If a typical school morning sees your family rushing around and out the door with nary a moment to spare, only to be left feeling like you ran a marathon by 9 a.m., a new approach to your routine might be necessary.
Mornings, especially in households in which parents who work outside of the home and have one or two kids requiring drop-off at their respective schools, can often be hectic. Starting off the morning feeling harried and stressed can carry over into the mood of the day, affecting productivity as a result.
According to Dr. David Anderson, Ph.D., senior director of the ADHD and Disruptive Behavior Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute, busy mornings can be the most stressful moments of the day. Homework hour and getting prepared for bed are other typically stressful times of the day for families.
If less-stressful mornings are a goal for your family, try these strategies.
Start the night before
Doing as much preparatory work the evening before can make quite a difference in taming hectic mornings.
Things that can be done in advance include checking and stocking backpacks, signing paperwork, making lunches, setting out clothing, showering, and having breakfast foods ready to go.
Establish a “launch pad”
Ann Dolin, a Virginia-based education specialist, suggests having a launch pad, or a place where all school-related items are prepped and stored. It can be a basket, box, or another container big enough to contain school items. Children can drop and pick up the items as needed.
Make the routine the boss
Positive Parenting Solutions founder Amy McCready says families can implement a “when-then” routine that sets the tone for the morning. When everyone is dressed, hair combed, breakfast eaten, and school supplies packed, then you can
watch 10 minutes of an educational cartoon.” This puts the routine in control rather than making the parents the bad guys.
Too often parents add more stress to their plates by showing up at school with forgotten lunch boxes or band instruments. Instead, parents can stop rescuing their children and help train them to be more responsible; an essential trait.
Chart wake-up times
It may seem like micromanaging, but scheduling wake-up and bathroom times can help everyone know where they should be and when they should be there. It also helps avoid bottleneck situations in the bathroom or kitchen.
For parents it might be a good idea to wake up before your kids are set to start their day so you can start yours off on the right foot.Spend a few moments reading something that feeds your brain or motivates you, do a quick yoga session, whatever helps you get going in a calm but motivated way. Make a list of everything you need to accomplish the night before so you will sleep well knowing you have a plan and nothing will be forgotten.
Keep morning madness to a minimum with these simple strategies.
It may come as a surprise that Berthoud High School (BHS) athletics, like the vast majority of public high schools, receive only a very small amount of their funding through the school district. Equipment, uniforms, and the like are funded partially through fees paid by families of student-athletes and gate revenue generated at home games, matches and meets.
However, a sizable portion of additional funding is generated by the BHS Athletics Booster Club A a c nonprofit volunteer organi ation that provides financial support for e uipment uniforms and other needs for the 16 BHS teams. In addition to helping generate needed funding for BHS sports team, the ABC also runs the annual homecoming parade and supports other BHS sporting events and namesake tournaments such as the Spartan Invitational softball tournament, the Diny Pickert wrestling meet, and the Max Marr Spartan Classic track meet, among others.
Donations and sponsorships made to the ABC provide the money, which totaled over $64,000 in the 2018-19 school year, while parents and community volunteers do the leg work, raising money, deciding how it is spent, and volunteering for various activities including working concession stands during contests.
Additionally, ABC helps the school’s athletic department in providing other improvements, with recent additions including the new electronic timetable for the volleyball, wrestling and basketball teams, maroon-colored tablecloths for team banquets and dinners, and a new steel roller door for the concession stands.
For the upcoming school year, the ABC will present a new scoreboard at Max Marr Field, where the BHS football and soccer teams host home games. The ABC is also adding a scrolling electronic panel to the scoreboard for crowd engagement and to highlight the names and logos of local businesses that sponsor BHS athletics.
Businesses and families can help in the support of the panel purchase by a one-time donation. A large sign will be hung on the front of Max Marr Field with names of families and businesses that give a one-time donation of $500 for a family and $1,000 for a business. Furthermore, businesses can also be an annual sponsor and have marketing exposure at football games with banners and all indoor games with an additional banner inside the Rusty Mathena Gymnasium. In the 2018-19 school year the BHS ABC had 40 business sponsors and over 100 parent members.
This upcoming school year the BHS ABC registered with the Berthoud Area Chamber of Commerce. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Hale & Bradford at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, where chamber members can meet new BHS principal, Gordon Boschman, as well as several of the school’s coaches.
“We are excited to support our growing athletic program and hope the Berthoud community joins us in attending various sports and games to cheer on our BHS Spartan athletes,” said BHS ABC president, Christine Torres, who can be reached for further information at 720-320-1405 or at coachchristinetorres@gmail.com.
