VCS Social Services Newsletter

The Social Services team is excited to welcome VCS families to the 2023-2024 school year! We want to take the opportunity to introduce ourselves and share some of the resources that we have available to you.

A school social worker or counselor can do many things to support your student and your family. Our ultimate goal is to remove barriers so that your child can access their education and learn to the best of their abilities. We work closely with our other professional educator colleagues to remain focused on the growth of the whole child. Here are a few examples of how we may be able to help.

• assistance with school supplies
• student social/emotional support
• services for youth experiencing homelessness
• behavioral support
  
• crisis intervention
• classroom skill building
• linking families to community resources and assistance programs
• building supportive relationships with students

We are pleased to announce the “Backpacks & Snacks” Program will again be available for the 2023-2024 school year. As a reminder, this program provides food item bags to students in need on the last school day each week to sustain the student through the weekend. We are so thankful for our community donors, whose generosity makes this program possible!

If you have already registered your child(ren), the first Backpacks & Snacks distribution for this year was on Friday, September 1, 2023. If you would like your student(s) to participate in the Backpack & Snacks Program and have not yet enrolled them, click the button below to sign-up.

Questions can be directed to your student’s school social services team member.

Additionally, if you would like to help support the Backpacks & Snacks program, we’d love to hear from you!

The VCS Social Services team will conduct the state required bully prevention presentations with students by October 15. Our bully prevention presentation is based on information and guidelines from the Indiana Department of Education.

Our VCS Social Services team will begin the state required personal safety presentations with students in September. Personal safety information provided to students is gathered from evidence-based programs designed for each grade level. As is our practice each year, more information about these personal safety programs will be sent to families prior to implementation. This will include an opportunity to opt-out of this curriculum, if appropriate for your child.

Dressed for School is a non-profit organization that aims to help elementary students in need acquire new, quality clothing, at no cost, in a shopping environment. Dressed for School is located at VALE on Route 30. Use the buttons below to learn more about Dressed for School on their website or to read about an upcoming event with the elementary schools.

Dressed for School has also begun serving a limited number of middle school students per year. If your middle school student is in need of clothing, please don't hesitate to reach out to your social services team member for assistance.

VHS families should also reach out to their social services team members for assistance if their child is in need of clothes.

Our Greater Good, is a local non-profit with initiatives focused on strengthening families and doing whatever it takes to see that every child has great opportunities to reach their full potential leading to a fulfilling adult life. One of their initiatives is offering the popular Love & Logic parenting course. The next session will be virtual and starts on October 2. Click the button below for more information and to register.

Families in need of meal assistance must complete a Free & Reduced Price Meal Plan Application either online through Skyward or by printing and returning a paper application. If you need assistance with this process, please reach out the Social Services team member at your child's school.

You can add funds to your child's meal account through Skyward (for a small service fee) or your child can turn in cash or check to the cafeteria staff.

Please use the button below to visit the School Nutrition webpage for more important information and to access the Free & Reduced Meal forms.

We are reminded time and time again of the support and generosity of our community. We have received many donations of supplies to successfully start the school year. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to the businesses, organizations, and community members that donated school supplies!

Each year the VCS Social Services team offers a Holiday Assistance Program. This program helps families have a happy holiday season by providing gifts for children. Look for information to come out in October about how to participate as a recipient or as a donor who shops for a specific child or children.

Please know that the Valparaiso Community Schools Social Services team is here to support you. It is critical that each of us attend to the social, emotional, and physical well being of ourselves and the children in our care. As we collaborate in that endeavor, we would like to share the following resources with you. Click the button below to access the Resources page on the VCS website. You can also reach out to the social services team member at your child's school for additional information and assistance.

Issues around technology and media are currently at the forefront of parenting concerns and social and emotional well being. Click the buttons below to read articles from Common Sense Media about using screen time habits to develop a healthy relationship with technology.