STC Newsletter

Meet the Family Advocate, Jayne Whitson at school during school hours or by appointment. She is available to help students and families succeed with resources, referrals and donated items to help during a family trauma, crisis or setback.

The best way to reach the family advocate is via cell, 612-202-7366.

It's a tough topic, suicide. But this month it is important that we honor the lives lost to suicide, recognize that millions have had thoughts about suicide and acknowledge the families and communities that have been affected by suicide. With that, we can also take time to talk about suicide, raise awareness about preventing suicide and share messages of HOPE!

If you know someone who lost a life to suicide, then you know a family affected by suicide. Talk to them and share your stories about that person, they still want to honor them and know that they were loved. Learn to recognize and normalize talking about suicide with others. You can review the warning signs here, but often there is no warning sign- just a friend who snapped in a moment of despair or loneliness. Staying connected with friends and loved ones helps! If you've had thoughts of suicide, staying connected keeps you protected! If your friends and family are not available, call 988 the lifeline anytime. If you are supporting a friend or loved one with suicidal thoughts, call 988 and they can support YOU while you're supporting someone else because you are probably going to need it!

We all get to play a role in suicide prevention. Just starting a conversation with someone who is struggling can offer them support, you can model self-care and those are the types of actions that offer Hope!

The Blue Rapids Circle of Giving Match Day is an important day of the year! On Sept. 16, when donors contribute to School That Care and other funds in our community, MATCHING FUNDS from The Patterson Family Foundation will increase your gift ($25-$5,000) by 50%! Your gift of $100, easily becomes $150!

It's easy peezy! Join us in person at the Circle of Giving Match Day Event Sept. 16 at the Blue Rapids Community Center 9am-3:00pm (lunch at 11:30). Eligible donations will receive the 50% match (until all matching funds are depleted)! If you can't join us in person, you can donate on-line between midnight Sept 14 and 11:59pm Sept 16. Visit BlueRapidsMatchDay.com to select the funds you'd like to contribute to and receive a receipt via email. If you prefer to mail your donation, follow the the instructions at BlueRapidsMatchDay.com; mailed donations must be received by Sept. 19.

If you've ever wanted to give back to VH students and families in need, Schools That Care will accept your donation to provide school supplies, hygiene supplies, clothing needs and more to families who experience trauma, crisis and setbacks. Schools That Care operates solely on donations to provide essential needs. With this 50% match, there is no better time to give than on Match Day to make your gift go even further. Thank you for your support!

Building positive character traits will be the focus of a lesson each week at Waterville Elementary. The Family Advocate will meet with each K-2 class for activities and lessons about a different character trait each month. This September's focus will be about RESPECT. Respecting one's self, others and our possessions as well as others' property is a worthwhile lesson that contributes significantly to building relationships. The page below may be helpful to parents in continuing the lesson about RESPECT at home. Please click on it to download and print a copy for yourself.

During introductions for character education last week, Mrs. Woodyard's class learned to "belly breathe", a skill they can do anytime, anywhere to help refocus, calm down, or relieve stress. This Sesame Street video was fun to watch and learn with Elmo! Click here to view Elmo's video

Welcome to the Schools That Care team Aubrey! Aubrey has a BIG heart when it comes to serving others and is often one who jumps in to help with out even being asked. She is serving as President of the FaCs club this year while working part time at Rolee's Designs, and The Weaver Hotel in Waterville. Aubrey also picks up various babysitting and dog-sitting gigs too. Over the summer Aubrey volunteered at the Golf Tourney benefit for Waterville Big Brothers Big Sisters. She is currently working towards completing a Waterville Fire Dept. fundraising calendar featuring local firemen and their families. Plus she does well in school and is considering continuing her education in health care. Pictured here, Aubrey is helping stuff envelopes for School's That Care's donation drive reminding donors about Blue Rapids Community Foundation's Circle of Giving Match Day! Aubrey loves working with kids and will be helping out at Family Fun Nights with Schools That Care at the grade school events. Thank you Aubrey for supporting Schools That Care in our schools and our community too!

Schools That Care will be presenting Character Education lessons each week to classes at the Waterville Elementary School this year. To introduce what that might look like to students, Ms. Jayne visited the classrooms last week. She taught them the BIGGEST WORD they've ever heard. And this is how much fun Miss Ekart's Kindergarten class had saying it! Looking forward to all classes learning the song in Music with Mrs. Popejoy this year. Hopefully we will get to watch the movie Mary Poppins too!

This is your opportunity to be involved in creating the future success of Valley Heights, USD#498 for your children, your grandchildren and our communities. Use your voice! Complete the survey using the QR code above. Engage with others who care about the vision for future Mustang generations. Join us in the Commons at VH for Free dinner on Sept. 9 & 30. Tour the school facilities on Sept. 23 to see the "big picture" for yourself. Share your passions, opinions, knowledge, and ask questions that will develop a path for the future Mustangs! It takes a village....

Mrs. Tryon's second grade class may be feeling atrocious after mastering this BIG word! Some of them already know words to the song too! These students know (or are learning) that they can be Great, Extraordinary and Extremely Good at what they want to accomplish this school year.

Our Family Advocate, Jayne Whitson, will be featured on KCLY Radio this month representing Schools That Care and Valley Heights! Listen to KCLY near the news hours of 7am, noon and 5pm to hear more about Schools That Care or check out KCLY radio on Facebook or KCLY.com. It's always a blessing to tell others about the Schools That Care program!

If you missed Mustang Spirit Night, you may be one of the few who missed possibly the largest event of the year! The VH Community Coalition held nothing back at this year's back to school event welcoming students, families and staff to the 24-25 school year! Mustang fans were EVERYWHERE! Students and families enjoyed activities outdoors like ring toss, dunk tank, sno-cones, a mini cheer clinic, ping pong, ben bag toss, watermelon, Coffee Crossing's "Purple Passion", a Waterville Fire Dept. truck and firefighters! Inside, FFA served grilled hotdogs and VH's famous popcorn while KNDY radio held interviews and provided music for those at the photo booth, painting pep rocks, and receiving temporary tattoos! There was much more to do and prizes to win! The evening pep rally was held in the gym to meet the Mustangs Fall Sports teams and our new VH staff members! Thank you to John Hula, BR American Legion member, for presenting the American Flag to get it started while the Mustang Band played our National Anthem. It was a fun filled night to remember and wouldn't have been possible without the many high school and community organizations who participated! Thank you to all who donated to the food pantry and came out to support the Mustangs!

If you missed the interviews LIVE on KNDY at Mustang Spirit Night, here's your second chance to hear interviews with Anne Toerber.
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