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Thompson School District is celebrating its 50th year as a reorganized school district with a free celebration scheduled for Jan. 14 from 6-8 p.m. in Roberta Price Auditorium at Thompson Valley High School.
In preparation for the event, the district is seeking some unusual/interesting stories from former students or teachers to share about life in the district 50 years ago. It could be about clubs and activities, culture, classes or other aspects about school that are different from today. People with stories to share should contact Chris Ingold at 970-613-5072 or at ingoldc@thompson.k12.co.us [2].
Some of the best stories will be incorporated into the event, which will feature national speaker Jamie Vollmer, musical guests and a reception. Vollmer is author of the book, Schools Cannot Do It Alone. Vollmer was a business owner in Iowa and a critic of public schools who changed his tune. His story is about how he evolved from thinking schools should be run like businesses, to one of building support for the nation’s public schools and the change that is needed to make them more successful.
“Once a harsh critic, he has become an award-winning advocate and trusted partner of America’s public schools,” his web site states. It continues with “His encounters with blueberries, bell curves, and smelly eighth graders lead him to two critical discoveries. First, we have a systems problem, not a people problem. We must change the system to get the graduates we need. Second, we cannot touch the system without touching the culture of the surrounding town; everything that goes on inside a school is tied to local attitudes, values, traditions, and beliefs.”
Vollmer will share his stories and ideas during this free presentation sponsored by the Thompson Education Foundation. For more information about Vollmer, go to www.jamievollmer.com. [3]
In 1960, the electorate voted to consolidate 30 small school districts into three districts, Thompson R2-J, Poudre R1 and Park R3. There were only two high schools – Loveland High School and Berthoud School, which was K-12. There was one junior high in Loveland and five elementary schools. In total, the district had 3,675 students.