STC Newsletter

During the summer months when you see the "care bus" out or about, please stop in to say hello, help spread the word to others, make a referral, donation or find out what our needs are.

Meet the Family Advocate, Jayne Whitson by appointment during the summer. 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.

Open enrollment begins on line July 9. Families will be receiving more info from the district prior to that date. If you wish to enroll and pay fees on site at VH, please mark your calendar for Aug. 6. Enrollment will be held at the VH Jr./Sr. High 11am-7pm. School supplies for elementary students will be available from Yungeberg Drug in Blue Rapids on Aug 4-8, 9 am-5:30pm.

If you need supplies for your Jr/Sr High student(s) please click here to request supplies from Schools That Care or use the qr code above. Schools That Care provides school supplies to students based on need, not income. Requests submitted by August 1 will be available for pickup at enrollment on August 6.

Getting ready to send the kids back to school can be stressful for EVERYONE in the family. School supplies, clothes, shoes, new routines, anxiety of a new schedules and new teachers can get the best of parents and students alike! Keep in mind that the goal is simply preparing the kids to learn and that does start at home. At Valley Heights, our schools strive to provide a safe learning environment for all students. We all want our kids to be successful at learning, in relationships, in athletics, in experiences and to create a a path for a successful future. It can be a daunting responsibility for sure but as a team: family+school+community that makes us special! Raising responsible citizens takes a village. Let's count our blessings!

• Schools Supplies
  We are blessed that Yungeberg Drug provides FREE school supplies for VH PreK and elementary students. Schools That Care with donations from our community provides FREE school supplies for VH students in Jr/Sr High. Parents can rest assured that our students can have the supplies they need to enter the classroom prepared to learn!
• Clothes and Shoes
  Schools That Care can help provide school clothes and shoes for students. Prepare your students with new and gently used clothing items available at our Colts Closets located in each elementary and the Mustang TradIn serving Jr/Sr High. Many thanks to those who donate to these resources!
• Schedules
  A change in schedule can be hard but with careful preparation, creating healthy habits now will make transition to back to school routines almost seamless and will impact students the rest of their lives.. Start with bed time routines to ensure everyone in the family gets the rest their bodies and minds need to start a next day. This may include a wind down period (no-screen time, reading together, lay out clothes to wear tomorrow, pj time, etc), some personal hygiene care (calming bath, brush teeth, wash hands and face, etc.) and positive reinforcement (hugs, prayers, cuddle time, snacks), but the rewards will be compounded daily. Use a checklist and a timer if needed. Then work on a morning routine that will help prepare young minds and attitudes to learn when they get to school. That may also include hygiene care (washing face and hands, brushing teeth, comb hair, etc), getting dressed, breakfast (at home or at school) possibly some chores (make the bed, feed the dog, pack your lunch or snack) and some kinds words of encouragement (good luck on your test today, have a great day!, I love you and I know you'll do your best today). After school routines are important too! It might involve checking the back pack for homework, teacher's messages and having a conversation about the day over a snack (what did you learn today? how do you feel about math? what else happened today?). Before you know it, it will be time to start over again!
• Teachers
  Our teachers, staff and coaches are all preparing for a successful school year with your students! Sending your students to school with a mindset to learn is crucial to the success of the classroom. A respectful and responsible student is necessary for growth. Respectful students are polite, courteous and understanding of others, engage with others and contribute to the class, and welcome feedback which helps them prosper. Responsible students take ownership of their own actions and apologize for their mistakes. Encourage your students to be responsible for building respectful relationship with their teachers and classmates by modeling those kinds of relationships at home, with others and their teachers.
• VH Family and Community
  We are all in this together! We are a team, a village who want all that is best for future generations to succeed! We are a family. Keeping the lines of communication open are important. Healthy communications go both ways: messenger and receiver. Respectful communications require questions and answers/responses. Please make it a personal goal to do both for the sake of everyone to succeed this school year! Take a minute to respond to the needs of students, parents and our families in our community. You will be blessed, and less stressed!

Students and Staff will receive a nice welcome back to school this season from a familiar face among our food service staff! Ms. Mary Medina, who has previously worked for USD #498 in Community Ed and at the Waterville grade school is tasked with leading our food service to new heights! You may know the Medina name in our community as she is proud that 3 of her 4 kids graduated from Valley Heights and has hopes that all 6 of grandkids will too! Since 2007, when she first rooted here, her family has been active in Lions, the Methodist Church and her side biz, Smiley's Tacos. Ms. Mary LOVES cooking and like anyone else, always wished she could get paid for doing what she loves. Now her worlds collide at Valley Heights and she is not only excited for getting paid to cook, but to serve the most important part of our community, "the little people," our students!

