Thunder Mountain Elementary Shared Vision:
We strive to be a positive community who thinks creatively, problem solves, and loves learning.
October 9, 2020
Dear Families,
Please see the below information, updates and reminders that we would like to share with you this month.
Halloween Celebrations
The Thunder Mountain staff have voted this year to celebrate Halloween in a few fun ways! Please see the below guidelines that we will need to follow in order to assure that all students are allowed to participate, have fun and stay safe!
Costumes: This year, we are allowing students to wear costumes for Halloween. All of our students can wear costumes to school Friday, October 30th. Students should come to school wearing their costumes and must be able to participate in learning all day in their costume, without adult assistance. With this in mind, please ensure that younger ones do not need assistance with costumes when using the restroom. All costumes must follow our school dress code, should not include full face masks and cannot be inappropriate for school. We ask that the costumes not be too scary, gory or include weapons or blood of any kind. Teachers can ask students to remove hats or other items if they are distracting or disrupting learning in any way. Finally, please keep in mind that students will still need to wear their face coverings in order to follow safety guidelines.
Class Parties: All classes will be having some form of celebration or party on Friday, October 30th. Unfortunately, we are still not able to allow visitors or volunteers into the building, but your students will be able to partake in the fun! If your child’s teacher allows treats, please know that they must be individually wrapped and pre-packaged from the factory. Please be looking for further specifics from your child’s teacher.
Trunk or Treat: Our wonderful PTO has come up with a fun and safe way to host a Trunk or Treat activity on Thursday evening, October 29th, in the Thunder Mountain parking lot. Our PTO will be sending out more specific communication about this event soon, so be on the lookout!
We are excited that our students will be able to participate in these celebrations, using safety guidelines. It is critical that everyone follow the guidelines closely to assure that we all stay safe and can continue to participate in face-to-face learning.
COVID Updates
District 51 recently sent out the following communications. Please take a moment to review them. As a reminder all elementary school students wear masks when entering and exiting the classroom, in common areas, when outside their established cohort, when teachers feel it is necessary within an established chort, on the bus, and any time that a 3 foot distance between students cannot be maintained.
Mask Clarification: A recent update from Governor Polis regarding communities in the Protect Our Neighbors phase has caused some confusion about masks in Mesa County. At this time, Mesa County Public Health, along with Governor Polis’ office and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, has not lifted the mask order for Mesa County.
The Protect Our Neighbors phase is a community-specific phase and gives local health departments the ability to implement locally-based public health orders. The current public health order details that the mask order is still in effect. Masks are still required in schools for staff and students.
The pandemic isn’t over, and with the recent increase in cases in Mesa County, it is more important than ever that we continue these habits to ensure the health and safety of our entire community. Please visit the Mesa County Public Health website for more information.
Click here for the statement from Mesa County Public Health.
From the D51 District Nursing Department: Flu season is upon us. Please check out this video to learn more about how to track COVID-19 symptoms during flu season.
Thank you families, for all that you do so support your students and Thunder Mountain Elementary!
Kindly,
Amy Frazier and Britni Westbrook
Hello Thunderbirds!
Here are a couple of reminders...
Set an alarm to complete your child's health screener each day. This screener can be found in ParentVue and takes less than a minute to complete.
Make sure your student wears a mask. Don't worry if your kiddo accidentally left it at home this time. We have extras.
PLEASE follow the drop off and pick up procedures. Students may be dropped off starting at 8:40. Afternoon pick up starts at 4:00. Please arrive at the designated times. We have signage to help guide you through our new process. We realize that this process may take some time to implement and we may need to make adjustments along the way. Please be patient as we work together to refine it.
While dropping off or picking up your student, please remember the following:
* pull all the way forward
* stay in the right lane
* remain in your vehicle
* have your student exit and enter on the passenger side.
* be patient and sing happy songs wile we get everyone safely unloaded before school and loaded after school
As we begin a new school year during such a unique time, please know that Thunder Mountain is taking every precaution to ensure the safety and well being of all of our students, staff and families. Last but not least, send your child off to school with a hug and a kiss knowing that Thunder Mountain is ready, safe and eager to begin learning tomorrow!
Monday - Thursday
8:55 am - 4:00 pm
Friday, early release
8:55 am - 2:00 pm
*Students may arrive no sooner than 8:40