School DistrictCommunity News focuses on the five goals of our newstrategic plan, Vision 2020. Through our stories, we willtry to convey how the project, program or activity meetsone or more of the five goals: robust learning, equity inaccess, responsible stewardship, culture of excellence,and healthy constituent relationships. Most of the storiesfall under healthy constituent relationships because theyreveal how the various individuals, organizations andbusinesses work with our schools in partnerships to im-prove the success of our students. The stories only reflecta small picture of the many collaborative learning experi-ences that are taking place in our schools and out in thecommunity. We hope you enjoy seeing just a snapshot ofthe great things that are happening in the ThompsonSchool District.

Melissa AdamsEditor

AsbestosInfor mation

Public NoticeThis notice will serve to

meet the requirements ofthe Environmental Protec-tion Agency 40 Code ofFederal Regulations (CFR)Part 763.83c, Subpart E,Asbestos-Containing Mate-rials in Schools — Manage -ment Plans. This noticehereby informs those inter-ested parties that the As-bestos Management Plans,including reinspections andresponse action activitiesthat are planned or are inprogress for ThompsonSchool District R2-J, areavailable for review be-tween the hours of 8 a.m.and 4 p.m. at the district’sFacilities Services office lo-cated at 255 South Cleve-land, Loveland, CO 80537.

Questions and/or re-quests to review plans orreceive a copy of a schoolplan can be directed toBrian Erickson, director ofFacilities Services, or TrudyTrimbath, environmentalspecialist, by calling970-613-5350. The costof copies will be paid bythe requestor.

Ron Cabrera

KITCHENFrom Page 1

Brand, the Colorado Department of Education’s nu-trition director.

HUSSC awards are presented to schools that takespecific steps to improve their programs andaddress childhood obesity. Schools must apply forthe honor and are selected based on a rigorous setof criteria related to nutrition and physical activity.The Gold of Distinction is the highest awardpossible and includes a monetary prize of $2,000.The HUSSC is a key component of MichelleObama’s “L et’s Move” initiative.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment,” Barnessaid. “We applaud B. F. Kitchen Elementary and itsstaff for their commitment to making healthful foodoptions available for students, and for their commit-ment to nutrition education and physical activity.”

“Our school is one of the healthiest in Coloradoand we work hard to keep it that way,” said Smith.“Our students have physical education every dayand have healthy lunches that include fruits andvegetables. We also have an annual health fair.”

Visits to classrooms often reveal short breaks wherestudents stretch or do jumping jacks.

The celebration occurred during National SchoolBreakfast Week (March 7-11). Each year, USDApartners with the School Nutrition Association andother organizations to raise awareness of the SchoolBreakfast Program and highlight how critical it is tothe health and well-being of the 12 million childrenit serves each school day.

The HUSSC is a voluntary initiative established in2004 to recognize those schools participating in theNational School Lunch Program that have createdhealthier school environments through promotionof nutrition and physical activity.

Among the criteria that B. F. Kitchen had to meetin order to earn the award were:• Provide nutrition education to students• Provide students the opportunity for physicalactivity• Maintain an average daily participation of schoolenrollment for reimbursable lunches of at least 60percent for Silver awards• Adhere to guidelines established by USDA’sFood and Nutrition Service (FNS) for foodsserved/sold in schools outside the National SchoolLunch Program

FNS oversees the administration of 15 nutritionassistance programs, including the school meal pro-grams that touch the lives of one in four Americansover the course of a year. These programs work inconcert to form a national safety net againsthunger. Visit www.fns.usda.gov for informationabout FNS and nutrition assistance programs. Formore on the HealthierUS Schools Challenge, pleasevisit www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthierus/index.html.

At left, Darlene Barnes, regional administra-tor for the USDA’s Food and NutritionService Mountain Plains Region, watches asstaff and students raise the banner theyreceived as part of their award.

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B a byBuddies

Some 70 administrativestaff and some studentsare lending their support

of "Leave no child behind: Birthto graduation" as baby buddiesto 17 children of moms who aretrying to finish school.

The concept of the program,devised by staff at FergusonHigh School who wanted toprovide some encouragementto teen moms, was to helpremove some of the financialbarriers for the moms as well aslend support.

“The baby buddy program ismaking a significant impact onthe physical, emotional andsocial needs of the youngparents in the FHS Teen ParentPro g r a m , ” said Diane Breslin,teen parent coordinator atFerguson High School. “Thecollaborative effort of the TSDadministrative staff to providediapers, toys, clothing, books,etc. shows significant supportfor our Teen Parent Program

and First Steps Nursery. I lovethe concept of our ownassisting our own.”

Staff at the administrationbuilding jumped at the idea ofhelping out with the purchaseof diapers, wipes, bottles,bowls, spoons, clothing of alltypes, gas cards, books, toys,stuffed animals, etc. Some ofthe buddies are individuals;some are groups from variousdepartments. Even somestudents attending transitionschool at the administrationbuilding have stepped up aswell.

“Emotionally, having thisextra support has helped todecrease anxiety and hasfostered self-esteem in themoms as they feel acknowl-edged and special in this part-nership,” Breslin said. “Often,the young moms are judged fortheir circumstances. Havingthe opportunity to tell their

story and share their hopes andgoals helps them to feel moreconfident as parents.”

Baby buddies provide “gifts”each month. In February, themoms made goodies andhosted a small reception for thebuddies, who got some time tomeet the moms, hold the ba-bies or play with the toddlers.“The teen moms have alsobroadened their social experi-ence by meeting with theadministrative staff and havelearned the importance ofexpressing gratitude andwriting thank you notes,”Breslin noted.

Groups and individuals fromFinancial Services, LearningServices, Communication &Community Resources, HumanResources and more chip inpersonally to purchase gifts fortheir buddies.

“I think it is a great idea andis great support,” said DanLucero, interim principal atFerguson High School. “Itsends a really nice message tothe kids that there are peopleout there who want to helpthem – especially coming fromthe administration building.It’s a great project.”

Staff become“baby buddies”to teen moms

and kidsBobbie Murphy, administrative assistant for Learning Services,greets her “b u d d y. ”

Having the opportunity to tell theirstory and share their hopes andgoals helps them to feel moreconfident as parents.”

— Diane Breslin, Ferguson High School

Brianna Allee with her coffee cartdecorated by teacher Terry Bartlow.

Mini Bar ista

Quiet and shy, 4thgrader Brianna Alleeneeded a little boost,

and it came in the form ofcaffeine — not drinking it,but serving it.

General education teach-ing partners Terry Bartlowand Jody Erickson at CarrieMartin Elementary knewthat art class wasn’t workingfor the Down syndrome childwho attends the IntensiveLearning Center, so theythought about a project shecould do instead that mighthelp her come out of hershell.

“It started with hergetting coffee for the teach-ers,” Erickson said. “We hada coffee pot so we made itand she would go take or-ders. She would come backand get the coffee. It hasreally helped with her lan-guage skills,” she said. ThenBartlow stepped in and cre-ated a cart from a projectorcart. He continues to add toit and now Barista Briannawalks around right after thestart of school each Thurs-day offering coffee or hotchocolate to staff with theassistance of the teachers.

“It’s a treat for her and a

treat for the staff,” Ericksonsaid. When she first saw the“tripped up” cart withcandy-cane stripes and afringe on the top, Ericksonsaid her eyes grew large anda smile crossed her face asshe said, “W O W. ” At first shehid behind the cart, but nowshe proudly pushes it downthe hall and takes care of it.

The coffee is provided byMark Ludy, a friend ofBartlow’s who had a coffeeshop in Windsor. Ludy, whois also a children’s book writ-er and illustrator, drew a pic-ture for the front of the cart.

Principal Sheryl Weitzelbeams as she watches thestudent open up. “This wassuch an example of creativityon the part of these twoteachers and it has donewonders for Brianna.”

“And you ought to seeher with the whipped creamcan — she is a master!”Bartlow boasts. That’smaster barista, Mr. Bartlow.

Brianna Allee’s storyconveys the equity in access,responsible stewardshipand culture of excellencecomponents of the district’sstrategic plan.

Br iannaAllee

serves upi m p r ove dlanguageskills andcoffee atCarr ieMar tin

Elementar y

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Briannaser vescoffee toDoraH u n s i n g e r,custodianat CarrieMartin.