Kindergartners in Ivy Stockwell and Berthoud Elementary schools will be in school all day this fall, just like their older peers.
Before, full-day kindergarten was a tuition option in Thompson School District, but now is mandatory in Colorado with the passage of legislation to fund full-day kindergarten and require public schools to discontinue charging tuition. The State Funding For Full-day Kindergarten bill passed both chambers of the state legislature, was signed into law in May, and supported with $175 million in the 2019-20 budget.
“We are so excited to be able to have the opportunity to offer full-day kindergarten to our families beginning this school year,” said Sara Rasmussen, director of early childhood and elementary education for Thompson School District. “Our best hope is that we see our students build strong skills socially and academically, but most important, they begin to build confidence in who they are as individuals and as learners and thinkers in our Thompson community.”
Under the full-day program, kindergarteners will be on the same arrival and dismissal times and lunch schedules as students in grades onefive at each of their respective schools. There also will be a need for more classrooms to accommodate their additional learning time.
“We have had in our buildings a need for additional classrooms, and we’ve been able to accommodate that,” stated Rasmussen.
Ivy Stockwell and Berthoud El both will likely need one extra classroom for the 2019-20 school year compared with the year before. Ivy Stockwell will need three classrooms and Berthoud El four, according to initial enrollment numbers, though the start of school will determine actual need.
Iam so excited to welcome our students, families and staff back, as we prepare for the 2019-2020 school year. Our school community is growing.
For those families who are new to Berthoud Elementary, I want you to know that you are coming to an outstanding school.
Our teachers and staff are caring, talented, and invested in the children we have the privilege to serve.
Our team strives to guide each of our students in reaching their highest potential. We are fortunate to be able to work collaboratively with a vast network of community partners and dedicated volunteers. It is truly a privilege to be part of the Thompson School District and the Berthoud community, and we look forward to working collaboratively with our stakeholders in pursuit of educational excellence.
ew initiatives will benefit our students this year. We will join elementary schools across the district in implementing an elementary literacy
“Once students enroll it may be determined that extra room is needed,” indicated Rasmussen. “We just wanted to be proactive and make sure we have enough space.”
The full-day format has several benefits for students, such as the comprehensive and consistent inclusion of extras like physical education, art and music. Teachers also will be able to cover more material in the core academic subjects.
“The full-day program will allow teachers to dive deeper into content. This is a critical time for those learners to have an opportunity to dig more deeply into reading and becoming readers,” she added.
Kindergarten teachers will be able to integrate social studies and science into reading and writing lessons and to include more activities around those subjects, as well as mathematics. “It allows them to do some fun projects and to have opportunities to do more group work and more independent work with the teacher,” Rasmussen said.
Students also will have more opportunities to develop stronger social skills and develop deeper relationships with their teachers and peers. “They will have a great opportunity to jump right in and understand what it means to be part of a community and learners in our district.”
Parents can opt out of full-day kindergarten and send their children for a half-day program but will need to work with their school principal. They also will be able to place their children in before- and after-school care programs — the program at Ivy Stockwell and Berthoud El is Champions, an extended learning program of academics, homework help and fitness.
“Our teachers value the time with their students, going deeper into learning, having time to explore how fun school can be,” Rasmussen said. “It really allows teachers to have opportunities to make sure our kindergarten students are well-prepared for first grade.”
program, and we are fortunate to be able to collaborate with Ivy Stockwell and B.F. Kitchen Elementary as we engage in this important work during Wednesday late starts, on behalf of our students. We will also be partnering with the Thompson School District and the Berthoud Bash to increase access to technology, and to incorporate a broader array of options for innovative and meaningful learning.
In addition, we are pleased to welcome a number of new staff this year. As a result of our growth in student numbers, we are fortunate to be able to add a dean of students, attendance clerk and a fourth kindergarten teacher, to allow us to better serve our students and families.
Once again this year, the school day will begin at 8 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
A 9 a.m. late start time will occur every Wednesday. Students will be released at 3:10 p.m., daily. Our students will continue to be empowered to SOAR with behaviors that allow them to be Safe, On-task and responsible, to Achieve their best and to demonstrate Respect.
We support our students socially and emotionally,
and develop the skills that establish a foundation for physical and mental health.
Our In Focus curriculum, restorative practices, kindness campaigns, bullying prevention speakers and initiatives exible seating options and wellness programming allow us to provide this support.
We are grateful for the many contributions of our PTA, our School Accountability Committee, Kid’s Hope and Kid’s Pack in attending to the social and emotional health of our students.
We truly could not do what we do without the remarkable dedication of our community. Thank you! We can’t wait to see you soon!
Welcome to another great year at Ivy Stockwell Elementary.
