Welcome to day 7of 31waysin31days! 
We are live from Asbury United Methodist and I am excited to highlight the first of many church-school partnerships.

Today’s idea has to do with back to school night to tell us about it, we’re joined by Cynthia Nelson who heads up Asbury’s church-school partnership.

Welcome, Cynthia!  I am so excited you’re joining us today! 

Let’s start with this- I am asking every church leader I can during 31waysin31days this question: how did you get into partnering with a school?  Tell us the story.

• Your team at Asbury has so many great ways you partner with your school.  The first one that really jumped out at me was what you do on back to school night.  Tell us about that.
• Another thing you do that is really great is pray for teachers- what does that look like?
• One last question- you’ve been partnering with a  school for several years now.  What’s some advice you’d pass on if a church wants to partner with a school? 

Great stuff- thank you Cynthia!

Here's the link for the calendar we mentioned.

Have a great day and we’ll see ya tomorrow!
 

Welcome to day 5 of 31waysin31days! 

We are live from Terry Redlin Elementary in Sioux Falls.

Today’s idea is about books:

• You can donate books to a school. 
• You can volunteer at a school’s book fair. 
• You can volunteer during reading weeks or special reading times at a school. 

To speak into these ideas a little more, I am so excited to be joined by Terry Redlin’s librarian extraordinaire: Kristie Schreck! 

Welcome, Kristie!  I am so excited you’re joining us today! 

Let’s start with this- I am asking every teacher I can during 31waysin31days this question: why are you a teacher?

Wow.  Great!  As the librarian, reading is a big deal for you and what you do. 

• Talk about book drive you’ve been a part of and how donated books have impacted students
• If a church, business service group etc is going to do a book drive for a school, what are some “best practices”?  What would you recommend?
• Another great partnership idea you’ve had since I’ve known you is royal readers: tell us about that.
• Last question: what’s a book you’ve read lately you’d recommend?

 
I want to thank you Kristie for your time and wisdom today.
 
Comment below with a book that's impacted you for a chance to win of the 3 books Kristie recommended! 

Welcome to day 3 of 31waysin31days! 
Today’s idea: share a unique skill you have with a school.
I need a haircut.
And it got me thinking of early into our school partnership several students at the school needed haircuts.  Something simple that many of us take for granted was a need for several students.
So the principal contacted us and wondered if we knew anyone who cut hair and if so, if they’d be willing to donate their time and talent to cut hair.
We put the word out, and lo and behold, a hairdresser answered the call and gave free haircuts to students who needed them.
What a great way to share a unique skill with students who need it.
The opportunities here are really endless.  In our partnership and other partnerships I’m aware of, we’ve seen

• Dentists who donate time and talent to under-resourced students for dental checkups, cleanings, and filling cavities
• Guys who enjoys smoking meat donate pulled pork for a meal for teachers during parent-teacher conferences
• Massage therapists donate mini-massages for teachers and staff during teacher appreciation week
• Mechanics donate complimentary oil changes to teachers- you’ll hear more details about this later on in #31waysin31days

So, what skill have you seen donated or used in your school partnership? 

Or, what skill could you or someone you know donate to a school? 

We’d love to hear your ideas and encourage each another in the comments section.

Welcome to day 2 of 31waysin31days! 

Today’s idea: mentor a student.

We are live from the offices of Lutheran Social Services and are so excited to welcome our first guest for 31waysin31days Michelle Madsen who runs the school-based mentoring program for schools in Sioux Falls and schools in the surrounding area.

Welcome, Michelle!  I am so excited you’re joining us today! 

Let’s start with this: what exactly is school based mentoring?

• What is the need for school-based mentors?
• What difference do I really make as a mentor?  Tell a story of how mentoring has impacted both the mentor and the mentee
• Ok, I’m sold- what’s next?  How can I start?

Partnering with a school doesn’t always involve money.  This idea costs you nothing except for one lunch hour per week.  And the more principals and administrators I talk to, the more I keep hearing this come up: their students need a mentor.  They need a reading or math buddy.  They need an adult in their life who will consistently show up, week after week, month after month, and even year after year.

I want to thank you Michelle for your time and wisdom on this important idea each of us should consider.

If you’re community doesn’t have a program like this and you want to start one or get some ideas on how to begin one, reach out to us on email and we’d love to chat with you about what school-based mentoring can look like in your community.

Ok, let’s pick two teachers this morning for winning the $20 Target cards:

• Winner 1
• Winner 2

Thank you for watching day 2 of 31waysin31days! 

​See ya tomorrow!
 

It’s day 1 of 31waysin31days and I am live just outside of Target. 
Today’s idea: when you’re shopping, pick up extra school supplies and donate them. 

• You can donate them to your child’s teacher. 
• You can donate them to the school closest to you. 
• You can donate them to a teacher you know
• You can even drop them off at a church and ask them to deliver them to a school. 

I can about guarantee no school and no teacher is going to deny your donation.

What usually ends up happening is teachers are left to pick up school supplies and other basics for students who come to school without them.  The one number I often see is that teachers spend an average of $450 out of their own pockets for school supplies and other basics for their classrooms.  Target knows this. They also know how much teachers enjoy shopping here so they ran a promotion last month where teachers could save 15% off their purchases for their classrooms and school supplies. 

And that’s awesome- it really is- but what if Target didn’t need to do that?  What if churches, businesses, nonprofits, you and I all partnered with schools to provide supplies for those who come to school without them so teachers didn’t have to? 

Obviously schools provide resources and supplies for their teachers and classrooms. 
But teachers are left to bridge the gap with their own money. 

I was in a meeting recently about school partnerships. And a teacher in the meeting said one of the things she hears most from her coworkers when she notices something they’ve bought for school is “don’t tell my husband” or “don’t tell my wife”. 

It’s a joke, but there’s truth there, right?   

So when you’re back to school shopping this month or just shopping this month, pick up some extras supplies and donate them.