Te a c h e rJodyEricksontalks toBriannaas shep re p a re sher cart.

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TV-

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School

More than 20 percent of StansberryElementary students are stayingafter school — not because they

are in trouble, but because they areSOARing and cheering.

Thanks to teacher Melody Johnston, sev-eral other teachers and volunteers, 50-60students participate in additional physicalactivity after school through a running clubin the spring and fall and a cheering club inthe winter.

“Research shows that students that areinvolved/invested in their school will takemore ownership of their academics and be-haviors,” said Johnston, a second gradeteacher. “It also states the importance ofphysical activity.” So, as a former NCAAcheerleader at Colorado State Universitywith her first degree in human nutrition,Johnston stepped up to get the kids mov-ing.

She started the SOAR Feet running clubtwo days a week for six weeks in the fall.SOAR stands for the school’s slogan of safe-ty, ownership, achievement and respect.The students ran around the field clockingtheir miles, she said. “We punched theircard every time they passed the beginning

point,” Johnston said. At the end of run-ning club, the students received "feet" to-kens for their total miles run. “I had somekids that ran 40 MILES!” She said a total of50 kids participated in the club. “We alsoparticipated in the Heart Center of theRockies Kids Run around Boyd Lake. I hadmany students run as well as some who run5Ks,” she added. The club starts again inthe spring when the weather warms up.

But in the cold months, Johnston decid-ed to bring a little of her cheering experi-ence to the kids. She had more than 60 K-5th graders come and learn the rudimentsof cheer. She taught them the importanceof stretching, breathing and, well, cheer-ing. Loud! Together! With feeling! Theymet once a week for six weeks for 45 min-utes learning cheers, dances, stretching,etc. “I have coached high school and com-petitive cheer for seven years, so a cheerclinic just seemed natural,” Johnston said.

The activity has been great and kids of allbody types have joined and enjoyed. “Notall students are athletic,” she acknowl-edged. “So by providing alternative ways to

get kids moving (like cheer, yoga andrunning club), we encourage healthylifestyles, create a community and allowstudents to feel success at school whensome school is daunting.”

Johnston receives assistance from severalvolunteers. “For SOAR Feet I had 5-7 teach-ers and classified staff help with varioustasks. And with cheer I have our new 5thgrade teacher Kirstie Inkley and our physi-cal education teacher Debbie Luithly,” shesaid.

Judging by the enthusiasm and participa-tion of the students, her activities willremain in high demand. “Our society isquickly becoming obese and our future isthese kids. We need to encourage andteach healthy lifestyles so when theybecome adults, they are lifestyle habits.”

This activity reflects the district’sstrategic plan goals of culture of excellence,equity in access and healthy constituentrelationships as well as the core values ofpersonal learning and continuous improve-ment.

Emma Harris

Spir itStansberry students

stay after schoolfor cheering club

Pierce and Illyas Hasert

Selah Moya

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earning 80 percent or less of thearea’s median income,” Mayosaid.

Habitat of Colorado entered in-to a partnership with the district,Mayo said. “TSD builds and cansell to any Habitat affiliate in thestate, but we bought the first instate,” she said.

The home is located at 317Albion Way, adjacent to anotherHabitat home built in thetraditional Habitat way.

Superintendent Ron Cabrerapraised the partnership as well asthe success of the Geometry inConstruction program. “It start-ed before I arrived here, but it isan amazingly effective program,”he said.

MVHS students joined studentsfrom CSU and other volunteersin the celebration along withMVHS teachers Erica DeCosteand Gary Luster, MVHS PrincipalKevin Atenand Tom Mooreand Scott Burkefrom theLoveland HighSchoolGeometry inConstructionp ro g r a m .

“I can’t sayenough aboutthe assistance wereceived in build-ing this house,”said DeCoste, amath teacher atMVHS. She alsothanked TomMoore, former

LHS math teacher, whoshowed her the ropes of teachingmath from a construction per-spective. Moore now acts as aconsultant to the program. “ButI want to thank the kids themost because they are the mostimportant part of this program,”she said.

The Fort Collins unit also plansto purchase the current LHSproject, which is to be placed inWellington. “This will be the firstHabitat house in Wellington,”Mayo said. “I want to thank LHSfor starting this program andallowing us to continue,” shesaid.

Other sponsors includedFirst United Methodist Churchin Loveland, Wells Fargo Founda-tion, State Farm InsuranceCorporate College GrantProgram and ColoradoAssociation of Realtors’ HousingOpportunity Fund. Nearly 30 oth-er businesses and organizationsprovided assistance as well. Formore information about this pro-ject, visit fortcollinshabitat.org orgeometr yinconstruction.org.

MVHS students pose during a check presenta-tion from Wells Fargo Foundation, which con-tributed $10,000 to Fort Collins Habitat forH u m a n i t y.

Loveland High SchoolNational Honor Societystudents participated in

the National EducationAssociation’s Read AcrossAmerica by reading to youngvisitors at Barnes & Nobleat Centerra. Read AcrossAmerica is the celebrationof the birthday of Dr. Seuss(Theodor Geisel).

ReadACROSSAmer ica

Membersof theMVHSGirlsSoccerTeam posewithspecialneedsstudentsat MVHS.

SpecialEffor tsDistricts join forces

to provide localSpecial Olympics

Agroup of teachers from Thomp-son and Poudre school districtsare working to create a Special

Olympics competition on their own turfwith a senior high meet planned inLarimer County.

Mountain View High School teachersEricka Griess, an intensive learningcenter teacher, and Kim Gardner, affec-tive education teacher, connected withtheir counterparts at Fossil Ridge HighSchool in Fort Collins to plan a trackand field event at Fossil Ridge on May 6from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

“For the past five years, we have beentaking our students over to the event inGreeley, and Kim and I thought wewould like to try to have an event here,”Griess said. While this first effort will befor grades 9 and above, including thehigh school transition students, theyhope to extend it to middle school andelementary school in the future.

“We had to be realistic,” Griess said.The pair figures they will need about200 volunteers to assist with the eventthat will include about 200 specialneeds students from the two districts.

“We ’ve already got a lot of staff, theLincoln Elementary Student Counciland the MVHS Girls Soccer Team onb o a rd , ” Gardner said. She is also thecoach of that team and one of her stu-dents, Kelsey, was team manager lastyear and is still assisting this year afterher graduation. “Having them work theevent truly builds connections betweenthe team and kids with disabilities,” shesaid. “And we are all about connectionsand kids accepting one another.”

“This is an official Special Olympicsevent,” Griess said. “We are coordinat-ing the event with the Greeley regionaloffice.”

“We are so excited about this partner-ship,” said Julie Elder, dean of studentsat Fossil Ridge. “We wanted to create anopportunity for our students to be in-volved with regular education studentsin a local event,” she said. “We wantthese kids to feel the spirit and be partof a team like other kids in theirschools do.” She said the idea is to have

each Special Olympian paired with avolunteer from the school so they canshare the excitement of the competi-tion.

The plan is to have T-shirts for theparticipants that reflect the overallevent but that are unique to each stu-dent’s school so they will feel connectedas a competitor from their home highschool.

In March, the organizers held afundraiser at Crazy Jack’s betweenLoveland and Fort Collins. They have

worked on getting sponsors and arealready looking toward next year’sevent. “This is going to be great,”Griess said. “The facilities at FossilRidge are perfect for this event — it istotally accessible.”

Both MVHS teachers are excitedabout the event building connections inthe community. “We want people tocross paths with our kids so they betterunderstand them and build that senseof community,” Griess said. She addedthat having something that the kids canparticipate in gives them a deeper senseof belonging. Having it more local alsocreates a community among the partic-ipating students. “They meet kids thatthey will meet again through schoolevents and classes. It builds cama-raderie among them.”

The three encourage attendance tothe free event (donations accepted) sopeople can feel the spirit and joy of thestudents in a Special Olympics event.

This effort incorporates the equity inaccess, culture of excellence, and healthyconstituent relationship goals of the dis-trict’s Vision 2020 Strategic Plan.

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focus has been her commit-ment on the local level toher students. She incorpo-rates real-life learningexperiences for students tolearn and grow fromincluding a pool-side life-threatening simulation withlocal EMS response. InAy e r s ’ self-defense class,female students defendthemselves from a “bad guy,”practicing various self-defense strategies — Ay e r sencourages her students tobe empowered.

