It's Valentines Week -- may chocolate and love touch all of our Mabel Rush family! Here's some quick news:
** We are getting healthier! Our absentee rates have returned to normal for both students and staff! But our efforts to sent the message of washing hands and sneezing/coughing into elbows continues.
** It's our annual Kid's Helping Kids Week! Your student you will be bringing home a small plastic bag to collect "stray coins" that are used for medical expenses for Newberg children. The Newberg Rotary Club manages the funds and medical requests are made through school counselors.
** Please respect the classroom allergy plan as you prepare Valentine's for Mabel Rush classrooms -- you'll be surprised that some items (such as candy hearts) can say "made in factories where peanuts are processed" on their labels.
** All 3rd graders are now mastering keyboarding skills using a fun on-line program called All The Right Type. A quick "Google search" will produce numerous free on-line resources parents can encourage their students to use. This would be especially useful to our current 4th and 5th graders who didn't have this program at 3rd grade.
** Coming Soon:
Kiwanis "Kids Club" -- I met with the Newberg Kiwanis Club to start a "community service" oriented group in our school for 1st-5th graders. I meet with the high school "Key Club" (Junior Kiwanis group) this week to see if they have interest in bringing leadership to the Mabel Rush group. More soon.
GFU Social Work Interns -- I also signed a contract with George Fox to provide social work internship opportunities to their students. The interns would work closely with our counselor and behavior coach to bring services to Mabel Rush students in the area of anger control, social challenges, and problem-solving skills.
Weekend Backpack food program -- I met with Love Inc. this week to discuss bringing a modified weekend food program to Mabel Rush families. The interest is high and may get started late this spring, but definitely in September. There will be opportunities for families to receive these services as well as families to donate to them.
Senior Project(s) -- Two senior projects get underway in the next two weeks at Mabel Rush. 3rd-5th grade students will hear about the "Hygiene for the Homeless" program that solicits basic supplies for Newberg homeless students/families. The other is a play on countering bullying written and produced by a high school senior.
