Back to School 2022 by Rebecca Hemmann

BACK TO SCHOOL 2022

BWS

BERTHOUD WEEKLY SURVEYOR “Covering all the angles in the Gar Garden Sp Spot”

July 28, 2022

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

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Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year

Each year the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor sponsors a school supply drive. Over the years the newspaper has collected 1,000s of items for the children in erthoud. e specifically donate the supplies to erthoud Elementary, Ivy Stockwell Elementary and Turner Middle School. The high school students have somewhat different needs so we do not collect for them. We would like to thank everyone that has supported the supply drives in the past and hope we will be able to collect a lot of supplies for this school year. The bins are out and waiting for the donations to come rolling in! Thank you for supporting Berthoud schools.

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

BACK TO SCHOOL 2022 Index

Stockwell namesake “rock” of local schools ........................3 Bobservation - Back to school memories ............................4 2022-2023 school calendar ...................................................5 How to help kids with math ................................................6 Turner Middle School ..........................................................8 Fun school lunch ideas.........................................................9 The ideas behind strength-based parenting .....................11 Back to school already? Eye can’t believe it! ....................11 How to pack a healthy lunch .............................................12 Help improve reading comprehension ..............................13 Helpful apps for busy families...........................................14 f the shoe fits, wear it ...........................................................16 Public school enrollment declines locally as part of a statewide trend ..................................................................17 Did you know? ....................................................................18 When it’s time to call in a tutor.........................................20

Our school supply drive for the 2023-23 school year has begun. Please bring school supplies to our ofﬁce at 440 Mountain Ave. and we will sort them and divide them evenly between Berthoud El, Ivy Stockwell and Turner Middle School. Thank you to our advertisers who make publications like “Back to School” possible. 2nd St. Street Storage Academy for Dental Assisting Careers Berthoud Bash Berthoud Vision for Life Brown’s Shoe Fit B-Town Christine Torres Crossroads Dermatology Fabulous Finds Gargot Farms Jones Excavation

Longmont Dairy New Freedom Church Orthopedic & Spine Center of the Rockies PVREA Schra Tree Service Sirenhouse Sleep Store SummitStone Health Women’s Clinic YMCA

Back to School 2022© is published in Berthoud, Colo., by the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor. The publishers reserve the right to edit, classify or reject any advertising or news copy. Editorial content is provided by Surveyor staff writers and the Thompson School District. Liability for any newspaper error in an advertisement shall not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. The publishers assume no liability for any advertising which is not published for any cause. The publishers assume absolutely no obligation or responsibility for subject matter in copy placed by its advertisers or their agents. It is also understood that the advertiser and the agency placing such advertising jointly and severally agree to indemnify Berthoud Weekly Surveyor, LLC against all expense, loss or damage sustained by reason of printing such copy. Subscription rates are $45 per year to residents of the 80513 zip code and $55 per year to zip codes other than 80513 and $45 or $55 for online. All additional information regarding individual schools, fees, registration and testing dates, alternative education options and other resources can be found at thompsonschools.org or call 970-613-5000.

BWS BERTHOUD WEEKLY SURVEYOR

Covering all the angles in the Garden Spot

970-532-2252 440 Mountain Ave., Berthoud, CO 80513 www.BerthoudSurveyor.com Facebook • Instagram • Follow us on Twitter @berthoudsurvey