“Kris’s curriculum goesbeyond what’s expected fromthe state standards. Ourstudents have been given agreat advantage in preparingfor the real world throughthe many resources shebrings into the physicaleducation program,” saidTVHS Principal MarkJohnson.

Among her other duties,Ayers is the physical educa-tion curriculum coordinatorfor the Thompson SchoolDistrict, a district teachermentor, and the PhysicalEducation Department chairfor TVHS. Her many profes-

sional affiliations include:the National Association forSport and PhysicalEducation/AmericanAlliance for Health, PhysicalEducation, Recreation andDance (NASPE/AAHPERD);the Colorado Association forHealth, Physical Education,Recreation and Dance(CAHPERD); and theAmerican Association forHealth Education. Ayersholds a Bachelor of Artsdegree in physical educationand health from Fort LewisCollege and a Master of Artsin special education moder-ate needs from the Universi-ty of Northern Colorado.

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“We want people tocross paths

with our kids so theybetter understand them and

build that sense ofc o m mu n i t y. ”

— Ericka Griess, Mountain View High School teacher

Kris Ayers at the centraldistrict award ceremony. Come experience the journey with The

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Ateam of five students, four from Berthoud HighSchool and one homeschooled, will be competing inthe VEX Robotics World Championship in Orlando,

Fla., at the end of April.Three BHS teams made it to the VEX Robotics National

Championship. Students had to compete in regional andstate tournaments to advance. From there, they had to betournament champions to make it to the world champi-onship, said BHS teacher Robert Sommerfeld, coach of theteams. “We had two teams who placed well enough in thetournaments to be invited to the VEX Robotics NationalChampionship and one team earned a backup position tobe invited,” he said. The 1069B team going to nationals andworlds is composed of Chad Schlage, Trevor Von Seggern,Michael Strandquist, Brandon Montero and Melody Blackis.

Teams also going to nationals are: 1069A composed ofDaniel Weinsten, Tasha Wagler, Averie Lester, Kayla Fast andJames Wood; and 1069E composed of Jon Neuhalfen, EmilyBirkmaier, Trenton Pippin-Mandley and Kaleb Stennis.

Mixed teams that made it to the world competition are:1069A composed of BHS student Brandon Montero andhomeschooled student Trevor Von Seggern; and 974M com-posed of Caleb Hammel and Clay Rayment, BHS, RachaelStewart, Thompson Valley High School, and Savanna Inmanand Linda Baker, Rocky Mountain High School.

Middle school Berthoud Community Team 974 earned aspot to the VEX Robotics World Championship in Orlandoas well. Team members are Chase Rayment from Bill ReedMiddle School, Mark Stewart from Walt Clark MiddleSchool, and Zac Marquardt from Turner Middle School.

For more information about the competitions, go toh t t p : / / f i r s t l e g o l e a g u e . o rg / w h e r e - i s - f l l / t w o c o l . a s p x ? i d = 2 5 4 .

OX Y G E NFrom Page 1

“My grandma is on long-term oxygen and shesometimes forgets to turn the oxygen up anddown — that is hard on a patient, but it alsowastes a lot of oxygen, like about 25 percent.”

— Daniel Probasco

From left to right, Coach Dawn Canny, Nick Brubaker, Ian Spence, Cody Marvin,Daniel Probasco and Patrick Canny. The group works around their oxygen project.

them answers. “It’s hard tostand back and not provide so-lutions, but that is my role — Iquestion, I answer their ques-tions, but it’s all their project,”he said.

For the competition season,students are given a topic, andthis year’s was biomedical tech-nology. Each team receives abasic robot and must completea game where the robot mustsolve problems at stops along atable within a certain amountof time. Then the studentsmust create and solve a prob-lem off the table. That’s whereOptimal Oxygen came intop l a y.

“The kids came up with thisidea because one of the roboticplayer's grandmothers is aLTOT (long-term oxygentherapy) user,” Coach Cannysaid. “... and his family isintimately familiar with theshortcomings of the currentsystem that most LTOT usershave in place.”

“My grandma is on long-termoxygen and she sometimesforgets to turn the oxygen upand down – that is hard on apatient, but it also wastes a lotof oxygen, like about 25 per-cent,” said Probasco, who is ahomeschooled student workingwith the four Walt Clark MiddleSchool students. He explainedthat $18 billion a year is spenton oxygen. “So we couldbenefit patients and save$4-5 billion a year,” he added.

The system would constantlytake readings from a micropulse oximeter that would beinserted in the nasal cannula

determining the level of oxygenin the patient's blood. Whentheir oxygen requirementsincrease (determined by alower level of oxygen in theirblood such as during exercise),Optimal Oxygen would auto-matically change the level ofoxygen that the user is receiv-ing. It is a system that requiresno manual intervention.

On the game table, the robothas several tasks to accomplishin a few stops. The team has yetto accomplish all of their stepswithin the 2.5 minute period.

“But our aim at internationalsis to do it, and that’s what weare working on now,” saidB r u b a ke r.

While they share all of theduties in building, program-ming, designing, etc., thestudents recognize variousstrengths within each otherand use them. Spencedescribed himself and Marvinas the “big picture” guys wholook at all of the issues. “Codyand I look at the broad strate-gy, the big picture. Then onceyou get down to the middle

part, that’s where Nick comesin, with quality assurance. ThenPatrick and Daniel are detailguys – the minutia,” he said,with Canny doing a lot of thep ro g r a m m i n g .

Each member of the teamhas been appropriately knight-ed in relation to their charac-ter/qualifications. Spence is SirCollaborator; Marvin is SirQuotes A Lot; Brubaker is SirAssure; Probasco is Sir Stead-fast; and Canny is Sir Slash(// as in programming).

“We all have specific jobs, but

we discuss what to do,”Brubaker said. During competi-tion, however, each is ready tojump in and do whatever itt a ke s .

“They really know each otherand if they have a conflict, theywork it out,” said Coach Canny.Coach Brubaker agreed thatthe boys don’t fight. They talkand work it out.

The students have beenmeeting for about two hoursper practice about twice a weekfor seven months. About 70percent of practice time isdevoted to the robot game, andabout 30 percent is devoted tothe project.

When asked how she gotinvolved with the coaching,Canny said she had a passionfor curious learners. “Pa t r i c k ’spassion lies in science, engi-neering and robotics. I have notechnical experience. My skillslie primarily in team buildingand creative problem solving. Iwant to encourage other par-ents out there without techni-cal experience that coachingLEGO Robotics is somethingthey can do,” she said.

The season started with some300 teams and each step alongthe way, the Knights of theField Table have earned moreskills and elevated their game.“When we won state, we werethrilled, but also a bit stunned!It took a while for the honor tosink in – to be one of 25 teamsin the entire United States tobe invited to the worldcompetition is quite anhonor!” Coach Canny said.

For more information, go towww.usfirst.org. The group istrying to raise $10,000 in orderto attend the world competi-tion in St. Louis April 27-30.They can be seen on Facebookat Knights of the Field Table.

BHS VEX teams,others headed fornationals, worlds

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Bill WrideBarb Swanson

Becky KisslerCeleste Hyland

Educatorsof theYe a r

B. F.Kitchenkinder -gartenteacherBill Wridedanceswith hisstudentsduringclass.

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B. F. Kitchen kindergarten teacher Bill Wridewas named Teacher of the Year during theannual Thompson Education Foundation

Educator Appreciation Breakfast at BrooksideGardens in Berthoud. One award was given in eachof the district’s employee categories.

Other awards went to: Celeste Hyland, Principal ofthe Year; Becky Kissler, Classified Employee of theYear; and Barb Swanson, Administrative/Professional/Technical (APT) Employee of the Year.

Wride is known for his creativity, humor andplaying the guitar as a teaching tool. "Mr. Wride hasa selfless attitude. He is always helpful and upbeatand never seems worn down or frustrated,” onenominator wrote. “He makes a great impact on allhis students, but I'm especially grateful that he actsas a positive male role model in the lives of manychildren who would not otherwise get that experi-

ence. Additionally, Mr. Wride is excellent withparents. He is always outside making contact withparents and involving them in every way possible.”

