USD 489

Heartland Community Foundation awarded a $5,269 grant to USD 489 for PREPaRE Crisis Training.

Julie Zollinger, USD 489 psychologist, and Theresa Clark, Holy Family/TMP-Marian psychologist, will attend a week-long training conducted by the writers of the original PREPaRE curriculum.

The money for this grant was awarded from the Dane G. Hansen Community Fund.

The school psychologists will learn how to better organize the district and/or school crisis teams, the roles of mental health professionals during a crisis and how to address trauma and recovery from a traumatic event.

After learning this curriculum, Zollinger and Clark will attend the training the trainers workshops, which will provide them with curriculum materials to bring back to their respective schools to train their peers on improving school safety and crisis preparation techniques.

USD 489 piloted the original PREPaRE curriculum 17 years ago and has not had a refresher in crisis preparedness since that time. The PREPaRE curriculum was revised in 2011 after reviewing several schools’ responses during crisis situations.

Midwest Energy grants

Additional USD 489 Midwest Energy grant recipients have been named.

The following Hays High School staff members received grant funding from Midwest Energy:

• Lisa Schoenberger and Katilyn Schaben wrote a $1,000 grant for the “Human Trafficking” project that DECA will be in charge of January 8-12.

• Michelle Thacker and Jolene Windholz wrote a $1,000 grant to help fund the Helping Hands “Prom for Everyone” project. Helping Hands will be collecting formal attire for students to wear who may not normally be able to afford the appropriate dress attire for prom this year.

• Michelle Thacker wrote a $500 grant to purchase aging kits that will be used to provide students with a hands-on view of what it is like to get older.