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A LOOK BACK

Stockwell namesake “rock” of local schools

he 47th anniversary of Ivy Stockwell Elementary is this year. The heritage of the school is named after a lady who taught in the Berthoud area for 51 years. Stockwell held reign in local classrooms from 1912 to 1963, during which time she watched schools in Berthoud increase from a single school house located in present-day Fickel Park to an elementary school on Bunyan Avenue and a junior-senior high school at Ninth Tales of the and Massachusetts. Since hundreds of children were stuLittle Thompson dents in Stockwell’s classrooms over a span of six decades, she became an institution to generations of people who attended Berthoud schools. Ivy Stockwell was born in 1892 at a ranch in the Campion area north of Berthoud. Stockwell’s mother died during childbirth when Ivy was five years old and an older half sister named ollie assumed the duties of the household. When Ivy was eleven years of age in 1903, she was among four sisters who were orphaned when their father died suddenly. The Loveland newspaper announced, “Elijah J. StockMark French well, one of the good men of this country, died at his home near Berthoud on Friday afternoon — his complaint being appendicitis. He had seen many ups and downs during his life — and death had many times entered his family. Eleven deaths have brought their quota of grief to him and his.” The erthoud newspaper added, otwithstanding his life had been filled with more than the usual amount of sorrow and disappointments. His was a cheerful disposition, generally looking on the bright side. Until the sickness which caused his death he had been a busy man and had his life been spared he would have done much to develop Berthoud. He was a kind and affectionate father, a true friend and an honest man.” ollowing their father s death in 3, the five acre tract east of erthoud to which the family had relocated in 1899 was sold to Berthoud builder George Kee. The Stockwell girls moved to town and temporarily rented rooms from Reverend O.A. Smith at the United Brethren parsonage at 647 Fourth St. In 1912, Stockwell graduated from Berthoud High School with eight classmates and sought immediate employment. The local newspaper reported, “Miss Ivy Stockwell, one of those to be graduated from Berthoud High School this year, has secured a position in the primary department of the Whipple School next term. Miss Stockwell was one of those who took the teachers’ examination in Berthoud several weeks ago, and it is understood that her papers received a good percentage.” On Sept. 3, 1912, the 19-year-old Stockwell began her 51-year teaching career when she reported for duty at the Whipple country school two miles east of Berthoud. Stockwell taught the lower grades (1-4) while a Miss Wilson instructed students in the upper grades (5-8). During these years it was common practice for local farm boys to miss school during sugar beet harvest and fall behind in their classes. As a result, many of the older boys at Whipple School were close in age to Stockwell and a challenge for her to discipline. One of Stockwell’s students at that time who is no longer living and will remain unidentified once told a story about the older boys hiding behind tombstones at Greenlawn Cemetery and jumping out to scare Stockwell as she walked back to town after dark. In spite of the schoolboys’ pranks, Stockwell taught at Whipple School for two years before moving to the Old Berthoud country school in the fall of 1914 to teach the lower grades. Like others who couldn’t afford automobiles on teacher’s pay during World War One, Stockwell and the teacher of the upper grades, J.M. Long, walked along the Colorado & Southern railroad tracks — gathering children along the way — to reach the school that was located one mile south of town. In the fall of 1918, after teaching four years at the Old Berthoud country school, Stockwell accepted a job teaching third grade at the school in the town of Berthoud. Located in present-day Fickel Park, the two-story, red brick school building housed students in grades one through twelve. On Oct. 9, 1918, one month after Stockwell greeted her new students, Berthoud’s mayor closed the school to guard against the spread of the Spanish

Photo courtesy of Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum

Ivy Stockwell, back left, is pictured with one of her many elementary school classes. Stockwell is the namesake for one of Berthoud’s two elementary schools.

nfluen a. The school and erthoud s churches, lodges and theatre remained closed for four months until the winter of 1919 when places of public assembly were reopened. Two years later in the fall of the 1920, Berthoud’s junior and senior high school students moved to a new building at Ninth and Massachusetts and the old building was given over to the elementary grades. For the next 45 years — from the fall of 1918 to the spring of 1963 — Stockwell taught grades two through five at erthoud s elementary school. Stockwell, who never married, made her home at 906 Fourth Street with Mollie, the sister who raised her from childhood. Over her career, Stockwell was known for ruling her classroom with a firm hand. Talking without raising a hand to be recogni ed by the teacher was forbidden and remaining seated at all times was expected of students. Stockwell also didn’t back away from keeping unruly students after school and included the Pledge of Allegiance as part of every morning’s routine. She was also known as a kind and generous person who anonymously purchased shoes for students during the Great Depression. In the spring of 1963, when the original Berthoud elementary school that was located in present day ickel Park closed its doors for the final time, the year old Stockwell retired from teaching. When a new school was opened the next fall at 560 Bunyan Avenue, a new teacher was hired to replace Stockwell who had taught 51 years in Berthoud area schools — 2 at Whipple, 4 at Old Berthoud and 45 at Berthoud. Stockwell remained active as an educator, serving as a substitute teacher at the new Berthoud Elementary for another 10 years. By 1975, Berthoud’s elementary student population had grown to the extent that another grade school was needed on the south side of town. A second elementary school was built at 175 Fifth Street at a cost of $967, 714 and named for Ivy Stockwell. While Berthoud has had its share of teachers who spent their entire careers teaching here, none have matched Stockwell’s 51 years — 61, in fact, if the years she spent as a substitute teacher are included. After enduring a childhood during which time she lost a seven-year old brother to diphtheria, a mother and infant sibling to the difficulties of childbirth, and a father to appendicitis, Ivy Stockwell lent her rock-solid stability to Berthoud school students for over one-half century. That’s why a school is named for her. Editor’s note: This story appeared in the Surveyor on Sept. 28, 2005.

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Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

BOBSERVATION — Back-to-school memories

t seems like school starts earlier and earlier each year. A glance at the local school district calendar shows school starts for all students on Aug. 16. We started later, usually after Labor Day. In the 1950s and 1960s, I didn’t want the vacation to end. It’s hard to believe I survived some of the things I did during the summer. We had freedom, not a parent always within eyesight of us. Most weekdays, I would hang out at my school during the summer. Not to go to the dreaded summer school or anything like that. We had what they called “Playground.” I think the program was run by the city recreation department. The leaders seemed old but they were probably college-age kids. The school was about a half-mile from my house. My mother, who was a stay-at-home mom had no clue what we were doing there. She did not drive since dad had the car at work. She had no way to contact me. This would be scary stuff in 2022. All went well at the playground. Games and craft activities, along with tetherball and softball kept us busy. Fun was simpler then. A sure sign that the new school year was approaching was when mom said it was time to shop for school clothes. n our case, this meant a trip to fine clothing stores such as Sears and Montgomery Wards. I am so old, there were no KMarts, Wal-Marts, Kohls, etc. was outfitted in a couple of pairs of blue eans and a small collection of collared shirts. I think I got a new belt then too. That was pretty much it for the entire school year unless we got new things at Christmas, which was rare. Shoes were another matter. The upcoming school year called for a new pair of them, preferably leather ones. I picked (or mom told me to get) brown or black shoes in the early years. As I got older, I think I might have purchased a couple of pairs, with one set being loafers.