Hyland, who has been at Garfield ElementarySchool for several years, was commended for herwork with her school’s community. “Celeste hasinspired me with her intense passion. She hastirelessly advocated for Garfield students, staffand parents. She truly believes in the value of eachindividual and she is committed to making positivethings happen for everyone in the Garfieldc o m m u n i t y. "

Kissler is a faculty assistant at Coyote RidgeElementary School. She was acknowledged forgoing above and beyond for her school, staff andstudents. "She sets up and participates in all of ourPBiS Family Nights, attends every evening SAACmeeting and never requests to be paid for theseactivities,” a nominator wrote. “She demonstratesher belief that it is critical for all parents to becomeand stay actively involved in our school, and sheinvites their participation by being there herself."

Swanson, insurance and risk manager for thedistrict, was recognized for being a role model toothers. "She leads by example and doesn't ask othersto do something she is unwilling to do herself,” anominator wrote. “She accepts people where they

are and yet encourages them to grow personally andp ro f e s s i o n a l l y. "

This is the third year for the breakfast, which drewsome 285 people to celebrate the winners as well ashear about projects funded through TEF’s CreativityGrants. A total of 106 nominees were recognized in-cluding 50 teachers, 19 principals, 32 classified staffand 5 APT staff.

The nominations, submitted by students, staff,parents and community members, were reviewed bythe Thompson Education Foundation Board ofDirectors. Winners were chosen based on the entriesthat demonstrated that the nominee has exempli-fied the qualities of empowering, challenging, andinspiring the people and students they work withand the community around them. Nominationswere opened to the community in November 2010and closed in January.

Sponsors for the event were: Healthy Kids Clubfrom Poudre Valley Health System; The UPS Store;Edward Jones (Doug Rechkemmer); WealthManagement Group of Wells Fargo Advisors(Roger Bates); Starr & Westbrook, P.C.;Northwestern Mutual; and The Group Inc. RealEstate. Door prize sponsors were: 4th StreetChophouse; Gold’s Gym; Group Publishing;Johnson’s Corner; and The UPS Store.

The tennis courts at Berthoud High School were builtin conjunction with the reconstruction of theirrigation pond at BHS. The project was funded by

capital reserve money with the help of the Payments inLieu of Land (PILO) dedication. The six new tennis courtswere constructed by Hall Irwin Construction Company anddesigned by The Birdsall Group. The design consultants ofThe Birdsall Group were: Jim Birdsall, lead architect;Gary Weeks, structural engineer; R.J. McNutt, electricalengineer; Earth Engineering, geotechnical engineers; andNorthstar Design, civil engineers.

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Anew relationship developed this yearbetween 4th grade students and high schoolstudents. From the looks of it, it could be the

beginning of a beautiful and musical friendship.All 4th graders from the district were treated to

an hour with the Loveland High School WindSymphony as part of their music standards toattend a performance using the Encounter withMusic Trust Fund to support a field trip. It allstarted when elementary music teacher andcurriculum liaison Susan Harding decided to focuson instrumental music this year instead of musicaltheater performances as in previous years.

“We originally were trying to attend a FortCollins Symphony concert, but due to renovationsto the Lincoln Center, they were not able to accom-modate us this year,” Harding said. “After hearingabout the LHS Wind Symphony’s acceptance toattend and perform at the Western InternationalBand Clinic in Seattle and the Colorado MusicEducators Association conference, we knew theywould be capable of providing a truly exceptionalmusical performance for the 4th grade students aswell as giving the students a vision for their ownmusical potential as a Thompson School Districtstudent.”

She received no argument from LHS BandDirector Matthew Arau. He was able to accommo-date all of the 4th graders in the LHS auditoriumduring two sessions, which were regular class timefor members of the Wind Symphony. And they wereready for the challenge. “The week prior I asked thesections to prepare something fun to show off theirinstrument to the 4th grade students. We also

performed pieces that we had played at CMEA andWIBC,” he said.

Arau engaged the 4th grade students by askingthem questions and having them identify some ofthe familiar tunes from such shows as Pirates of theCaribbean, Star Wars and more. “My students reallyenjoyed playing for such an engaged and responsiveaudience. They had a lot of fun playing for enthusi-astic 4th graders. It was so much fun to hear thecheering and excitement from the students. Itseemed that the 4th graders had a great time.”

Harding agreed. “After our experience Feb. 7,and the response Feb. 11 from the students, Iwould wholeheartedly do this again,” she said.“Seeing and hearing high school students performwas truly a meaningful experience for the 4th gradestudents.”

In the recent past, the district has workedthrough the Rialto Theater to provide perfor-mances that meet the standards. Harding com-mends the local theater for its partnerships. “TheRialto has worked great in the past and they havebeen great partners to the TSD, especially when wewere looking for a musical theater production.”

When they switched gears a little this year,Harding said that the elementary music teachersused the weeks leading up to the concert to focuson the standards in their 4th grade lesson plans,teaching the instruments of the orchestra and bandas well as appropriate audience behavior. “We evendedicated our last district professional develop-ment Wednesday to share ideas and lesson plansfocused on these specific standards.”

As for Arau, would he be willing to do it again? “Ihope that we will be asked to do this performance/presentation again next year. We had a blast!”

The strategic plan goals of robust learning,responsible stewardship, culture of excellence andhealthy constituent relationships are evident in thismulti-level effort.

THEORY OF MUSIC — ANALYZE VOCAL ANDINSTRUMENTAL EXAMPLES

a. Aurally and visually identify specificinstruments of the band and orchestra

b. Aurally identify music performed in two ormore parts

c. Aurally identify music from various periods inhistor y

AESTHETIC VALUATION OF MUSIC

a. Explain personal preferences for specific musicb. Comprehend and respect the musical values of

others considering cultural context as an elementof musical evaluation and meaning

Attending the LHS WindSymphony concert tied into manyof the new state standards:

Different sections of the LHS Wind Symphony intro-duced their instruments, including students who plays a xo p h o n e s .

StrikingA

LHS Wind Symphonystrikes a chord withdistrict 4th graders

Chor d

Help Kids Succeedfills backpacks forstudents in need

The Help Kids Succeedcampaign, sponsored byseveral community organiza-

tions, will again be providingbackpacks filled with schoolsupplies to ThompsonSchool District studentsin need.

This will be theeighth year that thepartnership — in -cluding Thomp-son EducationFoundation, theThompson SchoolDistrict, the LovelandChamber of Commerce, the Loveland Reporter-Herald,United Way, Salvation Army, Sertoma Club and, morerecently, Rocky Mountain Cheer & Dance — has managedthe Help Kids Succeed program, providing over 1,200backpacks full of school supplies to kids in need.

While several community organizations provide cashdonations, the campaign is a communitywide effort inwhich people send money to the foundation to supportthe project. Support of one backpack filled with suppliesis about $15. Look for ads this year in the LovelandReporter-Herald that provide information on how tocontribute. Donations may be sent directly to Help KidsSucceed, c/o Thompson Education Foundation, 800 S. TaftAvenue, Loveland, Colorado 80537. For more information,call Mechelle Martz-Mayfield at 970-613-5067.8

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Ocean BowlSuccess

Loveland High School placed third in the regional Ocean Bowl competi-tion in February. Teacher Darlene Halvorsen is pictured at front left.Members of the LHS team were Kahleah Walker, Dalton Meyer, Gavin

Stewart and Tim Buckley. The team received backpacks full of prizes and aplaque to take back to the school. The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB)is an academic competition that tests high school students’ knowledge of themarine sciences including biology, chemistry, physics and geology.

Ar tistic

Two Thompson Valley High School seniors have art-work contending for a national competition atCarnegie Hall in New York in June.

Molly Markow, winner of a state Scholastic Gold KeyFine Arts Portfolio award, and Haley Dukart, winner of aGold Key Individual Work award, have won the statehonors. Now they are competing nationally to be hon-ored at a reception at Carnegie Hall in June. Their workwas celebrated at the Scholastic Art and Writing Awardsin Colorado this winter and was displayed at the RockyMountain School of Art and Design. Markow’s work iscurrently on display at the Denver Art Museum in thelower gallery, and she was honored at the Denver ArtMuseum during a Denver Rotary luncheon on Feb. 22.

