Thank you for grant support
During the 2019-2020 school year, Wrangell experienced a series of student suicide attempts. We were lucky that none were successful. In an effort to improve this situation, Wrangell students created a new student group: BASE (Building a Supportive Environment). They believed that they could have a significant impact on the issue of student depression and suicide by taking a holistic approach to the problem. Unfortunately, COVID shut down the school before they could really get started.
Last year, however, they hit the road running. They wrote a mission statement: “To improve the atmosphere of the school: socially, academically, and aesthetically.” They established a “Breakfast Store” that fed kids who were coming to school hungry, and funded the purchase of artwork to brighten our school hallways, plants to enliven our common spaces, gift bags to welcome our middle and high school students back to school, and small tokens of appreciation to outstanding staff members. They also participated in several community service projects. These students worked hard to fulfill their mission statement. They could not have accomplished all of this, however, without support from various individuals and organizations. We very much appreciate this support.
This year, even before school started, BASE held its first meeting to plan an expansion of their efforts. While this year’s goals are still in the planning stages, I’m confident we will again see amazing things accomplished by this group in the months to come. And like last year, we’re already seeing individuals and organizations stepping up to support these students in their efforts to make their school and community a better place.
We would particularly like to acknowledge The Juneau Community Foundation/Douglas-Donan Fund’s grant of $1,000. These funds are important and will do much to improve the atmosphere of Wrangell schools. More importantly, however, is what these funds represent. Coming from an organization outside of Wrangell, this grant is a tangible statement that the ideas, efforts and beliefs expressed by Wrangell BASE students are truly valued and worthy of support. We are deeply grateful to The Juneau Community Foundation/Douglas-Donan Fund for both their financial support and their encouragement of BASE’s efforts.
Thank you for your support.
Bob Davis,
Assistant principal/lead teacher for Wrangell High School
