Parents, you really matter, thank you!

Thanks for kindly supporting your student by giving them what they need most, your time and loving attention.  We know, some days that is not as easy as it sounds.  We also know how important it really is because how a student arrives at school matters.  A well fed, rested student with an attitude that what they learn today matters will have what they need and deserve in order to succeed as a student.  On behalf of your child, thank you.

What do you want us to be doing?  First and foremost, we write this in an effort to hear your ideas about how parents can better support student success and help other parents.  Please write or call one of us and let us know what you care about and you think we might help.

Quick report on what has been on the front burner as we work to support Steller Students:

• On-going Staff Lunches (monthly, thank you Rochelle and other parent volunteers)
• Community Service Coordination – On-going work to help students find ways to connect to the community through service at Steller and in the greater community.  There is now a notebook of ideas, a place to log in what students have done and how much time spent and a place to celebrate the good works of students in our community.  Thanks to the leadership of Victoria, we are visiting Pioneer Home, re-connecting with Downtown Partnership, and more!  Thanks also to parents for their support in driving students who need help getting to places in order to serve.
• Parent Volunteer Coordination – We are working toward a better system to consolidate the parent volunteer forms from the beginning of the year to match what we now need as a community so that staff and students can easily tap into parent talent, time and energy.  Thank you to Rebecca for leadership with this.
• Website Committee – Ongoing work to make website more user friendly and representative of the amazing learning taking place at Steller (Thanks to Rebecca, Joe, Karen and Dean) for your leadership
• Recruitment and Retention Committee – Ongoing work to define work that needs to be done and develop a coordinator position with a stipend, to collaborate with Steller to produce successful tools and activities in this area.  There will be a report at the upcoming All Community Meeting. (Thanks to Mark and Rebecca for their continued leadership)
• Souper Steller Fridays–On-going healthy meal served each regular Friday (thank you parent volunteers!!! Stephanie, Victoria, Joe, Michelle, Jennifer, Dee, Alyse (Camden and Tony)many many students, most remarkably, Kacy, who has helped each week) There will be a report about this at the All Community Meeting.
• Auction – The successful FUNdraising event took place in November (with the leadership of Wendy, Rebecca, Rochelle, Rebecca, the ninth grade and many helpers from the Steller Community) WE ARE LOOKING for parents now who would like to take leadership roles in this for next year!
• Directory – Steller Directory was put together be parent volunteers, thanks to the leadership of Wendy and Rochelle for putting together this important tool that helps our community stay in touch. WE ARE LOOKING for parents now who would like to take leadership roles in this for next year!
• Community Building – Steller cafes (conversations) were hosted to help parents, students and staff share ideas and come up with a collective way forward, in a comfortable atmosphere of a “cafe”.
• Funding Support – Parent Group also supported student learning by helping to fund: student teaching, student directing of a play, healthy student activity (exercise mat for safety), art classroom start-up supplies, etc.  There is more Parent Group spending information on the website in the parent group minutes, including a budget (thanks to Rebecca) and we warmly welcome you to check it out.

We are available anytime for ideas, conversation, comments or help.

Alyse.galvin@gmail.com                 jbanta@mac.com