HIGH SCHOOL WINNERS:

• Gold Key Fine Arts Portfolio Award (8 works):Molly Markow, TVHS• Gold Key Individual Work Award: Haley Dukart, TVHS• Silver Key Individual Work Award: Austin Armstrong,TVHS, and Molly Markow, TVHS• Honorable Mention: Sarah Ashbaugh, Andrea Brush,Molly Markow and Elizabeth Suriani from TVHS; andCameron Morse, Katie Rasmussen, Kaylee Ross andAnnaliese Vucich from Mountain View High School

Achievements

Shown is one piece in TVHS senior Molly Markow’s portfolio.

TVHS & LHS

BYU Singers to perform — TheLoveland High School and ThompsonValley High School music departments aresponsoring the Brigham Young UniversitySingers April 28 at 7 p.m. at RobertaPrice Auditorium at TVHS. Tickets are$10 at the door (no presales).

LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Pennies for Patients — Lincoln’s KIDCouncil organized a Pennies for Patientsfundraising campaign to help childrenfacing serious illnesses. Our goal was toraise $250, and we collected $1,157.78.We are proud of our students’ efforts andg e n e ro s i t y !

Letters to ACE — Participating in theletter writing campaign to ACE(Aerospace and Clean Energy Manufactur-ing and Innovation Park) gave us awonderful opportunity to engage studentsin writing for a purpose and a specificaudience. Imagine how students will feelif indeed Loveland is chosen for ACE,knowing they had a part in making thishappen. Here is an excerpt from one ofthe letters:

Dear ACE,Loveland would be a great place to start

your business. Loveland has a wonderfulrecycling business. We have a cleanrecycling business because we would liketo keep our town safe and to keep it cleanto feel like home. We are also close to themost beautiful mountains in the worldwith wonderful nature, too. We also have anice, wonderful, tall sculpture park. Some-times people come from all over the worldto see when we have Sculpture in the Park.That’s why I think you should pickLoveland to do your business.

Chess Club — Ninestudents from Lincolnparticipated in thedistrict Chess ClubTournament. Specialcongratulations to 2ndgrader Cody Thompsonwho placed 5th in the K-3division. We’re proud ofall our participants.

Positive choices —Lincoln is highlighting

the positive choices students are makingon the playground by using problem-solving strategies they have learnedthrough counseling lessons. Graphs areposted for each of the problem-solvingstrategies and students watch withexcitement as the graph grows with thespecific names of students who have been“spotted” using the strategy. So far, thewinning strategy is “Share and TakeTu r n s ” with “Talk it Out” a close second.We are working hard to reduce incidencesof bullying, and we are proud of ourstudents who are using these strategies tosolve problems.

SARAH MILNER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Health fair — On April 15, SarahMilner will be hosting a 9Health Fair. Thefair will be hosted by student councilmembers to educate the entire schoolabout health-related issues like goodsanitation, skin/sun safety, proper dentalcare and more!

WINONA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Winona reads with “stars” — Wi n o n aElementary School reached for the starsin January with its Reading with the Starsnight. Several members of the communi-ty, including the mayor of Loveland, readto students.

“It was a great example of the

community becoming involved with theschool,” said teacher Candie Joshi aboutthe evening.

Each “star” was assigned to a room.The star would read for 10 minutesand then students switched rooms tohear another star. Readers includedLoveland Mayor Cecil Gutierrez, authorZach Wood, a newspaper reporter, anarchaeologist, police officers, high schoolfootball players, an illustrator, and muchmore!

Joshi said that more than 800 bookswere donated to the school, primarilyfrom the Book Haven. “Anthology BookStore also came through for us, donatingtwo boxes of books,” Joshi said. “We alsohad many books delivered to our schoolfrom community members.”

The Chick-fil-A cows were on handpassing out bookmarks with a coupon(very appropriate!). In addition, SchoolTechnology eXtensions had freecookies and hot cocoa forattendees.

LUCILE ERWIN MIDDLE SCHOOL

String quartet study — Thanksto a grant from the MargaretFoote Fund, Lucile Erwin andConrad Ball middle schools arestudying string quartets withfaculty from the String QuartetProgram of Northern Colorado.Students progressed wonderful-ly and presented their work ina master class/performanceon March 4. A formalconcert for these studentswas held at Lucile ErwinMiddle School on March 8and will be held at ConradBall Middle School May 3.

CONRAD BALL MIDDLE SCHOOL

Garden of “Eaten”? — Students inConrad Ball’s FLIGHT Program, com-posed of at-risk kids along with thespecial needs kids, will work together onbuilding and planting a garden thanks toa $908.10 grant from the Larimer CountyOpen Lands Program.

“The garden is called Garden ofEaten — I know, cheesy, but it works forus!” said Dorothy Fuller, teacher andsponsor of the group at CBMS. “The kidsin our families along with staff will takecare of it over the summer and then theyget free food,” Fuller said. “We wanted toget our community involved to help withour growing need of hungry kids.” Shesaid the group will start soon on buildingand starting plants, etc.

Valentines for nursing home — Thesame CBMS group listed above also made120 Valentine cards for the residents atNorth Shore Manor and made braceletsthat another family will use as a fundrais-er for their child that is fighting cancer.Children from that family attend CBMSand Mary Blair Elementary School.

This year’s Leadership Loveland class visited PonderosaElementary School as part of their Education Day on March 8.The group also visited Coyote Ridge Elementary, Thompson

School District’s administration offices, as well as Colorado StateUniversity. Leadership Loveland is a program sponsored by theLoveland Chamber of Commerce.

Leadership Loveland

School & District BriefsEditor’s Note: The briefs in this publication weresubmitted by district schools and departments.

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� See BRIEFS/Page 10

TURNER MIDDLE SCHOOL

After-school club — IFFCO (Identified Floating, Flyingand Crashing Objects) is a new after-school club for studentswho are interested in applying project-based learning thatemphasizes math, science, physics and art. The students buildidentified floating, flying and crashing objects. They are cur-rently working on the physics of flying by building prototypes.Currently, there are 30 students participating.

First aid/CPR — As part of their health class, Turner 7thgrade students had the opportunity to receive their CPR /AEDFirst Aid certification for adults, children and infants. Forty-sixstudents became certified by the American Red Cross.

Marathon miles — The school wellness committee andstudent-led Fuel Up to Play 60 team works together to teachstudents how to eat healthy and get students moving. EachMonday and Wednesday, students are encouraged to walk orrun around the school’s track during their lunch recess.Students are awarded a necklace and plastic feet for every fivemiles they complete. A special prize is awarded when astudent completes a marathon (26.2 miles). Seventh graderZac Marquardt was the first student at Turner to finish themarathon distance. Many students and staff members cheeredas Marquardt crossed the finish line. “I knew he was going tofinish his marathon and I wanted to be sure to see it,” com -mented Eileen Hoover, a senior citizen who has been countingmost of the laps that Marquardt and other students have runin the Mileage Club. Several senior citizens have helped withthe program throughout the school year, but Hoover andRebecca Ryan were consistently there through the winter.

DISTRICT

MathCounts results — The district MathCounts competi-tion was Feb. 5 at Walt Clark Middle School. Conrad Ball,Lucile Erwin, Turner and Walt Clark middle schools each hadteams participating. The individual results were: LaurenHoward , WCMS, 1st; Amber Wiens, WCMS, 2nd; Sean Jordan,TMS, 3rd; and Gabriel Vigil, TMS, 4th.

Chess results — The district Chess Tournament was Feb. 5at Conrad Ball Middle School with more than 100 studentsparticipating. Students from Thompson schools as well ashomeschooled children participated. Thompson students inthe top 10 in each division are listed with their school andplacement order.K-3rd grade: Megan Stackhouse, Cottonwood Plains, 3rd;Luke Namesnik, New Vision Charter, 4th; Cody Thompson,Lincoln, 5th; Evan Taylor, Mary Blair, 6th; Nicole Rogers,Coyote Ridge, 7th; Megan Lindsey, Coyote Ridge, 8th; AaronForster, Garfield, 9th; and Cleveland Odd, Stansberry, 10th.4th-6th grade: Jacob Bennert, Turner, 2nd; BrandonLindsey, Coyote Ridge, 3rd; Josh Stackhouse, Lucile Erwin,4th; Jared Ogg, Cottonwood Plains, 5th; Heron Lenz, CoyoteRidge, 6th; Micah Ramirez, Namaqua, 7th; Ben Krueger,Turner, 8th; and Anand Vissa, Coyote Ridge, 9th.7th-12th grade: Kevin Green, BHS, 1st; Spencer Golsan, BHS,2nd; Jacob Schafer, WCMS, 3rd; Kimball Taylor, CBMS, 4th;Sam Hardy, TVHS, 5th; Zach Holsinger, WCMS, 6th;Keegan Heyart, TMS, 7th; Jonathan Whitaker, New VisionCharter, 8th; Kane Remmick, CBMS, 9th; and Wes Wilson,WCMS, 10th.

