TAGOS December/January Newsletter

TAGOS Leadership Academy would like to thank Voight Music and Best Buy in Janesville for their help and guidance in putting together our podcasting equipment. This project was made possible from a grant awarded by the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin and the Janesville Education Foundation. Students will learn how to produce podcasts that will become part of their project-based learning and product development.

Interview with Tim Riding, School Counselor
by Andrew Walquist

Newsletter: What do you love about TAGOS so far?

Tim: I already love a lot about TAGOS! I enjoy the open floor plan that allows for constant interaction with students as well as building a strong community with each other. I also love how open the students are when I talk to them! I rarely have to guess what is going on with anyone! Another thing I love is how welcoming the staff has been to my addition to the team.

N: Do you feel connected with the students?

T: I do feel connected to the students! I am looking forward to continuing to grow those relationships and improve those connections in order to become a strong support and positive role model for all of the students at TAGOS.

N: Do you feel able to connect to the students at TAGOS?

T: I do feel like I have been able to connect with many of the students at TAGOS already, and look forward to being able to connect with all of them in the near future. It is very important to be able to build strong, positive relationships with students in order to help them achieve all they can, and be as successful as possible with their time here at TAGOS.

Creative Writing Corner

Childhood
by Andrew Walquist

We are the underdog of our own story.
The feelings of unseen upbringings.
The classified nature of being unheard on a rainy day because our voices go mute and all you can hear is the droplets fall to the ground.
That is our culture, that is our way of life.

Punch
by Andrew Walquist

People aren’t understanding.
Using civil nature as their own manipulative weapon.
Not seeing that we are all people.
Catastrophizing the pain of just living.
How do we all live?
Is that the punch line?

Meet One of Our Newsletter Writers: Aeris Gonzalez

This semester, we started a newsletter seminar so students can participate in the production and publication of the TAGOS Leadership Academy monthly newsletter. This seminar allows student input for content and layout. It also provides opportunities to practice interviewing skills and writing skills. Aeris decided to join the newsletter seminar because she likes writing and helping her school.

Interesting facts Aeris shared with us:
*I first joined TAGOS last year because of issues in my old school such as sensory issues, which TAGOS works with me and makes accommodations.
*My favorite color is neon green
* I used to do color guard, which is a sport that involves doing tricks with flags and fake rifles.

Mental Health
by Aeris Gonzalez

According to a recent article from Mental Health First Aid USA, "The holiday season is often a time of year for social activities, holiday shopping, and quality time with loved ones. This year, however, COVID-19 threatens to make those activities more difficult. Keeping up with activities, staying positive and — especially in 2020 — safely socializing can be overwhelming.
In addition, 40% of U.S. adults face a mental health or substance use challenge, making a complicated holiday season even more difficult time for many people. Regardless of whether you are living with a mental health challenge or know someone who is, you can take steps to prepare for the holidays and prioritize your mental health in the coming weeks."

Mental Health Help Lines:

Crisis Textline:
*Text HOME to 741741
*Does call the police
Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
*Call 1-800-273-8255
*Does call the police
Trans Lifeline:
*Call 877-565-8860
*Does not call the police
*Staffed by trans people

Self-coping skills: Listening to music, taking a nap, calling a trusted person, taking a hot bath, meditating, and/or learning a new subject.

School District of Janesville Receives Grant

The School District of Janesville announces that it has received a grant from the Janesville Education Tech Fall 2020 Grant Cycle and the Non-Tech Fall 2020 Grant Cycle of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, Inc.

The tech grant will support their project entitled Bringing the Arts to Project-Based Learning at TAGOS Leadership Academy. Students at TAGOS Leadership Academy need access to current technology that will help them develop skills in the arts which will provide purposeful skills not only for project work but also future careers. The grant is for wireless graphic drawing tablets. These are used for digital art, photo-editing, and animation.

The Non-tech grant will support their project entitled Graphic Novels to Build Literacy for TAGOS Leadership Academy. This grant will provide a fiction and non-fiction graphic novels library, a popular genre of literature for middle and high school students. Students at TAGOS Leadership Academy will have the opportunity to participate in graphic-novel seminars to build literacy and critical thinking skills.

This grant is made available from the Community Foundation’s Janesville Education Foundation Special Projects Fund. The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin is a resource for area nonprofit organizations whose programs and services are working for the betterment of our communities. Grants from the Janesville Education Foundation Special Projects Fund have supported the arts, education, environment, health and human services, and historic preservation.

For more information on how you can support your community through the Community Foundation, contact Paula Nicholson at (608) 758-0883, extension 7005, email at Paula@cfsw.org, or visit our website at www.cfsw.org. The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin serves nine Wisconsin counties: Crawford, Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, and Walworth. For good. For ever.

An Interview with Cheyanne Stuhr, a 2020 TAGOS Graduate
by Andrew Walquist

Newsletter: What was your experience at TAGOS?

Cheyanne: My experience at TAGOS was one I will always remember. I have always said that TAGOS is the school where you can be yourself and get to know yourself and become what you want.

N: How did you feel about your graduation?

C: My graduation year was not like other normal past years. I will always be thankful for all the teachers there. They always checked in to see how you were doing with your school work and were always there to talk about anything on your mind.

N: Do you think Tagos shaped you as a person?

C: I one hundred percent think TAGOS shaped me as a person. Before I went there, I was a shy, quiet person who was scared to be themselves, but after just the first year there, I was totally different and was starting to become the person I am today. That school taught me things about myself I never knew and taught me so many values.

N: You think TAGOS prepared you for life?

C: It definitely did. There were things I learned there that people who went to different schools didn’t know.