For those of you that are new to Ivy Stockwell or are exploring our school as a possibility, you will not be disappointed. The climate and culture at Ivy is amazing, the staff is exemplary, and the supportive community is the best.
Once again, Ivy has been very busy this summer supporting students. In addition to Camp Read (this summer school program supported four different elementary schools in the Berthoud/Loveland area), we were also able to offer YMCA camp at Ivy all summer. In addition, we were able to provide free breakfast and lunch to students throughout the summer (Monday-Friday).
In the middle of summer, we invited our families in for our summer Read-In and Book Swap. Students read in the shade under the trees, swapped books, and enjoyed a popsicle. They were also able to trade in their used books for new ones to read over the summer.
I also want to extend a huge thank you to all of the parents and students who volunteered their time this summer to water and weed our Ivy community garden. Over the next few weeks, we will begin construction of the pergola for our outdoor classroom. Thanks to a dedicat-
ed committee of parents, our Ivy families and staff, and our fantastic students we are closing in on our final phase of this pro ect
If you are new to Ivy Stockwell Elementary, please make sure you have completed your online registration as soon as possible. You can find this information on our district website at www.thompsonschools. org. We will also be available for registration support on August 1, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can turn in any required documentation (immunizations, etc.) during this time.
Also, Back to School night will be on August 15 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Students can bring in their supplies and visit their new classrooms. In addition, Parents can pay fees and access a variety of resources (before/after school care, bus routes, nutritional services, etc.).
ur first day of school for all students is August 19. School starts at 8 a.m. and dismissal is at 3:10 p.m. On Wednesdays, we have a late start (9 a.m.) and dismissal is at 3:10 p.m.
Thank you to all of the Berthoud community for your support of Ivy Stockwell, Berthoud schools, and the Thompson School District. Thank you for helping to pass a bond that will allow Ivy Stockwell and Berthoud Elementary to build four new classrooms at each building. This construction will begin at the end of this school year. This will be a huge help to our buildings as we continue to grow in enrollment.
The classrooms of yesteryear are distant memories. Gone are chalkboards, which have made way for smartboards. Even textbooks are slowly being phased out in deference to online curriculums. odern classrooms are outfitted with digital devices that connect students to the internet. Each of these changes might surprise parents who haven’t stepped foot inside a classroom in decades. A 2017 report from Common Sense Media said children up to age 8 spend an average of two hours and 19 minutes every day on screen media. Children between the ages of 8 and 12 spend an average of four hours and 36 minutes on screens. Much of that time is spent online. The internet can be a useful tool for students, who can go online when working on school reports. Some students even communicate online with their teachers, while others play interactive learning games that can supplement lessons taught in the classroom.
But the internet puts students at risk of falling victim to online predators. The internet also keeps students in constant contact with their peers, which can be troublesome for students who want to get away when they get home at night. These reasons and more are motivation enough to encourage students to practice good digital citizenship and follow these safety tips when online.
xercise caution with photos and videos posted online. These images, even when posted harmlessly, can weigh on a student’s reputa-
tion. They may even impact acceptance to schools or career opportunities in the future. Always think before posting, as content remains in cyberspace indefinitely. And remember many schools screen for inappropriate content. Sending harassing or inappropriate material to others may result in disciplinary action.
ecogni e the threat posed by online predators. The rimes Against hildren esearch enter says one in five teenagers in the nited tates who regularly uses the internet has received unwanted sexual solicitations through the web. In addition, 25 percent have been exposed to unwanted pornographic material online. Students need to be aware not everyone on the internet is an upstanding citizen.
eep personal information private at all times. The service eMarketer says 75 percent of children are willing to share personal information online about themselves and their families in exchange for goods and services. Students need to be better educated about protecting their passwords, ages, addresses, and other personal information.
top cyberbullying before it starts. tudents can be educated about the correct way to use the internet and how to report cyberbullying. Students also can take pledges to never make others feel uncomfortable online.
Online safety is a growing concern for students, but there are ways to keep kids safe.
As principal of Turner Middle School, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone back for another year. We are exited and looking forward to having students back in our classrooms and building.
At Turner we have great teachers who utilize research-based best practices and analyze data to both support and set goals for growth and improvement for each student. We strive to challenge each student to grow in his or her academic abilities and to be high school ready after their time here at Turner.
Additionally, as we prepare for this year we are eager to help every child feel welcomed, connected, and part of our Turner Dragon family. It is a privilege to be part of this community where parents, teachers and students care for each other and strive to build positive relationships that support both academic and social growth.
Finally, we are committed to strengthening the collaboration between our school and the families of each student.
