On Sept 8, the PTSO conducted their first meeting of the school year, the only time they planned to meet in person. They informed the parent community of programs designed to aid all students, such as the WINGS mentoring program and Sources of Strength. At the meeting, SCA also presented upcoming student events to attendees, and the board discussed two fundraising requests made by junior Sruthi Sakala and assistant principal Jennifer Cavanaugh. 

Cavanaugh started off the meeting by speaking about the WINGS program. The WINGS program performed its first in-person session since 2020 on Sept 8. The program aims to support and help freshmen acclimate to the high school environment as they transition out of middle school. Mentors, upperclassmen who assist the freshmen, plan the lessons and provide freshmen a trusted person to depend on. The program hosts two major events during the school year including the Gingerbread House competition in the winter, and Flight Check Day. All lesson plans for future WINGS sessions are posted on the Rock Ridge website.

The Sources of Strength program was presented by school psychologist Dallas Swirchak, who is a part of the Unified Mental Health Team. This peer-lead program focuses on improving mental wellness and managing stress through various connections, to promote “positive change,” Swirchak said.  Students who are interested in joining this program can visit the counseling office or send an email to the school psychologist. 

In order to promote more social emotional learning, the PTSO planned to renovate the school’s courtyards. They are currently running a PTSO fundraiser on the school website to aid with projects, such as the courtyards, and have already raised more than $3,000. They have also accumulated prizes through Turbo Tutoring and SAT Prep Class. 

There will be a club expo on Sep. 30 for students to explore. More information will come out about this within the week. SCA announced that homecoming will take place outdoors this year on the football field, including the pep rallies. 

The PTSO officers briefly discussed the Treasurer’s Report, which included information about the income and expenses for the month of Aug 2021. The month’s starting balance was $12,854.00. The income was made by membership, Amazon Smiles, Revolution Prep, and Brusters, which made a total of $3,101.67. Expenses consisted of the Welcome Back Breakfast, Freshman Orientation, Liability Insurance, and Promotional Expenses including flyers, and signs. This took out $2,017.29 from the total income made. Therefore, the ending balance for the month of August is $13,938.38.

Two funding requests were made at the meeting. The first was made by Cavanaugh about buying t-shirts for around 135 WINGS program mentors and coaches, and covering multiple other activities for $2500. An offer was made to pay partly for the t-shirts, and the PTSO decided to pay for the remaining $1300. The next proposal was made by Sakala to buy a third camera for “The Blaze,” the school newspaper, which would cost around $860. This request was tabled until the PTSO could determine whether the camera could be bought at a cheaper price, or be funded by a local business.

The next PTSO meeting will take place virtually from 7-8 pm on Oct 6. More information about the PTSO and other updates can be found through school emails, and the Rock Ridge website.