One of the now interesting/frightening aspects Surveyor of trying on shoes involved a small x-ray machine. Columnist From the 1930s through the 1950s, any good shoe store had what was technically called a fluoroscope. The procedure was for the customer/victim (me) to put on new shoes, stand at a wooden box, inserting both feet at the bottom. About waist-high was a viewer. Some models of the fluoroscope had multiple views so a parent and salesman could get a good look. They saw an x-ray outline of the shoe soles and where my toes were in them. This process ensured a much better fit than mom pressing down on the toe, and asking where my toe was. No one seemed concerned about my toes possibly Bob glowing in the dark after the fitMcDonnell ting. Lastly, we got what we in the Midwest called gym shoes. I later learned that these canvas and rubber sports shoes were also called sneakers. The proper and only acceptable color was black, and they had to be ankle-high. White shoes were for girls. There were no other color choices at the time. These shoes were only to be worn in the school gym. Both the leather and canvas shoes usually had to last all year. In the years when I had a growth spurt, this was a bit of a problem but rules are rules. The lightweight shoes had to last all summer, then the cycle repeated itself. As this school year approaches, I wonder what memories kids today will have about ordering everything online, then anxiously waiting for the big truck to drop it off at the doorstep. t s ust not the same.

School Calendar 2022-

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Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

How to help kids with math Special to the Surveyor Many parents recall struggling with math at one point or another in their academic careers. According to PBS, little is known about the neurobiological or environmental causes of math disabilities. Many experts attribute them to various deficits in a handful of skill types, including difficulties connecting the relationship between numbers and the quantities they represent and an incomplete understanding of the language of math. Determining what’s behind a student’s struggles with math may require a collective effort on the part of parents and educators. Parents also may need to make a concerted effort to help their children with math at home, and they can approach that in various ways. • Learn the ways modern teachers teach math. It may not take long before parents recognize that math is now taught differently than it likely was when they were still students. Beginning in 2010, the Common Core State Standards Initiative attempted to teach math in a new way. Parents of students who are struggling with math can contact their children’s teachers to learn the methods they’re using in the classroom. Ask for pointers on presenting the material at home and do your best to grasp the new approach. • Utilize kids’ interests to relay mathematical concepts. Kids may find material more relatable and easier to understand if parents incorporate their interests into lessons. For example, parents can use sports to reinforce concepts kids are being taught in the classroom. If a child’s favorite football team is winning by 21 points, parents can ask children to determine how many touchdowns the opponent will need to score to tie the game. Young readers can be given books that help children build fundamental math skills like counting, addition and subtraction. Incorporating kids’ hobbies into home math lessons is a great way to build their enthusiasm for math. • Speak with teachers. Ask teachers for their advice on relating concepts at home. Teachers may be limited in regard to how they can teach

$45 in the 80513 zip code, $55 elsewhere

math in the classroom, but they might be able to offer some tips to make materials more relatable at home. • Work with a tutor. Parents who are struggling to grasp the new ways math is taught can easily become frustrated, and that frustration could rub off on kids. Before things reach that point, parents can reach out to tutors. Some schools provide tutoring programs, while others may recommend local tutors. Fellow parents also can be great resources and may be able to recommend tutors who have produced successful results for their children in the past. In a study of elementary school students, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that having a positive attitude about math was connected to better function of the hippocampus, an important memory center in the brain, during the performance of arithmetic problems. This means, that helping your student to maintain a positive, can-do attitude about their ability to learn new math might actually help them learn. Struggles with math are not uncommon. Parents can try various strategies to help their kids grasp mathematical concepts more fully.

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Turner Middle School

ear Turner families, Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year. I want to extend a warm welcome to those who are new to our Dragon family and a welcome back to those returning to TMS. This year we will continue to focus on cultivating a positive school community where every student at TMS feels safe and respected. We are committed to assisting students in developing a climate and culture of respect at TMS by focusing on every student feeling connected and part of our Dragon family. TMS will continue to use Sources of Strength in our PRO classes (social learning time) as well as implement Brandy Grieves Character Strong lessons. We want all Principal at students to feel that TMS is a safe place Turner Middle School to express themselves, learn, and prepare for their next academic level, high school. Keeping a focus on classroom learning and uniting students as Turner Dragons will assist us in cultivating that positive school community we all want for each of our students. Over the summer, we have had our gym floor redone and painted with our mascot and new lettering. It looks amazing, we cannot wait for our stu+dents, staff and families to see this upgrade. Also, we have been able to hire some great new additions to our team. We look forward to these teachers and staff getting to know our students, families and the community. We are excited about this school year and we thank you for your partnership and the supportive role you play in our student’s educational experience.

