We are thrilled to share that our Toys for Tots drive has been hugely successful! Thanks to your incredible generosity and school spirit, we’ve exceeded our goal of 550 toys!
Here’s the final breakdown:
- First Floor: 146 toys
- Second Floor: 253 toys
- Third Floor: 225 toys
That’s a total of 624 toys collected! What an amazing effort to brighten the holidays for families in need. 🎁
A special thank you to our wonderful Student Council for their leadership throughout this campaign. Be sure to tune in to KARE 11’s 5:00 pm newscast on Wednesday, December 11 to see them in action and hear more about this incredible achievement.
Thank you, DaVinci Community, for coming together to make a difference. You’ve truly shown the power of kindness and community!
December is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Awareness Month.
SAD is a type of depression related to the change of seasons. It is most common in late fall and the early winter months. It is also known as seasonal depression.
Symptoms include:
Hopelessness
Social withdrawing
Changes in sleep or appetite
About 5% of adults in the U.S. experience SAD, and it's more common in people living far from the equator, younger people, and women.
Treatment options for SAD include:
Psychotherapy
Medications
Mental health screenings and referrals from a primary care provider
Ways to care for your mental health during winter:
Increase Gratitude: Throughout the week, jot down things that brought you joy on small pieces of paper, and put them in a designated “Joy Jar”. At the end of the week, read them aloud. You can do this as a family to boost connection!
Evening Routine: Before bed, check in with your children and ask them to share a funny moment from the day or something that made them smile. Make sure to share your funny moment, too!
Move Your Body: Play some of your favorite music from childhood and invite your whole family to dance with you. You can allow your children to DJ and bust out your favorite dance moves. If dancing isn’t your thing, make it a music lounge night where everyone contributes their feel-good tunes!
Share Ideas: Have everyone write on a slip of paper an activity they would love to do with the family. Put the ideas in a hat or bowl (you may want to approve your children’s choices first), have someone close their eyes, and select a slip of paper. That’s your family activity for the day!
Try Something New!
DaVinci Academy Mental Health Team
- Phoenix Hathaway, K-4 School Counselor, phathaway@davincicharterschool.org
- Diana Muske, 5-8 School Counselor, Dmuske@davincichrterschool.org
- Luke Jensen, School Social Worker, ljensen@davincicharterschool.org