Please feel free to contact me at 970-613-7403 or at brandy.grieves@ thompsonschools.org.
Once again, welcome back. Let’s make it another great year at Turner together.
Back to School Night: Monday, Aug. 19
Sixth grade and new to Turner only: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Seventh and eighth grade: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
First day of school: Monday, Aug. 19: Sixth grade only Report to the gym for assembly and schedules
Backpacks and school supplies are not needed this day
Tuesday, Aug. 20: all students
Respectfully, Brandy Grieves - TMS principalChildren and parents often look forward to the dawn of a new school year. ut before the first homeroom session can take place parents may need to take their students clothes shopping.
According to a 2018 survey by Deloitte, parents spend an average of $510 per household on apparel, school supplies electronic gadgets and other items for their kids’ return to school. The back-to-school season runs from uly through eptember during which American households alone spend . billion which is second only to the holiday season in regard to the most lucrative times for retailers.
Apparel is a large part of back-to-school shopping. any parents find they need to outfit their kids with a new wardrobe each year. eans and leggings that fit like a glove in une may only reach mid-calf by abor ay. To make the shopping process less harried and more productive parents can employ these strategies.
Take inventory — Go through kids’ wardrobes and see what can be salvaged and what might need to go. This is the perfect opportunity to put aside gently used outgrown items that may be passed on to someone else who can use them.
e sure to make a list of any items the school re uires particularly in regard to uniforms or dress codes. By knowing what’s in stock in the closet you’ll have a clear idea of what you need to buy.
Check for tax-free discounts ome states or cities offer tax-free or discount shopping incentives which can add up to considerable savings. t may be
well worth the effort to stock up on necessities during these times.
Sign up for loyalty programs — If yours is a child who prefers certain brands, sign up early in the year for such brand’s loyalty clubs. For example the popular retailer ollister has lub Cali that, with each purchase, grants points toward discounts. lus you may be privy to sale advertisements before the general public.
Get enough to get by while certain clothing sales happen between uly and August oftentimes the real savings begin in ctober according to the budgeting resource Money Crashers. ait until that time to buy the bulk of kids’ school clothes. After all the first weeks of school are usually warm and summer clothing will still suffice with a few new items thrown in to freshen up wardrobes.
Invest in quality shoes — neakers and other shoes can be expensive. owever investing in quality brands can help you avoid having to buy shoes frequently. Watch for shoe sales and stock up on coupons. Many stores offer “buy-one, get-one half off” during the back-to-school season.
Some stores like Scheels offer price matching — if you find it for less online still support local businesses by taking advantage of that policy.
n addition to these tips save more by shopping overstock stores or warehouse clubs for name-brand items at lower prices.
I am excited and honored to serve as your principal at Berthoud High School (BHS), and it is my pleasure to welcome back students, parents, staff and the community to start the 2019-2020 school year.
After meeting with various staff members over the past few weeks I am so impressed with the energy and passion to positively impact the learning experiences and lives of our students. There is strong commitment to focus on high expectations for all students while providing systems of support to ensure they are met. BHS has excellent teachers with strong instructional skills to serve our students well.
We look forward to a very successful school year working with each of you to prepare our students for a bright future.
Parents may have a number of options when choosing schools for their children. Public schools are responsible for educating millions of youngsters every day, though private schools also may make great options for certain students. amilies must weigh the pros and cons of schooling decisions carefully to find the best fit as school helps set the foundation for life ahead.
While most people think of religion when they consider private schools, many such schools in the nited tates are not affiliated with a religious organization. According to data from Niche, more than 30 percent of the roughly 25,000 private PreK-12 schools in the United States are not based in religious education.
rivate schools can benefit kids in various ways. ach private school follows its own direction, which means there can be varied educational goals and approaches. rivate schools have more exibility than public schools in regard to their curriculum, as they are not bound by state or federal mandates. This can be a boon to a student who learns in a specific way. rivate schools tend to have small class sizes and student bodies, which can make for individualized attention. The most prominent drawback for private schools is the cost. Many private schools cost thousands of dollars per year, and such costs may not include uniforms and supplies. Another potential con is some private schools simply cannot offer the same vast level of options as a public school. Through taxpayer funding, public schools may be able to bring in more resources and offer a greater array of classes.
Public schools are often a natural choice because they are free to attend. With a more varied curriculum and greater propensity to offer more afterschool activities than smaller schools, public schools can be a great draw. Plus, children who attend local schools may feel more in touch with the community and take pride in partaking in the town or city’s traditions.
nrollment is often considered a downside to public schools. any public schools have a higher teacher-to-student ratio than private schools. This may lead to a lost in the crowd feeling for students who may otherwise benefit from more individualized attention. What’s more, because public schools are bound by set curriculums teachers may not have the same exibility in what or how they can teach as their colleagues who teach at private schools.
