Tackling Mental Health Together | |
This month at Lift For Life Academy, high school students are learning how to help their friends and family with mental health struggles by becoming certified teen Mental Health First Aiders. Students are participating in a program designed and administered by PreventEd, a non-profit that works to reduce or prevent the harms of alcohol and other drug use through education, intervention, and advocacy. | |
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PreventEd’s program for teen Mental Health First Aid training teaches students how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders among their friends and peers. These can be tough lessons, but mature LFLA students are eager to participate and learn how to help their friends when in crisis | | |
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Angee Serwin, LFLA Student Services Coordinator, organized the sessions for students to practice in a safe space how to handle these conversations. Stacie Zellin, from PreventEd, comes to LFLA one day a week for 6 weeks to lead the sessions with about half of LFLA’s 11th and 12th grade students during their English classes. | |
Ms. Zellin said this program was designed in 2019 because “the data says teens are more likely to tell a peer than an adult if they are struggling,” and this training gives students the skills to have supportive conversations with their friends and get a responsible and trusted adult to take over as necessary. Kyndal S., 11th grade, said: “I think it’s important to bring awareness and seriousness to mental health, especially to our community, because people look down on [mental health struggles]. This serves as a reminder that it’s real, and people should be able to help and react.” | | |
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Instruments
from Around
the World
Special Performance by Chris Stephens
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Eighth grade music students gathered on Feb 21st in the Donn Lux Family Performing Arts Theater for a special musical performance by Chris Stephens. Chris Stephens is a multi-instrumentalist musician who performs a variety of traditional music styles on a collection of historic instruments from Asia, India, and the Middle East, as well as bluegrass banjo. During the performance, Chris explained the origins of the 7 different string instruments he brought to play. Students learned about the similarities and differences for each instrument, and Chris played a short piece that is representative of the culture that created the instrument. LFLA musicians were enthralled by the sitar, saz, loot, banjo, and more over the course of the performance. At the end, Chris allowed students to test the instruments for themselves and compare them to instruments they are familiar with, like guitars and violins. | |
Spring is Coming!
Elementary students are preparing for spring in the Our Planet class!
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Students are helping plant seeds to grow peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos, broccoli, and more for the garden beds. Our Planet teacher Ms. Rachel Hazen taught the kids about George Washington Carver, one of the most prominent black scientists of the early 20th century, and his innovations in agricultural science, then the students learned about what the seeds they were planting would need. | | |
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Students discussed soil depth, amount of sunlight and water, as well as the best environment for their plant to grow. These seeds will start in the small planting boxes and then in late spring, LFLA will be selling an assortment of herbs, tomato, and pepper plants as well as dahlia tubers for friends and families to take home and plant in their gardens. | |
Some of the plants will be replanted in the larger garden beds all over our campus to continue to grow for students to harvest in the fall. More information regarding the LFLA plant sale will be available soon! | |
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LFLA’s Brandii Branscomb is a published author!
LFLA 3rd grader, Brandii Branscomb, is an author, a singer, and an entrepreneur all before the age of 10! Brandii released her new book, “How I Became an Actress,” along with a song and related merchandise, at a signing event Feb. 2 at the Donn Lux Family Performing Arts Theater. She was supported by the elementary school and her family, including her mother, Erica Stokes, who is a 2013 LFLA alumna.
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A Historic Season
for the LFLA Wrestling Team
This year the Lift For Life Academy Wrestling Team had a historic season. The team had 3 wrestlers win 1st place at Districts with 6 total wrestlers qualifying for the State Championship.
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Christian N. (12th grade) placed 1st in districts and won 3rd place at state; Ethan D. (10th grade) placed 1st in districts and won 3rd at state; and Braxton S. (12th grade) placed 1st in districts and won 6th at state. Additionally, Makayla M. (12th grade) placed 2nd in districts; Corey P. (12th grade) placed 4th in districts; and Damonte H. placed 4th in districts.
Read more about Christian and Ethan’s matches and hear from their coach, Andrew Angelbeck, in an article from “Metro Sports St. Louis” here!
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Scott R. Dolan
President
Tami Fernandez
Vice President
Kate Hatfield
Secretary
Brian Liberman
Treasurer
Ernest K. (Ernie) Banks
Dennis Cope
Sheila Gurley, Ed.S.
Beau Herndon
Mary Jo Liberstein, Ph.D.
Mark Schweiss
Debbie Champion Snyder
Steven M. Stone
Gina Wischmeyer
Paige Fowler, Class of 2024
Student Representative
Tatyana Jones, Class of 2024
Student Representative
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FOUNDATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tami Fernandez
President
Todd Taylor
Vice President
Scott Dolan
Secretary
Erich Thurmann
Treasurer
Marshall Cohen
Susan Goldberg
Marylen Mann
Dr. Katrice Noble
Carol Staenberg
HONORARY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Marshall Faulk
Carla Scissors-Cohen
(Co-Founder)
In Memory of John Mann
(1965-2011)
Marshall Cohen
Co-founder/Exec.Director
Charter sponsored by:
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