GA and TR Social Work Newsletter

Hello Families,

My name is Kelsi Cook, I am the new school social worker here at Grand Avenue Elementary School and Tower Rock Elementary School. I will be using this newsletter to share information and resources throughout the school year.

My role as a school social worker is to support students' academic, social, and emotional success at school, while also acting as a connection between school, home, and the community. I can provide resources (like food, clothing, and personal care items), mental health supports, and help connect students and families to community resources.

Please reach out to me at kelsi.cook@saukprairieschools.org or 608-643-1968.

Has your income status changed since the beginning of the year? It's never too late to apply for free & reduced lunch and fee waivers. You can find more information here: https://www.saukprairieschools.org/page/free-and-reduced-meals

If you need a paper copy of the application sent home, please let me know!

At Grand Ave, we have a pantry full of shelf stable food and snacks, clothing, and winter gear. If you need help meeting your child or your family's basic needs, please reach out to me to plan how to pick items up or have them sent home with your student.

The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act defines homeless children and youths as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The term "homeless children and youths" includes children and youths who are:

• sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason;
• living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
• living in emergency or transitional shelters;
• abandoned in hospitals;
• living in a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designated for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
• living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and/or
• migratory children living in any of the circumstances described above (42 U.S.C. § 11434a(2)).

Source: https://dpi.wi.gov/homeless/guidance

If your family is staying in these living situations, your children have the right to receive extra services and supports in school under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. These include:

• Staying in the same school, even if you move, and receiving free transportation to and from that school if it is in your best educational interest to stay

• Immediate enrollment, even if you don’t have the documents that are typically required for enrollment

• Receiving free school meals

• Connecting younger children to early childhood services

• College readiness assistance for high school students

• Referrals to the community for help with other needs

The Sauk Prairie Area Food Pantry serves all residents within the Sauk Prairie School District that are in need of urgent food assistance. This includes the villages of Prairie du Sac, Sauk City, Merrimac, and the Bluffview Community. The Food Pantry is open at specific times throughout the month to help get families the food they need.

First Wednesday 5:30 to 6:30 pm, Drive Through

Second Wednesday 5:30 to 6:30 pm, Inside Pantry

Third Wednesday 9:30 to 10:30 am, Inside Pantry

Fourth Wednesday 5:30 to 6:30 pm, Inside Pantry

Fifth Wednesday NO distribution

Please note: If school closes due to inclement weather, the pantry does too. No school, no pantry!

More information: https://spfoodpantry.org/

Additionally, Sauk Prairie School District and the Food Pantry partner to provide food for families during the 3 major school breaks (Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Break). IF you would like to participate, please look for emails about the School break meal plan.

If you are experiencing food insecurity, please contact me!

The Good Neighbor Clinic of Sauk is a primary care clinic that provides care for non-emergency medical conditions. The clinic provides service to individuals with no medical insurance or whose medical insurance fees keep them from accessing care. The clinic is a non-profit organization that strives to improve the health and lives of people who face financial, cultural, or language barriers that prevent access to quality health care.

The team at the Good Neighbor Clinic includes volunteer physicians, advanced nurse practitioners, social workers, physician assistants, nurses, interpreters, and support staff who provide care and assistance.

Clinic Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 1 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The clinic is closed on holidays, and if the Sauk Prairie schools are closed due to bad weather.

Call 608-643-4749 to schedule an appointment. The Clinic begins answering calls at 11:30 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

If you are a current clinic patient and need help with a prescription, please call 608-643-4749 and ask for a Prescription Assistance Nurse to help you.

More information: https://goodneighborclinic.org/