February 10th, 2017

Good Afternoon Parents and Guardians:

Save the date!  

The next Newton Community KNight will be on Tuesday, February 21 at Mellow Mushroom SouthGlenn from 5pm-close.  Extend the President's weekend a little longer, enjoy a break from making dinner and support Newton!  Just mention Newton and 15% of your sale from dine-in or take-out will be donated to our school.  See you there!

Please see the attached flyer from the Salvation Army. In April the Salvation Army will begin offering free programs to our students including before and after school care. Save the date for the Open House at the Salvation Army to highlight the programs they will be offering. The Open House will be held March 3rd.

Newton Middle School will soon be rolling out the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program® in order to aid in the prevention of youth suicide through education. The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program has gained national and international recognition for its school and community based activities. If you would like more information about Yellow Ribbon, visit their website: https://www.yellowribbon.org/. On the website, there is a parent handout that describes in greater detail how you can talk to your child about suicide prevention.

safeTALK Training March 7, 2017 4:00 – 7:00pm

safeTALK is a suicide alertness workshop taught by LPS trainers that prepares participants to become suicide-alert helpers. Most people with thoughts of suicide don’t truly want to die, but are struggling with the pain in their lives. Through their words and actions, they invite help to stay alive. safeTALK-trained helpers can recognize these invitations and take action by connecting them with life-saving intervention resources. safeTALK offers valuable skills to everyone 15 and older and requires no formal training or prior experience in suicide prevention.

Although formal caregivers such as social workers and counselors employ safeTALK skills, the program is also used by students, teachers, parents, community volunteers, police, and anyone willing be become more suicide alert. safeTALK is a powerful experience. You can expect to leave safeTALK with practical knowledge of how to identify someone at risk and link them to life-saving resources. Registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis and is open to all members of the LPS community. This is a free training, but space is limited.

Please contact Deborah Honeker at dhoneker@lps.k12.co.us to register. Location: LPS Education Services Center, Board Room 5776 S. Crocker St. Littleton, CO 80120

Have a great weekend.

James O’Tremba

Principal, Newton Middle School