Seventh grader Zac Marquardt was the first student atTurner Middle School to finish the marathon distance.

BRIEFSFrom Page 9

LittleBooksLittle science bookscontinue to make

impact at Conrad Ball

Mallori Neeper and Kaitlyn Shedds selectpictures they will use in their little book.

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In 10 years, 7th graders at Conrad BallMiddle School have created and deliveredsome 8,000 little books to various levels

of readers in the community and beyond, in-dicating that this multi-layered curriculumthat crosses from science to language arts iseffective and popular.

This year, science and social studiesteacher Lynn Gilbert is at it again, teamingwith another teacher and working with200 students to meet the new standards increating little science books for their peersas well as younger students.

“It doesn’t get old because there is alwayssomething new,” Gilbert said. This year, her“experienced” bookmakers are teamed withstudents in Gabe Cervantes’ classes, andeach pair of students must make a book thatfalls within the curriculum guidelines.

“This is like a big research project rolled upinto one little book,” Gilbert said. “The kidsdo the same amount of research, but most ofthe kids don’t groan when they hear about

it.” To figure out who was doing what, and sothey didn’t have 100 books on popularanimals such as polar bears, Gilbert andCervantes made lists of geographic areas,then a range of plant and animal classes.Each student pair selected a geographic areaand a class. For instance, one group selectedNorth America and reptiles. Within thatcategory, they have some flexibility. Thatteam — Mallori Neeper and Kaitlyn Shedds— selected the snapping turtle.

“With the new standards, we have so muchground to cover. Having 100 teams doingsomething different, we cover a lot of groundbecause they share all of this work,” Gilbertsaid.

As a new teacher, Cervantes is excitedabout the project. “This is a great way topractice writing and do some meaningfulr e s e a rc h , ” he said. “Plus, some of the kidsare very motivated by the fact that the booksmight be published outside of the schoolenvironment. It’s also a great co-teachingexperience,” he said.

The little book templates are provided byRealeBooks. Students conduct theirresearch, locate their pictures, cite theirsources, organize their information anddesign within the templates.

Once they have finished, the students willshare their book online with their parents orsomeone else. As in the past, some of thebooks may be selected to be given out toother students. For several years, the kids atConrad Ball created the books for theLiteracy Fair held in March by the district’sEarly Childhood program. In the past,Gilbert’s classes and others produced booksfor the Early Childhood students thanks tofunding support from the Thompson ValleyRotary Club and an extended grant fromRotary International. During that time, thestudents actually delivered the books to thestudents and read to them as well. They havealso shared the books with students fromother countries. “There is really no end tohow many directions we can go,” Gilbertsaid.

And, it seems every step they take dovetailsinto the direction of the state and districtcontent standards as well as with the goalsof Vision 2020, most notably robust learning,culture of excellence, and healthyconstituent relationships.

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Abimonthly, streamed video program features afew of the many community-school partnershipsthat enrich the learning and activities provided in

the Thompson Schools.Twice a month, Stepping Up, hosted by district staff

Michael Jones and Wes Fothergill, introduces how thesepartnerships benefit the schools, the students and theorganizations that provide assistance. The lightheartedhalf-hour program, produced by Thompson SchoolsTelevision, includes interviews with students, teachersand community members and has even included a dog,which was part of Human-Animal Bond in Colorado(HABIC). HABIC works with students at Laurene Ed-mondson Elementary School, thanks to sponsorship byTom Dwyer and the Embassy Suites in Loveland.

"It's been really great to learn about all of the differ-ent partnerships our schools and departments havewith organizations outside of our district,” Fo t h e rg i l lsaid. “But the best part is hearing from our studentsabout how those partnerships have made a difference intheir lives.”

Other programs have included partnerships between:the Geometry in Construction program and Habitat forHumanity; the volunteer programs in the schools andthe district; the Boys & Girls Club and Truscott Ele-mentary; Grace Place and Turner Middle School; PhiloClub and several schools for their food drive; Mary BlairElementary and seven local organizations, including theLarimer County Food Bank and Poudre Valley HealthSystem’s Healthy Kids Club, for the Kids Club at MapleTerrace; Colorado State University, Winona Elementary(and other schools) and Nutrition Services for variousnutrition projects; Namaqua Elementary and the Uni-versity of Northern Colorado for a reading tutor pro-gram; and more.

Jones is the assistant superintendent of Human Re-sources & School Support. Fothergill is director ofCommunication & Community Resources.

If your organization is participating in a partnershipwith our schools, contact Fothergill at 613-6086.

Stepping Upr e c o g n i ze s

c o m mu n i t y - s c h o o lpar tnerships

There aren’t many betterlearning experiences forfuture teachers than to

be in the classroom with stu-dents, immediately attached totheir own in-class time withuniversity peers and teachers.All of the students involvedbenefit.

That’s the opportunity Uni-versity of Northern Coloradostudents have through a read-ing diagnostic program withDr. Michael Opitz, Ph.D.,professor of literacy at UNC.The future teachers actuallyattend class at NamaquaElementary School during thefall. Then they work one-on-one with some 20 students in areading intervention programto improve the reading skills ofstudents who need extra help.

“What’s great is we spendtime in our class learningteaching skills and can goright out and apply them andsee if and how they work,” saidKatie Hansen, a UNC studentteacher working at Namaqua.She worked with studentEmma Briles to find strategiesthat would help Briles becomea better reader. “I really want-ed to make reading fun and sopicked books she might like,”

Hansen said. She found thatBriles liked biographies andfantasy, so she selected TaylorSwift’s biography and HarryPotter books. “We would read alittle, write a little, do somesilent reading — a little ofever ything.”

“She made reading reallyfun,” Briles said. “Before I hadher, I didn’t like reading. But Igot to learn about someoneelse with biographies and gotto go somewhere else with thefairy tales.”

Hansen said the immediatehands-on approach was crucialand rewarding. “It was great tohave the assessment andpractice all at once and to usethat assessment to help findbooks.”

Namaqua Principal RickBowles said he has seenpositive results. “We have seenimproved acuity and other testscores,” he said. “Plus, therelationship is important. Thestudent teachers really buildbonds with the kids.”

During second semester, sev-eral of the kids and their UNC

tutors still attend tutoringclasses every Tuesday night atthe UNC-Centerra classrooms.

Opitz, who has been ineducation and in the forefrontof literacy programs for 37years, said this particularprogram actually is connectedwith Linda Leon, formerly theIntensive Reading teacher atNamaqua who is now at theReading Center at UNC,which provides tutoring andoutreach.

He said results are evident inthe young students. “It bene-fits everybody involved,” hesaid. “It gives our future teach-ers better insight into howkids operate and it’s good forthe students who improvetheir reading,” he said. “Butit’s also good for them and meto want to always be connectedand to be involved.”

This partnership is reflectiveof all five strategic plan goals:equity in access, robustlearning, responsible steward-ship, culture of excellence,and healthy constituentre l a t i o n s h i p s .

Te a c h e r sof the

FutureUNC program

mixes class timewith student time

Student teacher Katie Hansen and student Emma Brilestalk about the reading program at Namaqua on a segment ofStepping Up.

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Elementary and middle school students participatedin the district spelling bee. Ami Jones (above) fromStansberry Elementary, who won 1st place at the

elementary level, accepts an award from Danel Lins,Gifted & Talented education parent liaison & enrichmentcoordinator. In 2nd place was Megan Krumweide fromStansberry, and in 3rd place was Chase Corlett fromIvy Stockwell. At the middle school level, the winnerswere: Rocky Eisentraut, Bill Reed, 1st; Ken Kubik, Turner,2nd; Olivia Conde, Turner, 3rd; Mark Stewart and HannahStippich, Turner, 4th; and Bridget Hyde, Lucile Erwin,6th.The top six middle school students were eligible tocompete at the state spelling bee in Denver on March 19.