The link between volunteering and academic performance Special to the Surveyor There are many reasons for parents to encourage children who express an interest in volunteering. Volunteering is a social activity that can help children develop their social and networking skills, and many parents credit volunteering with instilling a sense of perspective in their children that they might not have gained had they not been exposed to people from different backgrounds. Volunteering also has been linked to stronger academic performance. The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that students who indicate they’re doing better in school are more likely to be volunteers than students who report doing less well. The broadened exposure to people and places that students may otherwise not encounter without volunteering also can benefit them in the classroom, helping them more readily identify with cultures and societies they’re studying. College applicants with volunteering experience also may set themselves apart in the increasingly competitive application process. Though a 2019 Pew Research study reported that most schools admit more than two thirds of their applicants, that figure is significantly lower at many of the more highly rated institutions in the United States. For example, Stanford University (4.3%) and Harvard University (4.9%) recently reported acceptance rates below 5%. Though volunteering alone won’t help applicants gain acceptance to such competitive institutions, it can serve as a strong résumé builder and be even more effective if it also produces the previously noted improvements in academic performance.

Turner Middle School, 950 Massachusetts Ave., 970-613-7400. Principal Brandy Grieves.

Respectfully, Brandy Grieves Principal elow you will find some important dates for the upcoming school year: Aug. 8 — Practice for fall sports start, paperwork is due by Aug. 1. Additional information is at Turner athletics. Aug. 15 — First day of school for sixth grade Aug. 15 — Back to school night 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16 — First day of school for seventh and eighth grade. Aug. 22 — Picture Day The school supply list and the bell schedule are on the Turner Middle School website.

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

l W o o h c s n Fu h i d ea s lu n c

hen I was a kid, I had to bring my own lunch every day to school. I love my mother to death, but her inventiveness and cooking skills were minimal, which she admits to this day was a tragedy. So, my lunches usually consisted of a honey and peanut butter sandwich and a bag of chips. At some point, I remember having lunch boxes, but usually, the thermos in them inevitably broke “somehow.” (Which back then was always lined with glass.) My mom eventually gave up and just sent paper bags where everything ended up in a flat crushed mess at the bottom of a backpack. After that, I got used to pancaked sandwiches and crumbs of chips. Today, there are great containers and fun things to do to make your kid’s lunchtime exciting. Just the containers alone can be fun; there are many different bento-type partitioned lunch boxes where you can place a bunch of small bites together to create exciting lunches. Hummus, for instance, is a great lunch alternative with things to dip, like veggies or different crackers and chips. You can create a whole spread of fun with little bites in partitions for variety. For example, you could prep a couple of sandwiches and cut them into bite-sized pieces giving some of each over a couple of days instead of one kind each day as a variety. Place a couple

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of pinwheel wraps in one section, and a nut butter Surveyor spread sandwich piece in a second one. Consider Columnist using something like a pasta salad cottage cheese in a third. And yes, I know some of your kids are picky eaters and will only want to eat one thing. You can dress that up too. A great example is to make sandwiches and then use a small cutter to cut out the top to make eyes and a nose or mouth revealing the filling underneath. Or use a flower pattern to make the sandwich look fun and different. You could take the same sandwiches and cut David Tisue them out into fun shapes like a dinosaur, car or even a fun bug and arrange them in a container. Use slivers of vegetables poked into the bread to make antenna or eyes as a surprise. Even two slices of hard-boiled eggs as eyes on a sandwich is fun. Look for fun insulated lunch boxes or ice packs to keep things cold or a thermos (They no longer make them lined with glass and they can survive a fall.) for keeping something hot like spaghetti or mac and cheese. Then, of course, there are the sweet treats that kids love too. Try using an unexpected cookie or brownie they didn’t know about as a surprise. Fruit is always a great choice too. Maybe with a yogurt dip to make it fun. There are endless possibilities beyond the flattened peanut butter and honey sandwiches of long ago!

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July 28, 2022 Page 11

The ideas behind strength-based parenting

Special to the Surveyor

Many a parent is familiar with the notion that children do not come with instruction manuals. Since babies are not born with instruction manuals, the best way to raise children is open to interpretation, and interpretations often lead to theories on parenting. One such theory is strength-based parenting, an approach that focuses on developing and nurturing a child’s character. Dr. Lea Waters, a Melbourne, Australia-based psychologist and author, has studied ways to improve interactions between parents and their children for decades. Dr. Waters emphasizes the value of identifying and nurturing children’s character strengths, and the value that such efforts can have in regard to promoting children’s long-term happiness and achievements. In an article for Greater Good Magazine, r. aters defined character strengths as those things that are personality-based and internal, including curiosity, courage, humor, and kindness. These character strengths work in conjunction with talents, which may include things like athletic ability, musical skills and problem-solving. Strength-based parenting espouses the importance of cultivating kids’ character strengths as much as their talents. Dr. Waters notes that it would be hard to find anyone who made the most of their talents without also relying on their character strengths. For example, even the most gifted natural athletes need to draw on their work ethic in order to reach their full potential as athletes. Dr. Waters’ research has led her to conclude that children and teenagers

whose parents help them to identify and use their character strengths benefit from that assistance in myriad ways. Such children experience more positive emotions and flow, are more persistent, are more confident, and are more satisfied with their lives compared to children whose parents did not help them identify and use their character strengths. Dr. Waters’ research, published in 2018, also found that children whose parents took a strength-based approach to parenting earned better grades, were less stressed, more capable of coping with friendship issues, and more capable of coping with homework deadlines than children whose parents did not employ a strength-based approach to parenting. Parenting is a big responsibility, and parents can explore various approaches to raising happy children to fulfill their responsibilities as parents. One such approach is strength-based parenting, which parents can explore on their own to decide if it’s an approach they want to pursue.

