STC Newsletter

***This schedule remains flexible for specific student and family needs and is subject to change. If you'd like to meet at another time, please call the Family Advocate for an appointment, 612-202-7366.

New Year! New Goals? Welcome in 2024 with some new plans. Setting New Year's Resolutions are traditional and can be daunting...but what if you took your resolutions and turned them into goals? Would you be better at keeping them? Adjusting them over time and achieving them? GOALS include action items and a timeline. A resolution without an action plan is basically just an empty promise that is set up to fail or maybe left to "fate" or mere coincidence. SMART goals can help! Make a habit of setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Have a Timeline to be successful and teach your kids to do the same. Maybe your students are familiar with this process of goal setting and can help you out. Learn tips to set SMART goals that are sure to help you and your family believe AND achieve this year! #believetoacheive

Thirty-six Valley Heights families were blessed with a Christmas Meal box including ham, potatoes, gravy, green beans, stuffing mix, rolls and an apple pie- all donated by VH students, staff and community churches, business and individuals with BIG hearts! The KAYS and FaCS student organizations led the way, partnering with Schools That Care to solicit donations, save and wrap boxes for each family. The student seminars competed to fill a box for each family. Mrs. Turner's and Ms. Coleman's seminars were awarded gift certificates to treat their students for participating. Thank you to all who donated! Special Thanks to Bon Mot Cakery of Waterville and other volunteers who teamed up to bake pies in the kitchen at United Methodist Church in BR. THANKS to all businesses, churches, families and individuals who donated to help make these Christmas meals possible for families to celebrate the holiday! You made a difference this season.

This Event was CANCELLED/POSTPONED. A new date will be posted at a later time.

Three very lucky students at Waterville Grade School benefit from being matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister through the Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters Program that began last school year. Each "Big" volunteers 20-40 minutes each week that school is in session to meet one on one with a matched "little". Usually the best times to meet are during lunch break or during the after-school program, Colts Round Up so that students don't miss out on class time with their teachers and friends, sometimes other arrangements might be made. Volunteers can eat school lunch or bring their own and meet in a quiet, private place to get to know their little better, enjoy some recess time or choose an afterschool activity that can be done during Colts Round Up. Some Big/Little Matches enjoy puzzles and games, crafts, reading books, telling stories, building models, cooking and baking and socializing with a few others. But one on one mentoring is the goal and builds a relationship that gets more comfortable over time for the match and for parents too! Volunteers are 18+, apply online, are interviewed, receive training and must pass an online screening process to be considered for this program. Parents value the program knowing their children have an opportunity to meet with a trusted adult mentor at school in a safe environment. A Match Specialist oversees the Matches through out the school year, communicating with both the Big, the little and the parents and school. Mentor relationships may last for one school year or many, some friendships even extend into adulthood, and encourage kids to become confident teens, students who make good choices and adults who contribute to the common good of our communities.

Being matched in this mentoring program is easy peasey! If you have a student at Waterville grade school that wants to be in this program, please call Mrs. deBoer to make a request, or you may refer your child online. Adults who would like to become a volunteer can learn how to apply online too, or call our Match Specialist at the local Manhattan office, 785-422-9515, for more information. If you love working with kids, you can make a difference right here in our community; for one child, their family, yourself, our school and this community!

Say YES to the dress events began at Valley Heights 2 years ago when Schools That Care began receiving formal dress donations that were no longer wanted or got lonely hanging in dark closets. It doesn't take much of an imagination to guess what some of these gowns might have cost their previous owners...some donated dresses still have tags on them indicating that they have never even been worn! Girls who wanted to attend Prom but didn't have the means to buy a new dress suddenly had some choices! Over the past couple of years, donations of formal dresses have increased to include 2 rolling racks of long and short formal dresses. Thank you to all who have donated these beautiful dresses!

Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...and there is a delightful selection of dresses to choose from and worth a bit of savings for almost anyone to check them out, unless you intend to wear the dress again. With an nice variety of sizes, colors and styles to choose from, girls will have lots to choose from among these cocktail dresses! There is also a nice rack filled with dress shirts for guys. Who wants to try and coordinate with their date?

With VH Winter Formal on the horizon as school begins this semester, Maggie Toerber will be assisting Schools That Care with opportunities during seminar for for all girls to check out the short formal and casual dresses, try them on, encourage each other, suggest alterations and enjoy a "boutique day with friends during the school day"! Stay tuned for more details!....Prom dresses will be available later in the semester.

If you have formal dresses, dress shoes, jewelry, make-up, men's dress shirts or men's pants, shoes, ties or belts you'd like to donate, please contact the Family Advocate.

VH KAYS and STUCO celebrated the 8 days of Christmas with a variety of activities and fun filled days to end last semester. They included a hygiene and supplies drive using the list of items on the 'Tis the Season of Giving poster and made it a competition between grades 7-12, for Schools That Care because they wanted to give back to their local community in way that would benefit all students! Mrs. Gallimore reported that over 200 items were donated. Jayne Whitson, Family Advocate, thanked KAYS sponsor, Mrs. Gallimore, "Student needs at VH have increased 50% this year and these donations will really help keep our hygiene program in place through the next semester and it will benefit all students. It makes my heart so happy that the students understand the need for the Schools That Care program and support it too!"
The Senior class who has benefitted from the Schools That Care program for the past 6 years won the class competition with over 150 items donated! Thank you and Congratulations to the Senior Class! They were treated to Chic-Fil-A for their awesome enthusiasm and kind giving.

Schools that Care will accept 'Tis the Season for Giving donations through January.

Follow us on FaceBook@SchoolsThatCare and see where you can meet the Family Advocate and Care Bus! Find out what FREE resources are available to you and your family. View the Tuesday Tips, a weekly tip generally promoting a monthly theme like setting New Year's Goals this month. See what types of donations are needed and where to drop them off. Share news, tips and resources with others.

Give on-line anytime! If you're wanting to start the New Year off by making a tax deductible donation or contribution, please consider giving to Schools That Care. 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