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Middle school students from four districtsparticipated in a regional forensics meetsponsored by the Lucile Erwin Forensics Club

on Feb. 25 at Lucile Erwin Middle School.Ninety-two students from Thompson, Weld 6, Poudre

and Cherry Creek school districts competed in Debate,Poetry, Prose, Original Oratory, Duo Interpretation,Improvisation, Humor and Drama. Turner and LucileErwin middle schools were represented from Thompson.Awards were presented to the top six competitors in eachcategory, said LEMS sponsor Sue Teumer.

THOMPSON STUDENTS WHO PLACED INCLUDED:

• Forrest Vargas, LEMS, 7th grade –1st place Impromptu (out of 28 participants)

• Maisie Phillips, LEMS, 7th grade –3rd place Impromptu

• Hannah Meador, LEMS, 7th grade –1st place Original Oratory

• Maisie Phillips, LEMS, 7th grade –2nd place Original Oratory

LEMS students placeat forensics meet

Bob Hewson is proud ofbringing parents off thebleachers and onto the

field with their kids.He has been sharing the love

of outdoor activities with fami-lies in the Thompson SchoolDistrict and surrounding areafor 10 years through ColoradoYouth Outdoors. During itsearly years, CYO actuallyworked out of school facilitiesto bring parents and studentstogether in a partnership toparticipate in a variety ofoutdoor activities includingtrap shooting, fly fishing,archery, spin fishing, outdoorsurvival and more.

“The sweetness of it is reach-ing out to area high schools,bringing parents and kids to-gether to make connectionswith each other as well as withthe environment aroundthem,” Hewson said. “Thewhole idea is for the parentand child to work as a teamand make connections, findc o m m o n a l i t y. ”

Now with its own 240 acresto house its activities, thenonprofit can serve more withits own program as well asprovide activities and a locationfor nonprofits and organiza-tions from Denver north suchas the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts,Foothills Gateway and more.

The program operatesthrough the school year offer-ing traditional outdoor activi-ties through a 12-week pro-gram offered twice a year. Theparents and youth meet once aweek to spend time learningand working together, he said.“Our gift is the gift of time tospend together,” Hewson said.“It is amazing what this can doto a parent-youth relationship.”

Once the initial program iscompleted, participants areeligible to sign up for any of theCYO Adventure Series, whichare excursions ranging fromovernight fly fishing, campingand hunting trips to rod-building classes or other activi-ties that Hewson said provideopportunities to learn, connectand experience the outdoorsand family relationships.

Some of the neatest experi-ences have been watching amom and her 14-year-old boyconnect or a very busy fatherand daughter engage, he said.Then they return. “They comehere to spend time doing some-thing meaningful with their sonor daughter,” Hewson said.

Hewson’s staff is composedprimarily of teachers — threefrom Thompson, one fromPoudre and one from Greeley— plus himself and programmanager Brad Wright. Wrightwas seeking volunteer hourswhen he was attending theUniversity of NorthernColorado and connected withTom Hewson (Bob’s brotherand Thompson Valley HighSchool science teacher) atchurch. He volunteered forCYO and began writing grants.

Greig McAlpin teaches 2ndgrade at Monroe Elementary

and is also an instructor forCYO. It fits in with his love ofthe outdoors as well as his loveof teaching. “You meet thesefamilies and watch them buildon their relationships. It’sreally cool,” he said. He,Hewson and Wright are allgraduates of TVHS, althoughat different times.

Hewson worked for HachCompany for 16 years as anengineer and traveled a lot. Hewanted to spend more timewith his family, live a bit sim-pler life doing something thatcombined natural resources,the outdoors and buildinghealthier families. Though hestarted CYO in 2001, he didn’tleave Hach until 2003.

Over the years, CYO hasgrown and built a solid reputa-tion from the high schoolstudents and their parents. Itoperates about equally betweenits own fundraisers, grants andgifts and contributions. Itsbiggest fundraiser is April 29-May 1 with The Maverick event,a sporting clay shoot held atSylvan Dale Guest Ranch. Foreach session, CYO accepts 75pairs who meet on Wednesdaynights for 12 weeks. Visitwww.coloradoyo.org to registeror find out more about CYO.

L oveof theOutdoors

A view of the property where Colorado Youth Outdoors holdsits classes.

CYO joins youthand parents in

outdoor educationSecond graders at Coyote Ridge Elementary

School took on a humanitarian project as part oftheir International Baccalaureate curriculum —

they wanted to help victims of Haiti’s earthquakethrough their service project "Haiti Houses."

Students made little magnets and pins that lookedlike houses and sold them for $5 each. All proceedswere for Haiti earthquake relief, in particular anorphanage that lost its building. “We tied this projectin to our IB unit of inquiry about communities andbusinesses, and the students had to apply for a jobwhen it was time to market and sell the Haiti Housesif they wanted to participate,” said Sarah Smith, oneof the 2nd grade teachers.

“The pins and magnets are being sold at CoyoteRidge. A local book club, Mountain States Driver'sEducation in Fort Collins, and an adoption agency haveteamed up with us and are selling the Haiti Houses attheir places of business,” Smith added. The name of theorphanage is Step-by-Step. The All About Adoptionagency in Berthoud, which works with a nonprofitHaitian agency called Haitian Orphan Rescue, will takethe funds to Haiti, she said.

“So far, our 2nd graders have raised $650 at CoyoteRidge with the help of Mountain States Driver'sEducation and the local book club that our librarianattends to send to the orphanage!”

Several other elementary, middle and high schoolsalso conducted various fundraising and supportactivities for Haiti.

This effort exemplifies the equity in access,responsible stewardship and healthy constituentrelationship goals of the district’s strategic plan.

Students at an orphanage in Haiti that is beingsupported through an effort led by a 2nd gradeclass at Coyote Ridge Elementary School andseveral community partners.

Second graderslend a hand to

Haitian orphanage

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The 2005 Bond, along with the Cityof Loveland and private foundations,provided funds for reconstruction ofthe swimming pool at Loveland HighSchool.

The pool will support competitiveswimming as a venue for dual meets.The former pool structure wasdemolished and the existing adjacentbuilding walls were retained.

• Six 25-yard lanes each eight feet wide, a shallow-enddepth of 4 feet 4 inches and a deep-end depth of 13feet• 205,000 gallons of water fill the pool• Water temperature will range from 79-82 degreesFa h r e n h e i t• Inside air temperature will range from 84-85degrees Fahrenheit• Starting blocks on the deep end along with aone-meter diving board• New Colorado Timing System along with a judgesbooth• Portable ADA pool lift

• New lockers, showers and slip-resistant floors in thelocker rooms• Parapet gutters at the ends of the lanes and rolloutside gutters to help with wave control• Modern overflow recirculation system• Modern high-rate sand filtration• Water chemistry monitoring and control systems• Modern chemical treatment systems• New spectator bleachers and deck equipment• New interior finishes• New translucent window wall for natural daylight• All new mechanical system• New outside concrete patio area at the south entry

A closer look at the new LHS pool

Makinga

Splash

Six students from Thompson School Dis-trict participated in a Fuel Up to Play 60student reporter event with Denver

Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno inFebruar y.

Through a shared commitment to combatchildhood obesity, the Western Dairy Associa-tion and Denver Broncos sponsored the eventto focus on the importance of healthy eatingand leading an active lifestyle. Studentsquestioned the pro athlete on his eating and

exercise habits. Two students and adults repre-senting each school attended. The schoolsparticipating from Thompson were Turner,Lucile Erwin, and Walt Clark middle schools.

The Western Dairy Association has beenworking closely with these schools to imple-ment the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. Theprogram was launched by the National DairyCouncil and the National Football League incooperation with the U.S. Department ofAgriculture.

Students who attended were: LoganRedabaugh and Kiah Leonard from Turnerwith adults/advisors Dale and Kristi Leonard;Braxton Morby and Tyler Logan from LucileErwin with adults/advisors Kelly Anderson andJobi Duke; and Andrea Hernandez and EllLincoln from Walt Clark with adults/advisorsJayna Mong and Stephanie Richard. ScottPickert, a dairy farmer and wrestling coach atBerthoud High School, participated in theevent as well.

to Play

Braxton Morby and Tyler Logan represented Lucile Erwin Middle School at the Fuel Up to Play60 student reporter event. The students were joined by Fuel Up to Play 60 program advisorsKelly Anderson and Jobi Duke, the Denver Broncos mascot, Miles, and running backKnowshon Moreno.

