Greetings,

We’ve enjoyed talking about different careers with students and learning more about their dreams for the future. Talking about a dream of growing up and doing something is how a child begins to create a mental scaffold as a bridge between “today” and “someday” (Baldwin, 2022). Read more about Encouraging Your Children’s Dreams for the Future where you’ll find tips for encouraging children to dream, grow and learn.Email kbumgarner@riverwalkacademy.com "Carr" for some free Riverwalk swag. May is Mental Health Awareness Month!

We kicked off Mental Health Awareness Month at Riverwalk on May 1st with GO GREEN! A huge shout out to Mrs. Tillman, Assistant Principal, for our balloon green ribbon. Another shout out to our local NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) Chapter for the additional green ribbons for the overhang. 

So, why is there a Mental Health Awareness Month? 

We need to end the stigma and make sure that anyone with a mental illness or anyone with a family member with a mental illness feels supported. Our communities need to be united and everyone needs to be seen and heard. Check out the President’s Proclamation for this year!

Statistics (provided by NAMI) show: 

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
• 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14

When it comes to mental health, small actions equal big impact.

• If you are worried about your mental health or are worried about someone you know, there are resources and people out there who are willing to help, no matter what your situation is.
• Talking about mental health helps promote acceptance and encourages people to seek help.
• Whether we share resources, encourage others to seek help, or simply are there for someone when they need us, we instill hope and can help others to reach out when they need to most.

If you need any assistance, please contact one of us or Ms. Menges.

(((HUGS)))

Carr and Teague

Need Help?

• If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988 lifeline.org.
• To learn how to get support for mental health, drug, and alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov.
• To locate treatment facilities or providers, visit FindTreatment.gov or call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357).

Hello PRIDE! We have had an amazing week. As we are quickly closing in on the last few weeks of school, please remind your students to make sure they are keeping up with assignments. 

We will start SC Ready testing this week. May 9-10 we will have the SCREADY Reading test. Please make sure your students in grades 6-8th are well rested and have had breakfast. Please encourage them to do their best and to not be anxious. 

I had the pleasure of attending the High School awards ceremony Wednesday night. It is amazing to see how far the kids have come this year. Friday night I attended the Band concert and Mr. Monty and the band did an amazing job!! 

Eighth grade families, please see the information below regarding the 8th grade promotion ceremony. If you have not done so, please complete the RSVP link below. Please understand that due to the limitations of space, we will need to limit the number of guests to 5 per student. In order to accommodate this number of people, please be mindful of this limitation. 

As always, thank you for trusting us with your students. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. We truly appreciate your help and support. 

Warmly,

Christy Dempsey

Happy Sunday,

We had a great time celebrating students who received awards on Wednesday night. I love being able to look through them all and see where students shine inside and outside of the classroom. Our college tour was also very exciting! We visited Furman University and North Greenville University. Email kbumgarner@riverwalkacademy.com "Menges" for some free Riverwalk swag. Allowing our students to explore different opportunities for after high school is so important and we are glad that we are able to take 3 trips this year to do so! Keep working hard as we finish up these last couple of weeks at school. York Tech students, congrats on being finished!

Things to note:

-9th graders, make sure you are getting your attendance recovery sessions in! I handed out forms last week if your student has time to make up.

Quote of the Week:

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."

-Thomas A. Edison