When asked why students should look forward to school meals this year, she answered quickly and enthusiastically, "Because I'm cooking them!"...and then she continued, "with them (the students) in mind." And, "Not that they should expect grandma's cooking right away, but we will be focusing on more of a personal investment in our kids for the sake of their nourishment." She plans to do that with quality foods, diversity of foods and flavorful foods! Expect foods served at school this year to be more enticing, more natural and less processed! She promised, "No cardboard or stale foods will be served." Her dream is to one day create a Farm to Table program that partners with our students. She envisions that with the new FFA Greenhouse and our Family and Consumer Sciences classes, a whole foods educational curriculum could be built upon! On the cusp of Federal guidelines limiting sugars and sodium in the next 5 years, these Big Goals align nicely with the future of school meals.

According to Ms. Mary, the first few weeks of school will bring a few surprises to our menus! "Some things you haven't seen in a while or may have forgotten, some favorites, and some new items too."

SPOILER ALERT: Beef Soft Tacos, Sweet and Sour Chicken Nuggets, Beef and Noodles, Chicken Parmesan, Savory Rice and more! Even Breakfast may have some new twists: Breakfast Tacos, Homemade Biscuits and Gravy and a new French Toast Stick that was tried and tested during the summer meal program.

Ms. Mary just wants to make food fun and delicious! She is thrilled to be at Valley Heights again and be a Mustang, but "the most important part to me is being in the Mecca of the school, feeding the most important population, our little people. Feeding them has an affect on our student body in a positive way. Food is the universal language...and music, but if I hand you a cookie or a taco, your day is going to get better!"

This is a most exciting time for our Mustang Family to welcome back passion, creativity, enthusiasm and flavor into our cafeterias. Welcome back Ms. Mary!

If you are interested in making a difference in the life of a child, Big Brothers and Big Sisters offers volunteers an opportunity to match with a student at Waterville Elementary. It is an opportunity for a student to be matched with and meet with a safe adult mentor in a familiar place each week. Have lunch at Waterville Elementary or meet with them after school at Colts Round up! There may be opportunities for community matches this year!

What are you waiting for? Right now there are 4 fantastic matches in our local program and there is an opportunity to grow this program up to 10 matches to provide more primary grade school students with a one to one mentor to make an impact on not only a child's life and yours, but in our community. Contributing to the success of all citizens is our responsibility. It could have a ripple effect that lasts for generations. The application process is thorough and the matching process can take up to a month or longer as you will complete online training, a background check and phone interviews are completed with you, with parents, and the student to make it a perfect match! If you'd like to learn more about this volunteer opportunity please talk to our Family Advocate, Jayne Whitson, she will connect you with Valley Heights' Big Brothers Big Sisters Match Specialist. Now is the best time to apply so that you can begin meeting with your match at the beginning of next school year! Click here to become a BIG.

If your child could benefit from a mentor in this program, click here to sign them up to become a "little" and get matched with a volunteer Big Brother or Big Sister!

Click here to become a BIG.

Click here to enroll your youth.

Many thanks to all who have donated to schools that care over the summer. Some have donated school supplies, some have donated clothes, others have given to a family who is starting over and is looking for a home to rent in WV or BR and enroll 4 kids in our schools. Your generosity shown to all is heart warming and appreciated! Unfortunately plans that were pending fell through and the need for housing still exists. A 2-3 Bed room home is needed. Thank you!

If you want to learn more about engaging with your child about their safe activities in the virtual world they are participating in, here's your chance to learn more for FREE! This training will provide you with resources and information from The National Center for Missing and Endangered Children. You will receive tip sheets and discussion guides as well as info on how to research the apps and platforms your kids may be using. This FREE webinar is presented by trainers from Project Harmony and is brought to you FREE with the generous support of the John K. and Lynn D Boyer Family Foundation.

Register online here. Select from these dates: September 11 and Dec. 11.

If you have questions, please email, training@projectharmony.com or call, 513-301-5079.

Project Harmony is based in Omaha, NE, and serves with community professionals and advocates to protect and support children and families who have experienced trauma. Check out their website to learn more.

Mustang Spirit Night plans began school was out in May! Save the date to meet the Mustangs and welcome our student body back to school for the 2025-26 school year on Friday evening, August 22 at this INDOOR and OUTDOOR event at VHHS.(Due to summer construction, no one will be allowed on the football field. Please stay in the designated event areas: outdoor concessions area, VH commons and VH gymnasium)

Admission is not required, but we will once again be accepting food pantry item to donate to our local food pantry in Blue Rapids who serves the VH families in our community. From 5-7pm you and your family may enjoy indoor and outdoor activities, food and loads of fun! There will be a dunk tank, yard games, tattoos, and a pep rally! Pick out some NEW Mustang wear from Storm Design & Apparel Co, Waterville, printing shirts and caps in the commons. Pep Rally begins at 7pm in the Gym; come on inside to cool off and meet the Mustangs! It's going to be a night to make memories for students of all ages, preschool-12th grade!

If you are interested in hosting a game or activity while promoting your business, church or community organization, we'd love for you to join us! Please contact the Family Advocate for details.

Blessing boxes are available in both Waterville and Blue Rapids. Give what you can and take what you need. In Waterville the Blessing Box is located on Commercial Street near the Citizens State Bank. The Blessing Box in Blue Rapids is located in Riverside Park near the playground by the recycling container.