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February 8
Now hiring: Full-Time PsychotherapistDid you know that our District sometimes partners with outside agencies to provide support for our students?CentraCare is one of our partnering agencies and they are currently hiring a full-time (40 hours/week) psychotherapist to work 20 hours at Sartell High School and 20 hours at Clara's House. Please click here for details and to apply. -
January 20
Appointments Available for Give Kids a Smile, Offering Free Dental Care to Underserved Children February 4 and 5, 2022Find a participating clinic by visiting www.mndental.org/gkas or call the United Way by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-800-543-7709.Appointments are now available for Give Kids a Smile, a charitable outreach program that provides free dental care to underserved and low-income children. Dental professionals volunteer to provide these services during Children’s Dental Health Month in February. Free dental care will be available on Feb. 4 and 5 in many locations throughout the state. Services will vary from preventive care, which includes cleanings, sealants, and fluoride treatment, to restorative care, which includes fillings. Information on specific services that will be provided will be outlined at the time an appointment is scheduled.Appointments are then scheduled directly through the clinic. Typically, clinics treat children ranging in age from 3 to 18. When calling for an appointment, parents or guardians should ask about any age requirements. No eligibility questions are asked, in an effort to remove any possible barrier to care. This event is coordinated by the Minnesota Dental Association. -
January 11
Now hiring: Full-Time PsychotherapistDid you know that our District sometimes partners with outside agencies to provide support for our students?CentraCare is one of our partnering agencies and they are currently hiring a full-time (40 hours/week) psychotherapist to work 20 hours at Sartell High School and 20 hours at Clara's House. Please click here for details and to apply. -
December 16
If you or someone you know could use help this holiday season - or any time during the year - please contact our Support Services team.
Monetary Donations for local families and students
Through December 21
Sartell High School's National Honor Society is collecting monetary donations so local families and students can purchase household necessities. Please click here to make a donation. Donations accepted through December 21.Chess/Checkers/Cribbage game drive
November 29-December 22
The PreK-5 PTO is collecting these games for RIS 3rd grade classes.Questions? Please email the PreK-5 PTO or drop off donations in the main offices of ORELC/PMPS/RIS.Feeding Area Children Together (FACT)
FACT, a local non-profit making sure students have fresh food to eat when not in school, is collecting donations for Winter Break boxes. Donations of $27 sponsors a large box of fresh, healty food to be distributed to local families facing food insecurity this winter. Please click here for details. -
December 10
Thanks to everyone who generously contributed to Sartell Middle School’s military care package drive, 26 care packages have been shipped to military personnel in Kuwait! Thank you!
Winter Break Boxes from FACT (Feeding Area Children Together)
Boxes of fresh food and pantry items to help support families in need over the winter break will be available on Sunday, Decmeber 19 beginning at 1:00 p.m. (until the boxes run out). Boxes can be picked up at 2625 Clearwater Road in St. Cloud. Click here for details.
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November 12
Thank you to Great River Federal Credit Union's Great River Gives Back committee for dropping off new winter coats, hats, gloves/mittens and pants to make sure Sartell-St. Stephen students have what they need.
They focused on our youngest students, so Stacy Boom (Licensed School Social Worker and District Homeless Liaison) distributed them at ORELC, PMPS, and RIS.