Back to school already? Eye can’t believe it! By Dr. Corey Pratt, O.D. The Surveyor 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. We really rely on our eyes. They allow us to see shapes and colors and motion. When our vision is good our eyes allow us to learn understand and interact appropriately with our environment. When our vision is poor, it can really make things difficult. One of my favorite patients is an 8 year old named aria. hen first met her three years ago she was a quiet and painfully shy little girl. She wouldn’t speak to or make eye contact with anyone. She was struggling in school and her teachers were about to enroll her in a special-needs program. If that didn’t help, she was going to be held back a grade. Someone mentioned to Maria’s mom that she should get Maria’s vision checked just in case - which was when they came to see me. It turned out Maria 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. Once she received help for her vision Maria was a completely different young lady. She was much more confident, outgoing, and smiled a lot more. Over the course of a few months, she was able to catch up to her grade level in school as well. It was one of my most rewarding moments as an optometrist. The interesting thing was Maria never complained about her vision. In fact, many children won’t. They just assume that is how the world looks to everyone and try to make the best of it. Here are some other interesting facts. The merican Optometric ssociation recommends children have their first eye exam between 6 and 12 months old. Now, 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 3 and 5 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. School 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. So, 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. Let’s not let vision problems impact our children’s learning potential and let’s make this the best school year yet. At Berthoud Vision for Life, we thoroughly love working with children (as well as adults). Feel free to contact us with any questions or to schedule an appointment. We accept many insurance plans.

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How to pack a healthy lunch By Kristy Hall, MS Special to the Surveyor

School is about to start and with it comes the chaos of school lunches, backpacks, homework and more. Packing your child’s school lunch is an opportunity to support a healthy immune system, create healthy habits and provide balanced energy throughout the learning day. When the kids all gather for the fall, colds spread rapidly. Boost your child’s immune system with key nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc. Here are some easy-to-pack foods high in these nutrients: • Foods high in vitamin C that go well in lunch boxes include bell pepper strips served with dips such as chimichurri (a dip made from parsley that tastes amazing), broccoli lightly steamed to brighten the color, strawberries, grapefruit, oranges, cantaloupe and more. • Foods high in vitamin D that go well in lunch boxes include boiled eggs, shrimp cocktail or milk. • Foods high in zinc that go well in lunch boxes include roast beef roll-ups, shrimp cocktail, lightly steamed asparagus spears, pumpkin seeds (pepitas are tasty), yogurt or green peas lightly steamed. Be sure to avoid sugar. Sugar seriously slows the immune system’s response to viral or bacterial infection. So, instead of a sugary drink, give your child water along with a packet of electrolyte powder or some lemon wedges for flavor. Be sure to read the label of the foods and beverages you buy so you know just how much added sugar is in the foods. For example, some yogurts have lots of added, unhealthy sugar. An 8 oz. serving of plain yogurt will naturally have 4 grams (g) of sugar. Any more than that is added sugar. One popular brand of yogurt has 25 g of added sugar. That is nearly six teaspoons and is the upper limit for the entire day for children according to the American Heart Association. Instead of

buying yogurt loaded with sugar, try adding fresh fruit and a little honey to sweeten. Give your child probiotics. I highly recommend MegaSporebiotic. If your child can’t swallow pills, simply open the capsule and mix it with yogurt or milk. A good quality probiotic will help keep your child healthy this fall. Other ways to help your child to keep feeling his or her best and ready for learning is to make sleep and movement priorities. Summertime is usually marked with staying up late so take a couple of weeks to acclimate to earlier bedtimes and waketimes before the school year starts. Exercise really helps burn excess energy, boost immune function, and to deal with stress in a positive way. Ask your school to allow kids to get out at least twice a day for some movement and take your kids to the park after school if possible. Of course, these tips are not only good for your child but the whole family. Establishing a routine of healthy foods and healthy habits supports everyone. Kristy Hall, MS is with Living Well Nutrition, LLC and is a Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Culinary Genomics, Certified Epigenetic Nutrition and Certified Medical Nutrition Therapy. She can be reached at 970-685-8531, 1435 29th St. Loveland.