There are other pros and cons to public and private schools that families can work through together. Ultimately, parents and their children should work to find the best match for their needs.
Over the course of an academic career, the average student switches schools three to four times. Elementary school gives way to middle school or junior high. From there, students will transition to high school. If a student chooses to keep their academic journey going after high school, college or trade school awaits.
Adolescence is a transitional period when many students may be learning how to make decisions and taking their first significant steps toward becoming independent adults. That can make the transition from middle school to high school more complicated than previous transitional periods young people experienced.
Several changes take place in high school that can impact students’ anxiety levels. Students go from being the oldest in middle school to the youngest in high school. The student body population typically increases dramatically. Curriculum becomes more demanding than it was in middle school. School hours change, often requiring students to wake up earlier.
A new school may mean students are funneling in from different feeder schools. Long-time friends
may be separated depending on where they ultimately choose to go to high school.
A 2016 survey from the Pew Research Center found 70 percent of teens say anxiety and depression are a “major problem” among their peers. To help make high school a positive experience and less likely to induce anxiety, students and their parents can employ these tips. Establish a consistent routine. The education resource CollegeVine
advises students to build good study habits, create a calm and organized homework environment and focus on studies while keeping distractions at bay.
● Encourage extracurricular activities. Activities outside of the classroom are a great way for students to make friends and involve themselves socially with their peers. Such extracurriculars can lead to strong friendships that ourish throughout high school and beyond.
● Buddy up. Just as they might have done upon entering kindergarten, students on the cusp of starting high school can find someone who will be attending the same school and go over schedules and potential meet-up times. They can make plans to sit together at lunch as they both get acclimated to their new environments.
● Attend open houses. Families can tour the campus to get a feel for the layout of their children’s school. Ask for a map of the school grounds so students can get an idea of where their schedules will require them to be throughout the course of the day.
The transition to high school is a significant one in the life of a teenager. Families can employ various strategies to make that transition go smoothly.
There are about one and a quarter million nerve fibers in one optic nerve. That’s two and a half million fibers carrying information from your eyes to your brain. That’s a lot of information.
e really rely on our eyes. They allow us to see shapes and colors and motion. hen our vision is good our eyes allow us to learn understand and interact appropriately with our environment. hen our vision is poor it can really make things difficult.
ne of my favorite patients is an -year-old named aria. hen first met her three years ago she was a uiet and painfully shy little girl. he wouldn’t speak to or make eye contact with anyone. he was struggling in school and her teachers were about to enroll her in a special-needs program. f that didn’t help she was going to be held back a grade. omeone mentioned to aria’s mom that she should get aria’s vision checked ust in case which was when they came to see me. t turned out aria had vision problems that made it very hard for her to see and her blurry vision made it challenging for her to learn or even
to have normal social interactions. nce she received help for her vision aria was a completely different young lady. he was much more confident outgoing and smiled a lot more. ver the course of a few months she was able to catch up to her grade level in school as well. t was one of my most rewarding moments as an optometrist.
The interesting thing was aria never complained about her vision. n fact many children won’t. They ust assume that is how the world looks to everyone and try to make the best of it. ere are some other interesting facts
The American ptometric Association recommends children have their first eye exam between and months old. ow we don’t usually prescribe glasses for a child that young but it is important to check the eye health and development and get an idea of any problems to watch for as your child grows.
Additionally we recommend kids have exams when they are and years old and then annually thereafter. The reason for this is as they grow and change children’s eyes and vision can change right along with the rest of them.
chool vision screenings while very important only check the most basic visual skills. They don’t check the eyes’ health or for some of the more subtle vision problems that can impact learning.
o as you get geared up for the new school year by taking last-minute vacations shopping for school supplies or getting sports physicals consider your child’s vision. et’s not let vision problems impact our children’s learning potential and let’s make this the best school year yet.
At erthoud ision for ife we thoroughly love working with children as well as adults . eel free to contact us with any uestions or to schedule an appointment. e accept many insurance plans.
Beginning this fall the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) is adding a requirement that all coaches take a course on student-athlete mental health and suicide prevention. The course is a re uirement for coaches to be certified under AA guidelines. The announcement comes at a time when participation in high school activities in Colorado is at an all-time high.
Currently, coaches must take courses on first aid concussion protocol manda tory reporting and the general CHSAA coach’s course. This fall the mental health and suicide prevention course will be added for anyone wishing to coach at the high school level. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) puts on the course, which is available online. In other states the course is optional but will now be required for all high school coaches in Colorado.
