Submitted by the San Juan Public Schools Foundation

San Juan Public Schools Foundation and Banner Bank are leading a fundraising effort to ensure learning programs are in place to manage the cascading effects of a year in isolation for students in the San Juan Island School District.

“Schools play a critical role in the mental health and resilience of young people. As we look toward the coming year, students will need extra support to manage their emotions and cope with challenges when they return to the classroom,” said Amara Zee, Friday Harbor Middle School Counselor.

One of the programs that will be utilized is called AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination). Friday Harbor Middle School began using AVID at the start of the 2019-20 school year. “It has been instrumental in providing a platform for our teachers to reach students in a different way. Through the use of our AVID curriculum we are able to make connections to learners who have the ability, but may not have all the required tools to learn at their highest level. With AVID’s intentional focus on growing; writing, critical thinking, teamwork, organization and reading skills, the program helps those students seeking to learn at a higher level with the skills necessary to do that,” said Rod Turnbull, Assistant Principal and AVID District Director at Friday Harbor Middle School.

Programs like AVID are ready to deploy — but supplemental funding is needed. The San Juan Public Schools Foundation has been asked to help and is reaching out to our community. Banner Bank has partnered with the Foundation and offered to match donations up to $3,000.

“Our community has always been committed to providing quality education and encouraging the success of our island’s students. Now is an especially important time for all of us to come together and make sure our young people have what they need to overcome the challenges of the past year,” San Juan Island School District Superintendent Fred Woods said.

The San Juan Public Schools Foundation raises funds to support programs and services beyond what tax revenues can pay for and acts as a catalyst to involve the community in public education. Donations can be made at www.sjpsf.org or by sending a check to P.O. Box 1452, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.