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Help improve reading comprehension

By Amber McIver-Traywick The Surveyor

Strong reading comprehension skills are one of the foundations of not just a successful academic life but a future life and career. According to the Institute of Reading Development, students with strong reading comprehension skills get a big boost in all subjects, including math and science. Reading comprehension takes simply reading a word on a page to fully understanding and processing the nuances of what the text actually says. Though the benefits of reading comprehension are well documented, many students are struggling in this area of their academics. Officials with the National Center for Education Statistics note that, over the last decade, students have made no progress in reading performance. That likely comes as no surprise to seasoned educators, as data indicates students are reading less outside of school than they have in years past. Then you throw in a pandemic and the issues only increase. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicates the percentage of public school students who said they read 30 minutes or more a day declined by 4 percent between 2017 and 2019, dipping below 50 percent overall in the latter

year. The good news is, for young students and adults alike struggling with reading comprehension, with practice, focus and diligence anyone can improve their understanding of what they read. If you’re concerned about your student (or your own) reading comprehension, try these strategies to bolster this highly valuable skill. · Let kids read what they like. The tutoring professionals at Oxford Learning report that 73 percent of students indicate they would read more if they found books they liked. Parents can address this issue by taking children to their local libraries and letting them choose which books to check out. The more practice kids get with reading, the more their comprehension skills develop. The same goes for adults, find things to read that hold your interest. · Spending just 2-3 hours a week on guided practice can also improve comprehension. This involves structure and focused attention. Activities can include learning new vocabulary or studying a new topic. Kids get plenty of this with regular schoolwork and adults can always expand their knowledge. · Read aloud to children. Various studies have found that reading aloud to children significantly benefits literacy development. One study from the National Association for the Education of Young Children found that listening to others read helps children develop key understanding and skills, including how stories are written. In addition, the Reading Rockets project, which aspires to bring reading research to life in the hopes of helping young children develop into strong, confident readers, notes that children can listen on a higher language level than they can read. That makes complex ideas more accessible. · Begin to pay attention to when your attention begins to slip when you’re reading. It may only be a few minutes but begin to work on slowly building up your stamina. Read for 15 minutes, take a minute break and then go back. Next time try reading for a few more minutes before your break and build from there. · Ask questions when reading to children, or yourself. When reading to children, parents can compound the benefits of this activity by asking youngsters questions about the book. Asking what, when, where, why, and how can encourage children to look for answers to these questions while they’re being read to. As students advance and then read more on their own, parents can encourage them to ask these questions of themselves (if they’re not already doing so on their own). Asking and answering these questions is a great way to strengthen reading comprehension skills. Strong reading comprehension skills can help students reach their academic potential. Parents can employ various strategies to help children bolster those skills.

Follow the Thompson School District on facebook and twitter @ThompsonR2J Visit their website at thompsonschools.org

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Helpful apps for busy families

By Amber McIver-Traywick The Surveyor

Many people resolve to be more organized at the start of a new school year, sometimes it works and sometimes it works for a week. Busy families often are pulled in many directions, so tools that make it easier to manage schedules, important documents and more can help people keep a clear head on hectic days. The less stress you bring into a new school year the better! Organization-based smartphone apps can help people keep pace. The following are some useful apps busy individuals may want to utilize. • Cozi: Cozi is a website and mobile app designed with family organization in mind. It’s earned the distinction of being a three-time “Mom’s Choice Award” recipient. The Mom’s Choice Awards (MCA) program is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. The organization is based in the United States and has reviewed thousands of items from more than 60 countries. Within the Cozi app, appointments and activity calendars are kept all in one place; school events and class schedules can be tracked; grocery lists can be managed and shared; and to-do lists can be shared as well. • Any.do: For people who thrive in list-making, this app is an ideal fit. sers make daily checklists and break down bigger pro ects into smaller tasks. • OurHome: Keeping up with chores can be, well, a chore. This is a fun app that makes those tasks a little more en oyable. This is a gamified task management system that rewards you and your family for completing all the fun and mundane tasks, from budgeting to feeding the animals. Subscribers can get their kids in on the fun of taking care of chores around the house. As an added bonus, they’ll be saving time and frustration. Its points system and ranking are another motivation for checking off items on the to-do list. • Paprika: This app is one of the many cooking idea and meal planners available. It enables users to cut recipes from blog posts and save them easily. Users can even create grocery lists within the app. That list can be shared with the family so anyone out doing the shopping can pick up items. • Genius Scan: Keeping track of receipts, important documents and other paperwork can be challenging. Genius Scan is a smart scanner for a phone that makes it easy to quickly scan a document on the go and e port files as multi page P s or P s. • Keepy: Many parents keep a storage container of their children’s artwork. But storing years’ worth of school pro ects can take up valuable space. Keepy allows people to save childhood photos and artwork in an organized manner. • Busy Kid: Some kids do get an allowance for chores well done and allowing children to learn the value of a dollar is important. The BusyKid app can make this task even easier and gives your kids more autonomy. In addition to providing chore suggestions, your children can complete their calendar chore charts at their own pace. Once they’ve completed a chore to your satisfaction, you can transfer money through your bank account. Whether they want to save it or cash it out is up to them! ropbo ropbo can be used for business, pleasure or generali ed organi ation. t s an easy way to store files large and small and share photos and videos with anyone, including those who do not have ropbox accounts. Staying organized is easier when utilizing the various applications available for computers, tablets and smartphones.

