Most of us would identify our middle school years as some of life’s most uncomfortable. No longer in the cocoon of elementary school, middle school brings with it puberty, different teachers, and new social cliques. There’s a huge building to navigate, passing periods, and school athletics. Parents can now monitor your grades, which suddenly matter more than they used to. It’s a lot of change, and quick.
Iola Middle School counselor Stacey Crusinbery understands this, and the need to offer students support. So in 2019, Crusinbery and a small but dedicated group of students launched Aevidum, a club dedicated to empower youth.
Aevidum, which is Latin for “I’ve got your back,” is a national non-profit. But here in Iola, a group of now around 14 students works to help students talk about what many are scared to mention: depression, suicide, bullying, and more. Members Eliana Higginbotham, Blayke Patterson, Piper Jordan and Aaliyah Rhodes joined Crusinbery to share some of their work with USD 257 board members Monday evening.
Aevidum members work to help incoming sixth-graders feel comfortable in the transition. They prepare mental health care packages, serve hot chocolate on the first day back from winter break, promote Suicide Prevention Week, and highlight the dangers of vaping and other drugs.
What seemed to catch many board members’ attention, though, was Mix it Up at Lunch Day. The national campaign, which as its name suggests, breaks up the typical cliques and makes students eat lunch with peers they normally wouldn’t, was hard for everyone — even Aevidum’s leaders at IMS.
“A lot of students are very uncomfortable with Mix it Up,” Crusinbery told the board. “In fact, several of our Aevidum members are reluctant. Although most of them, after they do it, see the value in it,” she noted.
That drew praise from Superintendent Stacey Fager, who was appreciative of the group trying something “even when it challenges your leadership group.”
The group, which meets monthly in Crusinbery’s office, is preparing for an upcoming Youth Take Down Tobacco conference in Topeka, a Chill Out Challenge next month, and a Sticker Shock campaign to highlight the dangers of buying alcohol to anyone under 21.
“This is fantastic,” said board member John Masterson of the group’s efforts. “I don’t know if you realize right now, but you will, how important it is to show kindness to people. For some people, you all might be the first to show kindness to them in quite some while.”
MONDAY’S meeting also gave board members a chance to approve the 2024-2025 school calendar. The first day of school for K-6 and 9th graders will be Aug. 14, with district enrollment on July 31 and Aug. 1 at the elementary school.
The calendar’s biggest change includes a different schedule for Parent-Teacher Conferences, which will be reduced to one afternoon and one evening. The spring conferences will be moved to the week of March 10, right before spring break, resulting in a head start to the spring vacation, as classes will not be held that Thursday and Friday. The reduced time for Parent-Teacher Conferences will result in an extra instruction day.
Board members also:
Extended Superintendent Fager’s contract for the 2024-2025 school year
Agreed to change the location of their Feb. 26 meeting to the Bowlus Fine Arts Center
Heard from Kandy Rushing, owner of Grow at Eden, a child care facility in Iola, who requested a change to the district’s transportation policy.
