STC Newsletter

During the school year, our Family Advocate travels with the Mobile Family Resource Center, aka, "care bus" to each school weekly to help meet student and family needs. The Family Advocate is available by appointment when school is not in session and at scheduled community events.
To make an appointment or invite the care bus to your event, contact Jayne Whitson on her cell, 612.202.7366.

summer days.....

Download this Summer Safety Calendar.

Sunflower Summer is a Kansas Tourism program offering FREE ADMISSION for Kansas families to 220 attractions across Kansas this summer! May 25- August 11, your family is eligible to receive FREE admission to museums, state parks, art galleries, amusement and water parks, plus nature and wildlife centers and more! Make it a day-cation and stay close to home or travel across Kansas and enjoy free events and activities that are entertaining and educational for the whole family. Create some super summer memories with your family that will last a lifetime!

For more info to get your FREE tickets, click here.

Schools That Care has been approved by the USD #498 school board to continue serving students and families at Valley Heights next school year and will have a new look next month! Look for changes coming soon! This school year the Family Advocate will serve Valley Heights Schools full time and no longer travel to schools in USD #380. Schools That Care will continue to operate the Mobile Family Resource Center, aka the "care bus" in USD #498, Valley Heights, and provide school supplies and other needs to students and families in the district based on need, not income. A new logo represents the changes supporting Valley Heights! You will start seeing some transitions in this newsletter.

This program provides products and supplies from donations received from students, families, friends, businesses and community churches and organizations, including the Blue Rapids Community Foundation. Other resources and services are also provided with partnerships of existing agencies. The Family Advocate will be available by appointment through the summer months. When school begins the Family Advocate's schedule will include time in grade school classrooms providing character education lessons, serving at risk students, stimulating community development and communications while continuing donation drives, meeting with the VH Community Coalition, and advancing the STC programs. Many thanks to all who embrace and support the programs that Schools That Care offers.

Mark your calendar now to attend and support the 3rd annual Big Brothers Big Sisters Golf Tournament benefitting Waterville Grade School students! Register to golf in this 2 person scramble, par 3 tourney in Waterville at 9:30 am on Saturday, July 13. Tee time is 10 am! $75 includes lunch and contest fees. Cash prizes! Hole sponsorships available at $50. Please make check payable to Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters or KS BBBS. Contact Marcy Manley or Jayne Whitson for Tournament information.

In 2021, the VH Community Coalition received approval from the VH BOE to begin a mentorship program at Waterville Grade School with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters program matches a student "Little" with a volunteer "Big" and monitors progress of the mentorship that often becomes a friendship for life. Most children benefit from having another positive adult in their life. 90% make better choices, 80% changed their perspective on what they thought life could be and over 50% helped them achieve success by staying in school. Our program is a site based program at Waterville Grade School. Site based programs provide a familiar, safe and secure place for young students to get to know you and begin a thriving relationship. You can help make a difference in the life of a child by volunteering 30 minutes each week school is in session to meet with your match at Waterville grade school during breakfast, lunch, recess, library or during the after school program. We are actively recruiting more "Bigs" to expand this program at Waterville Grade School and offer mentorships to more students who deserve this opportunity. Click here to find out more about being a "Big" or to refer a "little".

Students attending Camp Exploration at Waterville grade school this summer will plan, run and operate a Lemonade Stand on July 25, 9-11:30am in Waterville to support Big Brothers Big Sisters! Plan to stop by to support these kids and enjoy some lemonade and treats! This is not the first time Camp Exploration's Lemonade Stand has had a great community impact. This Lemonade stand has benefitted students and families for the past 5 years! Thank you Camp Exploration for your support! And thank you VH Community for supporting these young students' efforts!
#communityimpact #neighborsservingneighbors #makingadifference

Schools That Care will help provide school supplies to students in grades 7-12 at Valley Heights again but we can only do this with your help! Your in-kind donations help to support the Schools That Care programs which contribute to students doing well in the classroom once school is back in session next month. Please consider donating to help others by checking out this online list of supplies that are needed for jr/sr high school students at Valley Heights. Supplies are dependent on each student's schedule and class load at the jr/sr high level. Thanks to Yungeberg Drug for offering supplies to grade school students! School supplies continues to be the number one need for our students!

Going back to school can be a "double whammy" for families with two or more students. With the costs of school supplies, fees, and participating in activities growing just like food, gasoline and other costs of living, helping provide school supplies is going to be helpful at all times during the year. Schools That Care keeps supplies on hand for new students, transfer students, schedule changes and when students lose, misplace or need something unexpected. You can help out by placing an online order from this Amazon wish list and having it shipped directly to VH Schools That Care. BACK to SCHOOL supplies Amazon Wish. Cash donations are also accepted at this link on the VH school website or drop off donations at the Schools That Care basket near you at local schools and banks in the VH district. Enrollment will begin soon, please make school supply donations by July 31.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Schools That Care can provide school supplies to students grades 7-12. School supplies are provided entirely through donations. Back to School time is especially stressful for some families. Our goal is to relieve any burden to students or families during this time who may be at risk, in trauma, having a crisis or experiencing a family emergency. We want to provide all students with the opportunity to succeed in the classroom and that starts with having the necessary tools to do so! Having the needed tools helps prepare students to learn and provides confidence and creates self-assurance. Welcoming students back to school for a fresh start begins with providing the tools they need to succeed!

Schools That Care offers school supplies and other assistance based on needs, not income. If your student, family or someone you know could benefit from this resource, please contact the Family Advocate for a referral.

To receive free school supplies from Schools That Care, please complete this Schools Supplies Request form-one for each 7-12 grade student that needs school supplies. School supplies will be available for pick up at enrollment on Aug. 7, if this form is completed and submitted by August 1st.

August 5-16, Valley Heights and Frankfort preschool and elementary students may pick up FREE school supplies at Yungeberg Drug in Blue Rapids. School supply lists will be available there. Plan to pick up FREE supplies during their regular business hours and watch FB for more information..

Thank you Yungeberg Drug for your commitment to the success of theese students, schools and our communities. Your service is appreciated!

#YouAreMakingADifference

The Valley Heights Community Coalition is planning the annual back to school event for all students, families, friends and fans at Valley Heights! Mustang Spirit Night invites our community to welcome students and staff back to school this fall on Friday, August 23, 6-7:30pm. Plans include indoor and outdoor activities: food, fun, games, and a pep rally at 7pm in the gymnasium to meet the Mustangs! It will be fun for the whole family with activities provided by high school clubs and organizations and some community businesses. If your business or organization would like to join us, please contact, the Schools That Care Family Advocate, Jayne Whitson. There will be a mini cheer clinic for mini Mustang fans, yard games, a jump house, photo booth, temporary tattoos, pep rock painting, hot dogs, sno cones and more! KNDY radio has been invited to broadcast live on location and join in our celebration of the new school year! Plan now to attend and wear purple! #MustangProud

Give on-line anytime! If you want to make a difference with a tax deductible donation or contribution, please consider giving to Schools That Care. Schools That Care uses cash donations to provide for needs when donated items run low or don't fit the size necessary.

Talk to your tax preparer for specific information. It's easy to give via PayPal or with your credit/debit card. Use this link and view other ways to give. https://www.valleyheights.org/page/donations