According to a press release provided by CHSAA, “CHSAA’s vision is to deconstruct the stereotypes around mental health and help start the conversations that need to happen around our kids,” said CHSAA commissioner, Rhonda Blanford-Green.
“The mental and physical well-being of our student participants is our priority.”
The decision was made with the full support of the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC), which discussed the topic at length during its meeting last school year.
The committee was focused on finding great tools that we can give to our schools and coaches to help provide awareness around mental health, which is among the most important issues our students face,”
said Jenn Roberts-Uhlig, the CHSAA staff liaison to SMAC. “We believe it is important for coaches to not be afraid to look for the signs and symptoms of a student who is struggling with their mental health, and this training will provide valuable instruction in how to do that.”
According to the NFHS, “The NFHS is proud to bring you this course on student mental health and suicide prevention in response to this reality. With a focus on wellness, including both physical and psychological, this course highlights causes, strategies, and provides helpful
The course itself is comprised of seven sections that deal with aspects such as developing a wellness framework and learning the basics of mental-health challenges faced by student-athletes.
Deeper dives into the areas of stress and anxiety, depression and suicide prevention comprise three of the sections of course.
Incoming Berthoud High School football coach, Cory Ticnor, who also teaches physical education at the school, took the class and gave it positive reviews. Ticnor also said he is going to have his assistant coaches take the mental health training course as well.
Said Ticnor, “The course material for mental health that was laid out by NFHS was compiled in a very organized and thought-out manner. It covered topics from maintaining a healthy lifestyle, stress coping skills, depression, and suicide prevention awareness. There are numerous aspects of this class that I will take with me as an educator. This is a very important topic that I explore in my health classrooms with young people, and I completely support the decision by CHSAA to have their coaches take part in this unit. It will help our leaders grow and give them more tools to help our student athletes with such a difficult topic in their lives.”
The 2019-20 high school sports season will begin in mid-August.
By Amber McIver-Traywick The Surveyor
There are hundreds of containers at your local grocery store that can help put some extra money into local schools. Box Tops for Education has raised more than $840 million and counting since 1996 through the help of families and community members around the country collecting and turning in the little pink rectangles.
The program, started by General Mills, has helped more than 80,000 kindergarten through eight grade schools participate and raise funds with the help of volunteer coordinators at each school.
Each box top is worth 10 cents, which doesn’t seem like much until you consider how many boxes and containers a family of four alone could accumulate over a years’ time. And the more people who participate the more benefit the schools see.
Buy products that have the Box Top logo somewhere on them, when you’re done with the box or container, cut the Box Top off and either drop them off with a student or deliver them to the participating schools.
The school’s volunteer coordinator will then count and submit all their Box Tops to General Mills. The school will receive two checks each year to purchase things like books, school supplies, playground equipment, computers, and more. Enrolled schools can earn up to $20,000 every school year by clipping Box Tops from participating products.
A new modern twist on the fund raiser is to download the
Box Tops App on your smart phone or device to earn even more cash for local schools. In the app you can select offers and scan your receipt to earn Bonus Box Tops in combination with the on-package Box tops and any other coupon, discount, or store program promotions. Just make sure to redeem the Box Tops within 14 days of purchase. The bonus is, no clipping and sending Box Tops in plus you can track in real time the school you are supporting and their earnings.
There are no restrictions on how schools spend the money they have earned through the program so schools can spend the cash on what they individually need the most.
It’s an easy way to help our local schools out and make an investment in student’s education.
Today’s children grow up different from the way their parents did. Technology has changed the way students learn in the classroom, but perhaps the biggest difference between how today’s kids grow up and how their parents were raised concerns the dynamic at home.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018 both parents worked in 63 percent of households that were home to married-couple families with children. Many of those parents likely did not grow up in households in which both of their parents worked full-time throughout their childhoods marking a significant difference in the dynamics of modern families compared to those of yesteryear.
Afterschool programs take on heightened importance when both parents work full-time, especially if neither parent works from home. Many schools and community organizations offer afterschool programs. While it’s great to have options, too many options can make it daunting for parents to find the program for their children. The Afterschool Alliance (www.afterschoolalliance.org), which works to ensure all youth have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs, offers the following tips to parents as they look to find afterschool programs for their children.
ontact educators at your child’s school. any schools have afterschool programs on school premises. Speak with school administrators or teachers about school-sponsored afterschool programs. Even if a school does not have such a program, educators
might be able to provide a list of nearby programs other students attend.
ontact community organi ations. The Afterschool Alliance notes many community organi ations such as the A the oys and irls lubs of America and the - ouncil may offer afterschool programs.