Fuel Up60Middle school students

interview Denver Bronco

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From left, Isabel Layne, Madison Ruff, Jenna Hammel, Travis Pflock and Noe Munguia chatabout the process of making their vodcasts.

Kicking up

Students take some lessons from Trans Martial Arts staff at Walt Clark’s health and wellness day.It was a welcome break to the day at Walt ClarkMiddle School — to push the desks aside and trysome karate kicks or to do the crab walk.

It was part of the school’s Health and WellnessWalk-a-Thon event. Students spent the entire daylearning about ways to improve their mind and bodyas well as raising funds to support the needs of theirschool.

Each student was able to go to 10 stations.“Stations run by members of the community wereamong students’ favorites as I overhead many excitedvoices throughout the day,” said science teacherDee Woodcock, who assisted Janette McCahan,physical education teacher.

Some of those community stations included: 24Hour Fitness, Trans Martial Arts, Best Buy with WiiFit, yoga, meth awareness, suicide prevention, McKeeHospital on stress, Healthy Kids Club on nutrition,and FRCC on blood pressure and body mass index.

Many of the WCMS staff also had interesting sta-tions, she said. “Our campus monitor, Matt Hughes,facilitated one on fitness culture of the Japanese,”she said. In addition to the stations, students hadsome time in the library for reading and then 20 min-

utes on the track for the actual Walk-a-Thon, afundraiser. There was also an obstacle course and acontest of the “calories are right.”

The final 45 minutes consisted of an all-school as-sembly which included the presentation of the grandprize to the top fundraiser. “Ms. (Danielle) Balliet wasin charge of making the assembly fun and engagingfor the culmination of the day,” Woodcock said. “Itwas truly a great day that seemed to excite and in-spire students as well as teachers!”

someDustWCMS studentstake a health and

wellness day

Technology has a heart asJeanna Dolezal’s 4thgrade class learned

when they used creativity andinnovation, communicationand collaboration to tell theworld about their heroes.

Using flip cameras pur-chased through a CreativityGrant from the Thompson Ed-ucation Foundation, Dolezaldesigned a project that cov-ered plenty of curricularground and yielded a multi-tude of results.

Most important is the lookon the students’ faces as theywatch the vodcasts they creat-ed about their heroes — par -ents, teachers, policemen,coaches, etc. Acknowledgingthe impact of someone else’slife on theirs is a huge leap for4th graders, Dolezal noted.

“I have been amazed and ed-ucated by the stories thesekids have produced,” Dolezalsaid. The depth they were ableto reach in terms of gatheringinformation about their heroesto make successful videos wasimpressive, she said. “For in-stance, they had to understandwhat makes a good questionso the response wasn’t a yes orn o, ” Dolezal said as her stu-dents nodded in agreement.

“They also learned from

each other,” she said. “Thiswas new to me so there weretimes I couldn’t answer thequestions, but a student whohad already addressed the is-sue could share it so we couldall move forward.”

When Dolezal received hergrant from the foundation, shewas able to purchase the cam-eras at a two-for-one price, soshe leveraged her ability topurchase a few more. The stu-dents had to work on theirprojects in stages, but all 24have now completed theirvideos. Now, a new vodcast isposted each week on theirclass blog and students canask questions or commentthrough blogs or messages tothe student who produced thefeatured video.

The school-community digi-tal storytelling project, de-signed by Dolezal last schoolyear, unwittingly exemplifieswhat the district envisions forthe future through its Vision2020 Strategic Plan. Vodcastelements represent a cultureof excellence, robust learning,healthy constituent relation-ships, responsible stewardshipand equity in access. But that

is subliminal to the kids. Whatthey were able to do is use anew technology to createsomething that relates to theirpersonal lives. The process ap-plied their existing knowledgeto create a new idea and cre-ate original works as a meansof personal or group expres-sion. In order to completetheir tasks, they had to inter-act, collaborate and publishwith peers, experts or othersusing a variety of digital envi-ronments and media. They al-so communicated informationand ideas effectively to multi-ple audiences using a varietyof media and formats.

Through the process, stu-dents had to identify the quali-ties of their heroes throughcharacter traits by answeringthe question “what does theterm hero mean to you?” Theythen had to describe the char-acteristics of a person whomeets those qualities; learn in-terview skills; consider whatsetting would add to the story-line; record, edit, trim, se-quence and transition clips;create titles; and dovoiceovers.

“I really liked learning aboutpeople,” said Travis Pflock,who featured his hero, a policeofficer who was a friend’s dad.“I want to be a police officer,and I learned a lot by askingquestions,” he said. He learnedwhy police officers are linkedwith eating donuts, but thebudding marketer said onewould have to watch his videoto find out. He also learnedabout paintballs that are filledwith pepper spray.

“I think a hard thing to dowas to know what’s importantand what’s not,” said JennaHammel, who interviewed herriding instructor. “Ever ythingis interesting, but you can’tuse it all.” An important thingshe learned was that her in-structor doesn’t just teach rid-ing, she also rescues horses.Angus, the horse she rides,was rescued from neglect.

Isabel Layne selected her fa-ther, who is also her basketballcoach. “I learned my dad wona coin toss and that’s how Igot my name,” she said.

Noe Munguia’s hero is hisEnglish Language Acquisitionteacher, Samara Cohen. Helearned that she grew up nearthe ocean in Rhode Island andthat her first name was Sama-ra. He selected her becauseshe has been such a majorhelp to him. “She has helpedme a lot like with my topicsentences,” he said.

Madison Ruff is a figureskater, and she wants to followin her instructor’s footsteps.She found out her hero hadmade a commercial and alsocompeted on the state and na-tional level.

When the students sat downto talk about their videos,there was no shortage of in-put. They knew they were nowemerging video experts andcouldn’t wait to share theirknowledge. Their class wasamong other classes from Cot-tonwood Plains Elementaryfeatured in a segment of KidTV, which can be streamedfrom the district website atw w w. t h o m p s o n s c h o o l s . o rg .

Heroof theD ay

C o t t o n wo o dPlains kids

share heroesin vodcasts

“I really liked learning about people. Iwant to be a police officer, and I learneda lot by asking questions.”

— Travis Pflock, student

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Superintendent Ron Cabrera talks with students, par-ents and staff at Van Buren Elementary School duringhis “Pop-in with Ron” visit in March. He speaks with

student Mia Fleischer as adults Lisa Grindle, Judi Greenupand Paulette Fleischer watch. He also chatted with studentsBrady Caven and TiaVonna Lachaypha. Cabrera visits theschools at the end of the day. Participants receive a cup ofpopcorn. Cabrera visited Truscott Elementary in Februaryand will visit Ivy Stockwell Elementary on April 26.

Po p - I nwith

Ron Cabrera

Listed are the Thompson teams thatscored in the top four places in eachdivision for each problem during the

regional Odyssey of the Mind competition atBerthoud High School in March. The top fourin each group were invited to advance to thestate tournament April 9.

EXTREME MOUSEMOBILES – DIVISION 1

1st place – Namaqua Elementary3rd place – Berthoud Elementary4th place – Lincoln Elementary

AS GOOD AS GOLD...BERG – DIVISION 1

1st place – Truscott Elementary2nd place – Big Thompson Elementary3rd place – Coyote Ridge Elementary4th place – Garfield Elementary

LE TOUR GUIDE – DIVISION 1

2nd place – Garfield Elementary3rd place – Cottonwood Plains Elementary

Team A4th place – Centennial Elementary

LE TOUR GUIDE – DIVISION 2

2nd place – Lucile Erwin Middle School

UNHINGED STRUCTURE – DIVISION 1

1st place – Winona Elementary

FULL CIRCLE – DIVISION 1

1st place – Truscott Elementary2nd place – Cottonwood Plains Elementary

Team A3rd place – Centennial Elementary4th place – Garfield Elementary

FULL CIRCLE – DIVISION 2

2nd place – Conrad Ball Middle School

Odyssey of the Mindregional results

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU!

To the 4,000 community members from Loveland, Berthoud and Fort Collins who made

an investment in the future success of our students by contributing to Vision 2020, our strategic plan, which will guide our direction and keep us focused for the next 10 years.

Goals:Robust Learning • Equity in Access • Responsible Stewardship

Healthy Constituent Relationships • Culture of Excellence

See www.thompsonschools.org

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