November: Rochester ALC Newsletter

In September, it was just an idea: A student group would sign up to help organize a Trunk or Treat event to help collect donations of games for our holiday boxes for students this winter. Reality far surpassed our expectations! These are a few highlights:

• KTTC gave our school and event news coverage.
• ALC students created and helped run the carnival games, face painting stations, and the cookie decorating station.
• Cub Foods donated cookies for cookie decorating.
• Scheels donated $250 towards sports-related items to include in the holiday boxes.
• The Rochester Fire Department brought a fire truck over and firefighters helped pass out candy
• Over 20 ALC families, community partners, and local businesses hosted a decorated table and passed out candy.
• Over 1,000 people came through (including about 450 kids).

We're grateful to the community for coming out to visit our school and engaging with our staff and students during this event.

We are still collecting game donations (board, card, puzzle, sports-related) through Friday, December 1. Drop offs accepted in the main office Monday-Friday, 8am-3pm, when school is in session.

The ALC is hosting its first-ever restaurant fundraiser at Chipotle on Tuesday, 12/5, from 4-8pm. All proceeds will go towards student-centered learning experiences and materials. In the past, these dollars were used to help fund Trunk or Treat carnival game supplies, equine therapy, art materials, music equipment, park fees, and more.

To help keep our Resource Rooms and Food Pantry shelves filled, we're reaching out to community partners to adopt our school for one month of the school year. A donation drive would involve asking your employees/members if they'd be willing to donate a supply item or two for our Resource Room and Food Pantry during that one month. Click on the blue flier for a list of our ongoing needs. If this interests you, please contact Sweta Patel for more information. We're looking for drives during February, March, April, and May.

We have a box in the main office to collect Hy Vee receipts. Please continue to add your receipts to the box. Hy-Vee will give a portion of the total amount back to the RALC.

I entered my 15th year at the Rochester ALC in a new role this year. My hope is to build, sustain, and help coordinate partnerships between the Rochester ALC and the community. If you have ideas for how we can partner with an individual, business, or organization, please feel free to reach out.

College & Career Readiness Partners:

• RCTC (on-site post-secondary advisory)
• Workforce Development (Youth Build: a construction class)
• Rotary Club (STRIVE mentoring programs for seniors)
• Altra Federal Credit Union (personal finance lessons)
• Boys & Girls Club (personal finance lessons)
  
• Rochester Public Library (access to books for classroom libraries)

Enrichment & Real-World Learning Partners:

• United Way and Bridge Collaborative (community partnerships support)
• RideAbility (equine therapy)
• Rochester Public Library (language learning)
• Ben Franklin Elementary (mentoring program)
• Public Health / Nature Rx (experiencing local/state parks)
• University of Minnesota-Rochester (collaborative art project)
• Department of Natural Resources (experiencing local/state parks)
• Head Start / Bright Futures / Early Childhood Family Education (Parenting Group)
• University of Minnesota-Extension (STEM units)
• Victim Services (child trafficking prevention curriculum)

Health & Wellness Community Partners:

• Mayo Clinic (on-site health clinic, on-site blood drive)
• Public Health
• Zumbro Valley Mental Health (on-site therapists)
• Winona State University (health/vision screenings)
• Families First (on-site daycare)
• Community Garden (Natalie, Master Gardener)
• Rochester Police Department
• Channel One

Special Shoutout to Our Local Businesses: Caribou and Walmart for hosting tables during our Trunk or Treat event, to Cub Foods for donating the cookies, and to Scheels for donating a $250 gift card for holiday boxes for our students this winter.