Local churches, synagogues and mosques also may offer afterschool programs to local families, regardless of their religious affiliation. hen speaking to community organizations, discuss how kids are typically transported from school to the program. Speak with fellow parents and neighbors. Your community is a great resource. Fellow parents and neighbors, even those whose kids may be in high school or even out of the house, may be able to recommend local programs. Reach out at school-sponsored events or via social media.
ontact your local government. ocal government offices and officials also can help parents find afterschool programs in their communities. ocal hild are esource and eferral agencies (www.childcareaware.org) can be valuable assets for parents having trouble finding afterschool programs for their children.
By Autumn Leopold The Surveyor
It’s almost that time of year again when the big yellow bus comes rolling down the street and mothers everywhere re oice. ast year was my sons first year on the school bus, and I can’t begin to explain how excited he was. He was a fourth grader transferring to public school from a private school. His first day on the bus was awesome. owever after the first week on the bus was convinced Satan lived there.
The first bus incident of the year occurred when fourth graders were picking on a second grader. They were calling this young boy obscene and homophobic names and making obscene gestures. y son intervened and then he was targeted with the same behavior. y son told the bus driver. ot having any experience with this I emailed his teacher and principal. The principal called all of the students in and talked with each of them. The second grader didn’t ride the bus again the whole year. His mother chose to drive him, but many families don’t have that option.
The second incident involved more cursing, more slurs talking about sex and calling my son gay. ur 10-year-old son hadn’t been told about sex or what being gay means, it was very upsetting this is how he had to find out. This time emailed his teacher and the principal, and I called the mother of the boy who said these things. The principal once again called the group in and had a discussion with them.
y son’s teacher created an optional lunch group where the fourth-grade boys who had issues with each other could sit together in her classroom every ednesday during lunch get to know each other and work out their differences.
The bus incidents escalated but with different offenders. y son was slapped in the face twice one day for just being silly and having fun. He was also punched in the stomach while defending another friend. After each of these incidents I contacted the bus dispatch, the teacher and school principal. The bus dispatch told me the transportation department’s procedures to deal with these incidents on the bus.
nce such procedure is assigned seating. The kids who are the offenders can get assigned seats at the front of the bus. owever this only works when you have a permanent bus driver or word gets passed on to the temporary drivers. t seemed like we had a different driver everyday so the kids knew when they could get away with more. A second procedure is removing them from the bus for a few days. The third procedure is removing them from the bus for two weeks or more. astly the student could be removed from the bus for the rest of the year. This was a different district from Thompson School District.
e also had an actual bus bully a fifth-grade boy who had been a problem on the bus the previous years. Two parents on my street alone took their kids off of the bus due to this boy hurting their children. Aside from bullying on the bus this boy also started getting kids to meet him and other boys at our public park to fight. y son happened to be at the park one afternoon we live across the street not knowing these boys were waiting for a fight and he ended up getting rushed by a boy younger than him, slapped hard in the face. A scuf e ensued and the younger boy ended up with a bloody nose from my son.
After this incident reported it to the bus dispatch because the fifth-grade boy was discussing it on the bus and because it occurred in a public park reported it to the afe to Tell olorado https safe tell.org This is a phone line website where you can anonymously report anything that concerns or threatens you, your friends, your family or your community.
ith each report received afe Tell olorado goes the extra step and follows up with the school and or law enforcement that received the tip to ensure it was investigated and action was taken. afe Tell olorado schools will ensure a disposition report is submitted to afe Tell olorado with each and every tip report received.
After receiving a afe Tell Tip olorado report school staff who received the tip report and or law enforcement who responded are re uired to complete a disposition form on every afe Tell olorado tip received. isposition reports are entered directly into the afe Tell olorado reporting system. aw enforcement was notified and was hoping they would go to the bully’s house and discuss the incident with his parents. However, since the bully was the instigator and not the offender they legally couldn’t do anything. As for the nine-year-old who actually fought with my son, nothing could be done legally either, due to his age. In Colorado a child has to be before assault charges can be filed. never wanted to press charges but sometimes having a police officer give a child a stern talking to can make a difference. ere is a great resource regarding youth and Colorado Law courts. state.co.us ourts ducation outh aws.cfm. y husband and talked with the younger child’s mother and the issue was resolved. y husband tried to talk with the older child’s bully father and he was very confrontational. The school was notified and the principal again called in all of the students and they had anti-bullying classes for the fourth and fifth graders. was very impressed with the professionalism, comprehensiveness, and promptness of the Safe to Tell program.