FamilyApp: This is a secure communications platform that allows private interactions with end-to-end encryption that ensures data is secure. You can set up one or more families into a group for scheduling carpools, sports activities, scheduling a babysitter or ust letting family members know what’s going on in one place. The thought of never being caught up in a group text extravaganza is another selling point.

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If the shoe fits, wear it By Amber McIver-Traywick The Surveyor Did you know experts estimate that around 70% of adults suffer from foot health problems and the majority of those problems are a result of wearing ill fitting shoes as kids aking sure kids and adults are wearing shoes that properly support their feet not only prevents sores and blisters, but it also plays a huge role in proper physical development and body alignment. With the new school year rolling around many families will be shoe shopping and there are a few things to keep in mind to keep kids’ feet healthy and well supported. Check to see if the shoes fit properly . eel grip ave your child sit and hold their foot hold the ankle with one hand and gently pull down on the heel of the shoe. If it slips easily it s not a good fit. . ave the child stand up. se your fingers to feel around the top of the shoe and make sure their aren’t any gaps between their foot and the shoe. 3. Feel around the ankle bone. The shoe shouldn’t rub on the ankle bone unless it’s a high top meant for ankle support. 4. Feel the top of each shoe for the end of your child’s longest toe. You should have a thumb length between the toe and the end of the shoe. 5. Feel along each side of the shoe. There shouldn’t be any bulging or pressure along the side. The widest part of the foot should be in the widest part of the shoe. . eel across the top of the shoe. f you get a shallow ripple effect the fit is ust right. f it s super tight or incredibly loose it s not a good fit. . f it s a shoe like a ballet flat, put a finger under the low cut part of the shoe on the top of the foot. If the foot is bulging about that area, it’s not a good fit. 8. Finally, do what most parents have done throughout history ask the child to walk around the shoe and see how it feels. There shouldn’t be any slipping or excessive gaping. fter all the fitting techniques, shoes should be comfortable as soon as you put them on. The old saying “You can wear them in” isn’t always the case for school shoes. If they aren’t comfortable when they try them on then consider a different style (even if it means a bit of complaining because they are too tired . etter to get it right than suffer the consequences later. dditionally, The merican Podiatric edical ssociation recommends avoiding hand-me-down shoes. Shoes tend to conform to the feet that wear them and everyone’s feet are shaped differently. If that is all that is available to you, making sure they are gently used and still supportive is the key. The average life of a pair of children’s shoes is four months, depending on the quality of the shoes. This may be at least in part because children are relatively active (girls take an average of 10,000 to 13,000 steps, and boys take 12,000 to 16,000 steps each day). In addition to walking or running, children may stomp, jump, skid, twist, scuff, kick, etc. Despite this activity, however, children may outgrow their shoes before they wear them out, so a child’s growth rate is also a factor in the life of his or her shoes. Parents should be attentive to the need to discard and replace shoes that have become too small even though they may not appear to be worn out. Believe it or not, parents and caregivers need to also be aware of what they are putting on their baby’s feet. According to the Institute of Preventative Foothealth, when your child is very young the bones in their feet are made of soft spongy cartilage which can easily be pushed out of alignment by shoes aliexpress.com

and even sleepsuits and socks which don t fit properly. The nerve endings in babies’ feet also take time to develop, so your child may not be able to let you know if their feet are sore or squashed by shoes, making checking the fit important. Taking some e tra time to make sure shoes fit well can help keep everyone’s feet healthy for a lifetime.

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Public school enrollment declines locally as part of a statewide trend

By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor

To say that the COVID-19 pandemic caused problems in the world of education would be an understatement. The decision by state and local leaders to shutter schools, adopt hybrid at-home/in-person learning models and require a multitude of masking, social distancing, co-horting requirements resulted in a substantial drop in academic achievement and social/emotional development for students. Another result of the pandemic, and the policies adopted to counteract it, was a noticeable decline in public school Pre-K through 12-grade enrollment. ccording to figures published by the Colorado epartment of Education (CDE), statewide there were 30,024 fewer students enrolled in public schools in the 2021-22 school year than there were in the 2019-20 school year. The final, official count of the preschool through th grade public school student population confirms the state student population had its first decrease in year to year enrollment in over three decades due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic,” read a CDE press release. The Thompson School District (TSD), which includes Berthoud and Loveland schools, saw an enrollment decline of 872 students from 201920 to 2021-22, a bigger decline than the more-populated Poudre School District in Fort Collins, which lost 812 students. To the south, the Longmont-centered St. Vrain school district lost 449 students. Smaller declines were experienced by other neighboring districts including Johnstown-Milliken RE-5J (-186), Weld RE-1 (-61)