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October 29
November 4 & 22: Youth Workshops via Zoom
All youth ages 12-21 are invited to participate in Zoom workshops offered by Big Brothers Big Sisters. There will be monthly workshops (November will have two) to help youth plan for the future. You do not have to be participants of Big Brothers Big Sisters to attend. Please click here for details about the November 4 and 22 workshops. November 4 will focus on Paying for College and November 22 will focus on Tips for Applying to College. Questions? Please contact Rebecca at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MN via email or phone (320.258.4519).Feeding Area Children Together (FACT)
FACT, a nonprofit founded by four parents from the St. Cloud District, provides meals free of charge to K-8 students who are in need of food on weekends and over school breaks. Signing up means your child will receive a FACT Pack (one-gallon zipper bag) that contains child-friendly, non-perishable breakfast, lunch and snack each day school is not in session during the 2021-2022 school year. Each menu contains a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins (all items are peanut-safe; it does not contain chips, cookies, candy, or pork products). Bags are packed by volunteers and delivered to schools. This is NOT a government program; all food and supplies are paid for by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. All information is confidential. All bags are placed DISCREETLY into your child’s backpack on Fridays or the day prior to school break. To sign up, please visit https://stcloudfact.org/enrollment/ or contact your building's Support Services staff listed on this page. -
October 14
Project Connect: accessing servicesProject Connect is hosting an event Tuesday, October 26 from 10a-3p for community members to learn more about housing assistance, disability services, youth agencies, mental health support, medical care, vaccinations and doctor visits, legal services and more. The event will be at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud.Questions? Please contact SMS Social Worker Natalie Helgerson via email or phone (320-257-0819).Emergency Broadband Benefit
The Federal Communications Commission has launched a temporary program to help families and households struggling to afford Internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emergency Broadband Benefit provides a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers. Eligible households can enroll directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail-in application.To learn more about the benefit, including eligibility and enrollment information, visit www.fcc.gov/
broadbandbenefit or call 833.511.0311. Feeding Area Children Together (FACT)
Feeding Area Children Together (FACT)
Beginning in October, FACT, a nonprofit founded by four parents from the St. Cloud District, provides meals free of charge to K-8 students who are in need of food on weekends and over school breaks. Signing up means your child will receive a FACT Pack (one-gallon zipper bag) that contains child-friendly, non-perishable breakfast, lunch and snack each day school is not in session during the 2021-2022 school year. Each menu contains a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins (all items are peanut-safe; it does not contain chips, cookies, candy, or pork products). Bags are packed by volunteers and delivered to schools. This is NOT a government program; all food and supplies are paid for by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. All information is confidential. All bags are placed DISCREETLY into your child’s backpack on Fridays or the day prior to school break.To sign up, please visit https://stcloudfact.org/
enrollment/ or contact Stacy Boom, ISD 748 Social Worker and District Homeless Liaison at x4892 or via email.
ABOUT STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
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Students and families can find age-appropriate support and resources for family changes, chemical dependency, eating disorders, mental health, and social/emotional concerns, along with college and career readiness.
Our District employs counselors, school resource officers, social workers, and other professionals to provide appropriate services to meet the needs of individual students and families.
We invite you to contact our Student Support Services staff using our Staff Directory.
District counselors have compiled a variety of student support resources for use at home. Please visit our Virtual Resources page to explore topics that provide mental health support, calming strategies, and resources for play.
To get to know our staff and the services the District provides, please view this presentation from the December 14, 2020 meeting of the Sartell-St. Stephen Substance-Free Coalition.
General timeline of the video:
- 0-4:35 - Overview: District staff, configuations, and details
- 4:53 - Oak Ridge Early Learning Center
- 8:50 - Pine Meadow Primary School
- 12:35 - Riverview Intermediate School
- 16:05 - Sartell Middle School
- 20:45 Sartell High School Overview
- 30:00 In-School Therapist through CentraCare and Mental Health Therapist through Central Minnesota Mental Health Center
- 33:10 - Other supports (food, clothing, mentorship, etc.)
- 35:20 - Student Resource Officers
- 39:30 - Questions & Answers
Central Minnesota Mental Health Center Resources
Distance Learning Support
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For At-Home-Support, visit our Mental Health Virtual Resources page. It contains a wide variety of activities, supports and experiences for students and families.
Contact information for our building counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals can be found on this page.
Additional resources for mental health support:
- National PTA - resources for families concerned about remote learning and stress and anxiety related to COVID-19
- National Association of School Psychologists – Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19
- New York Times Article – How to talk to kids about Coronavirus
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019
- Parents of children with mental health issues can reference this list of county-specific children’s crisis mental health hotlines.
- Student Support Services (under Health Services).
Contact Us
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Mental Health Support
If your child is in need of mental health support, please contact:ORELC
Carrie Gapinski
Licensed School Social Worker
320-656-3701PMPS
Heather Hofer
Licensed School Social Worker
320-656-3701 x4894Stacy Boom
Licensed School Social Worker
District Homeless Liaison
320-656-3701 x4892RIS
Luke Rude
Licensed School Counselor
320-656-3701 x 2104Connie Connor
Licensed School Social Worker
320-656-3701 x2105SMS
Student last name A-K
Shannon Zinken
Licensed School Counselor
320-656-3701 x 3206Student last name L-Z
Kate Turner
Licensed School Counselor
320-656-3701 x 3204Natalie Helgerson
Licensed Graduate Social Worker
320-257-0819SHS
Student last name A-G
Justine Kirkham
Licensed School Counselor
320-656-3714Student last name H-N
Dawn Brown
Licensed School Counselor
320-656-3709Student last name O-Z
Noel Meyer
Licensed School Counselor
320-656-3785