If your child is set to ride the bus this coming school year, I encourage you to teach your child how to practice responsible bus-riding behavior. This means sitting facing forward talking uietly and being respectful to the driver and the other students. If your child is concerned about bullying, they should sit in the front and on the righthand side of the bus so they are visible to the driver. ou could also pair your child up with a neighborhood friend and have them ride together.
Parents should also teach children how to respond if they are being bullied, who to report bus bullying or bad behavior to, and what to do if they witness bullying or bad behavior against a friend. Parents should also be aware of the signs of bullying and keep the lines of communication open with your children so they will feel comfortable coming to you with information.
arents should also know the proper chain of command starting with the bus driver, and how to report incidents to the transportation department for your district; such as reporting every incident to the bus dispatcher as well as the principal.
A good uestion to start with is hat is the set plan of action when a bullying incident is confirmed on the bus To find this information out for Thompson chool istrict you can call the transportation office dispatch at 970-613-5185.
By Dan Karpiel
The Surveyor
He calls himself a trained listener.
Gordon Boschman, named two weeks ago as the next principal for Berthoud High School (BHS), brings 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher, school counselor and administrator. Boschman, who spent the last four years as the principal of the Early College Academy (ECA) in Greeley, with be the school’s fourth principal in as many years.
In a lengthy discussion with the Surveyor last week, Boschman outlined his history and his plans for the future as he takes the reins at BHS.
Boschman was quick to point out the past has passed, and he is committed to be at the school for the longterm, with his aim being to provide stability in leadership.
A native of Canada, Boschman has lived in Northern Colorado, his wife’s family is from this area, for the last 18 years. Prior stops as a classroom teacher on both sides of the border were followed by Boschman helping to open Silver Creek High School in Longmont, where he worked as a counselor, before earning his principal licensure at the University of Northern Colorado. Boschman left Silver Creek and spent the next 11 years as an assistant principal at Niwot High School before taking the principal job at the ECA.
Boschman, who makes his home in Loveland and is a father of three, explained he was perfectly content at the ECA, an open-enrollment school where students can earn their high school diplomas concurrently with an Associate of Arts degree from Aims Community College but he has always had an appreciation for the Berthoud community at large and the high school itself in particular.
As he explained, “I wasn’t really necessarily looking for something else, but when I heard Berthoud came open … I’ve always quite admired that community and that school. I said that is a learning community that fits really well with my background in challenging kids academically and providing support and with the commitment of the parents, I just feel really connected in those kinds of learning environments.”
Boschman has hit the ground running and explained he has already met with “18 to 20” members of the BHS faculty to gather their input on all matters pertaining to the school. “With my background in counseling, I’m a trained listener, and I’ve had some great conversations with faculty members and staff members already. Most people are proud of the close-knit learning community we have here,” he explained. “It is my perception that I think a lot of people feel that their voice hasn’t necessarily been heard recently, for whatever reason, and I want to give them the opportunity for that to happen.”
“As much as I’m aware of some of the challenges that went on the last couple years … I think my experience and my commitment to kids is really what the community needs. I think the community needs a listener, people need to be heard and feel valued in terms of their perspective. Parents need the opportunity to have their voice heard.”
Boschman mentioned the close involvement of parents, the full high school experience that includes sports and other extra-curricular activities, the fact that Berthoud is a one-high-school town and the school’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program rightfully enjoys a strong reputation in the area as principle highlights of the job. Boschman said he will encourage students to take the most challenging courses in which they can be successful, outlining how doing so, in any discipline, can open new horizons and expand interests.
“Every community has its unique challenges, but I think the focus has to be on the kids from the get-go,” Boschman said. “Berthoud says we’re a kids-first school and that really rang true for me. That’s what I’ve been doing in terms of my background is just focus on kids and filter everything through what’s best for the kids’ educational experience. You focus on teaching and learning.”
Boschman said his focus will be on providing whatever support is needed and will help anywhere and everywhere he can. He explained he will tell every faculty member, every coach and the student body, “What can I do to help you be your best,” and he will bring a supporting style of leadership to the building.
He also was quick to point out he does not foresee any need to come and start making changes, either large or small, and wants to observe how things operate before making adjustments. As he explained, “I think there are a lot of successes going on at Berthoud High School, and my mandate certainly is not to come in and change a lot of things.”
Boschman continued, “They’re looking for some stability in leadership and some consistency and some experience that provides, not reactionary style, but more of a leadership style that says ‘how can we improve in some things that are going well, and if there’s some things that aren’t we can work on making those changes together.’”
Asked if he had a specific message he wanted to share with the Berthoud community, Boschman replied, “There is so much good going on there. Let’s celebrate the great things that are going on and let’s do this together. I feel honored to be a part of this learning community and I think things are going to be great.”
The 2019-20 school year begins on August 19.