and Greeley District 6 (-297). The only Northern Front Range district to see a public school enrollment increase was Windsor RE-4, which gained 791 students during the same pre-pandemic to current time period. Statewide, the CDE reported, “The largest decreases were in the earlier grades with 8,009 fewer students in preschool for a 23.3% drop and 5,800 fewer kindergartners for a 9.1% decrease. An estimated 13,833 fewer first through fifth graders were counted in Colorado schools in 2020 compared to 2019 — a 4.2% drop. Among races and ethnicities, white students had the highest number change with 19,759 fewer students in 2020 compared to 2019, a 4.1% decline. American Indian or Alaska native had the highest percent drop with 5.9% fewer students in 2020 than in 2019.” Despite the decline over the three-school-year period (2019-20, 202021, 2021-22), the most recent school year, 2021-22, did see a very slight increase from the year prior, with a gain of 3,318 students (0.4%) statewide. Yet, in 2021-22 there are fewer students enrolled in public schools in Colorado than at any point since 3 according to C figures, the statewide pupil count of 886,517 in 2021-22 is the lowest (after 2020-21) since 2013 when the state counted 876,999 students enrolled. Many families have been opting for alternatives to public school in the last two school years. Statewide, the number of students who are homeschooled increased from ,88 in to , in , a figure which also represents a decline from the all-time high homeschool enrollment of 15,773 in 2020. Other families are exercising school choice, opting to send their children to private and charter schools. According to a report from the Keystone Policy Center, “Colorado has the third largest share of students attending charter schools in the nation, after only Arizona and Washington, DC, with more than 15% of Colorado students attending charter schools this year.” Resurrection Christian School in Loveland, which hosts grades from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, has 1,390 students enrolled in 2022, the school’s highest ever and behind only Regis Jesuit’s (which only serves high school grades) 1,729 student count for the largest private school enrollment in the state. The decline in public school enrollment could have an adverse effect on funding levels, which are usually tied in some measure to student headcount. While that has yet to be realized in most districts — the approved 2022-23 school year budget for the TSD is the highest ever — it could force uncomfortable decisions to be made in the future. One option, and one that is currently underway in Thompson, is consolidating schools. The TSD is currently in the process of shuttering Loveland’s Monroe and Mary Blair Elementary schools, at an up-front cost of $18 million, the transforming Conrad Ball Middle School in a Pre-K through Eighth Grade school. While the initial cost may appear steep, it is a cost-saver for the district in the long run. Time will tell what ultimately happens with public schools both locally and nationally, but one thing is clear — education is beginning to look different tomorrow than it did just a generation ago.

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Did you know? Special to the Surveyor Music courses can have a profound impact on students, potentially helping them perform better in other subjects. A recent study from the American Psychological Association found that high school students who take music courses score significantly better on exams in subjects like math and science than their nonmusical peers. The improved academic performance was more pronounced among students who learned to play an instrument rather than vocal music. The researchers behind the study examined the records of more than 112,000 students in British Columbia. Among the students whose records were studied, 13% had participated in at least one music course in grade 10, 11 or 12. Researchers discovered that, on average, children who learned to play a musical instrument for many years and ultimately played in a high school band or orchestra were the equivalent of roughly one academic year ahead of their peers in regard to their English, mathematics and science

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When it’s time to call in a tutor

Special to the Surveyor

Busy schedules, hybrid learning and demanding coursework have affected students’ academic performance over the last year-plus. The months since a pandemic was declared in March of 2020 have been unlike any other, and confronting the academic challenges of the pandemic may have adversely affected some students’ grades. A recent report from the Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Research and Strategic Improvement in Virginia found the number of middle and high school students with two or more failing marks increased by 83 percent in the first quarter of the 2020-2021 school year compared to the year prior. But students’ grades may slide or they may find certain school work overly challenging even in normal years. Since many parents have not seen a periodic table or had to solve high school math problems in decades, tutors may be just what students need to regain their academic footing. Failing grades are not necessarily the most notable indicator that students can benefit from the services of a tutor. The Princeton Review says 25 percent of high school students say homework is their biggest source of stress, and homework progress can help parents determine if it’s time to call in a tutor. Students who find their homework is taking too long, particularly double or triple the amount of time it once required, may need some extra help. Here are some additional indicators that a tutor may be needed. • Declining test scores: Some students are simply poor test takers, but a gradual or sudden decline in test scores may indicate students are

having trouble mastering material. Teachers can pinpoint if certain concepts are overly challenging to students and notify parents if there are any problem areas. • Poor time management or focus: Students who are struggling may have their attention drift or they put off doing tasks because they don’t grasp the assignments. • Lack of homework help at home: Parents may have prior commitments during the times of day when their children are doing homework. Even when parents are home, they may discover that the concepts covered in school are not being taught in the ways parents learned them and they may have difficulty assisting their children. Tutors can step in and help students when parents cannot. • Learning disorder: Certain students learn differently from others due to a diagnosed or undiagnosed learning disorder. A child who is struggling with reading, phonics, spelling, and writing may have dyslexia, according to the tutoring experts at Dyslexia Practitioner NJ. Tutors who specialize in learning disorders can assess and address learning conflicts and tailor instructions in ways that can help students overcome those challenges. • Students “shut down” or say they “hate” school: Disinterest in school or expressions of hating going to school may be indicative of academic struggles in the classroom, says the Princeton Review. Some students get so frustrated they simply give up. Tutors can solve learning puzzles and help get students back on track and reignite their interest in school. Tutors can be valuable resources for students who need some one-onone attention to master general learning concepts or reinforce skills for key tests or projects.

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