ST. HELENS, Parents who want a word with the people running St. Helens schools can get one Friday morning. The St. Helens School District is holding the first of four community listening sessions for the school year at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, in the district boardroom at 474 N. 16th St., according to a district announcement posted Oct. 1.
The district bills the hourlong session as a coffee chat with Superintendent Koreen Barreras-Brown, district leaders and two school board members. No RSVP is listed. The announcement says the sessions are a chance for families and community members to “share ideas, ask questions, and discuss what matters most to them.”
Three more sessions are scheduled, with locations still to be announced: Wednesday, Jan. 13, 5 to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, March 17, 6 to 7 p.m.; and a second coffee chat Friday, May 14, 9 to 10 a.m. The district’s main number is 503-397-3085.
The district also posted two other items for families this month:
Weekend food. The St. Helens Community Backpack Program, run with St. Helens United Methodist Church, sends a bag of food home with participating students on the last school day of each week. It is free and open to any district student in kindergarten through 12th grade. Families sign up with an application, available in English and Spanish, that the student returns to the school secretary.
Who connected you? The district is asking students, families and staff to nominate a student or employee who made someone feel safe, seen or connected: a teacher who listened, a coach who believed in a kid, a classmate who included someone. Submissions go through a form on the district site and may be featured in the district newsletter or on social media. It is part of the district’s “Connected Today. Capable Tomorrow.” theme for the year.
The school board’s next regular meeting is Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m., according to the district calendar.