april 2023 update
mental health initiative at work
Help spread the word: Student mental health event set for Wednesday
The decline in student mental health, which both predates and was intensified by the pandemic, is a significant public health concern.
With this in mind, we are sponsoring through our Mental Health Initiative a mental health awareness presentation and resource fair on Wednesday, April 26, at Jefferson Middle School, 2200 Conger Ave. N.W.
We encourage middle and high school students and their families to attend this free event. The schedule for the evening is as follows:
5:30 p.m.: Dinner will be served. Child care will be available for K-5 students through the South Sound YMCA.
6 p.m.: National Alliance on Mental Health - Thurston/Mason presentation, which will cover mental health warning signs, facts and statistics, and how to talk to and get help for your child or a peer. It will include personal testimony from a young adult who has lived experience with a mental health condition.
7 p.m.: Resource fair with local mental health programs and providers.
Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters will be on site.
We are grateful to the district's incredible social worker team for organizing this event!
GiveBIG 2023: Teaching & Learning Grants funds exhausted this year
We are joining hundreds of nonprofits in the state this spring as participants in GiveBIG, a online giving campaign that brings awareness to the work of charitable organizations all across Washington. We are highlighting our Teaching & Learning Grants,
As concerns about devastating cuts to schools mounted this year, the demand on this resource increased dramatically. So much so, in fact, we were forced to stop accepting grants for the remainder of the year. While we are proud to have funded nearly $100,000 in projects in every school in the district since this past fall, we also had to decline more than $21,000 in requests because we simply didn't have the money to cover the record number of asks.
These grants allow educators to enhance student learning, close opportunity gaps, and meet needs that the district and individual schools cannot. They fund everything from library books and musical instruments, to school gardens and art projects, to field trips and school assemblies, to P.E. equipment and extracurricular activities. (This video highlights one of our favorite grants.)
Your support during GiveBIG will help ensure we can fund at least the same number of grants next school year -- and it will support all of our work to empower every student, including the Principal's Emergency Fund and Mental Health Initiative.
GiveBIG is set for May 2-3, and early giving is happening now! Please consider helping us achieve our $10,000 goal by clicking the button below and making a gift today.
Mother's Day flower basket sales benefit Principal's Emergency Fund
A portion of the Olympia High School Baseball Team's spring flower basket sales will once again benefit the Principal's Emergency Fund.
These gorgeous baskets are grown by DeGoede Bulb Farm and Gardens and will be available for pick up Saturday, May 13, the day before Mother's Day, at Olympia High School's Crandall Field.
DeGoede plans to close its doors in the fall of 2023. This may be your last chance to participate in this fundraiser. Order soon via the button below.
Thank you to the Olympia Diamond Backers for your continued support of the Principal's Emergency Fund, which assists students who have urgent basic needs.
Golf tourney sponsorships available
We can't wait for this year's Olympia Education Foundation Scramble, which is set for Friday, Aug. 18, at the Olympia Country & Golf Club.
If you would like to play in or support this fun event as a sponsor, click the button below to learn about this year's opportunities and benefits.
Stay tuned for details about team registration for non-sponsors, which we expect to open in mid-May. This event typically sells out quickly. It's wise to sign up early!
proud partner
Thank you to our friends at the South Sound YMCA for providing child care at the Mental Health Awareness Night organized by the district's social workers on April 26. We are grateful for your partnership and all of the work you do to empower students in our community.