26-27 Welcome Back Newsletter

Welcome to our newsletter, a vibrant reflection of the happenings and achievements within the Mapleton community. Each edition provides news, events, and updates - keeping you connected and informed about dynamic learning, community connections, and integrated supports for students and families.

Welcome to the 2026–27 school year! We are excited to welcome our students, families, and staff back to Mapleton Community School for a dynamic year of learning, growing, and connecting.

Join us as we kick off the new school year with an afternoon of music, food, community, and fun!

3:00 PM — Musical Monster Friends Concert

3:00–6:00 PM — Community Center Tours & Upriver Market Vendors

4:00–6:00 PM — BBQ Dinner & Ice Cream Social

The Mapleton Community Resource Center is coming to life! Five private telehealth and behavioral health pods have been installed in the Community Resource Room, the Teen Vibe Room is painted and complete, and renovations are underway in our makerspaces.

A new hallway mural by local artist Kunu Bearchum celebrates our Value of This Place, surrounding the community Giving Tree, a senior project by Jostin Harrington. The mural features water and animals that are important to our region and reflects the natural beauty and connections that make Mapleton home. The Giving Tree will grow as our community gives—leaves will feature the names of community members who donate $5 or more to support the Community Center.

Learn more and make a donation small or large at https://www.mapleton.k12.or.us/donate

Regular attendance means attending school 90+% of more, which means no more than one absence every three weeks. Our district goal is 75+%. Thank you for your support to ensure every day matters!

High School Global Studies and Political Science 101 are piloting Imagine Learning's Traverse curriculum. We will be collecting data and student, teacher, and family input throughout this year. If you have questions, please reach out.

National Suicide Prevention Month, observed each September, raises awareness about suicide prevention, promotes open conversations about mental health, and reminds us that connection, compassion, and support can make a difference. The month provides an opportunity to learn the warning signs, reduce stigma around seeking help, and strengthen the connections that help people feel supported and less alone.

This September, Mapleton School District is proud to participate in regional efforts to promote hope and connection.

Mapleton SD will be there as a community partner, and we invite students, families, staff, and community members to stop by our table and connect with us and other local organizations.

If you are interested in working with students as a classroom education assistant, behavior support person, or as a classroom teacher, we would love to hire you! Please help us spread the word. Application link included here, but you can also reach out to Jeron Ricks jricks@mapleton.k12.or.us or Carly and Jamie in the offices.

https://mapleton.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

Rosie Golden and Courtney Stone are trained Community Health Workers. Rosie (rgolden@mapleton.k12.or.us) supports our McKinney-Vento homeless students directly and Courtney (cstone@mapleton.k12.or.us) runs our teen afterschool program, connecting students with career and community learning opportunities. Both connect students and families to resources such as food, clothing, housing, counseling, and other resources, we have many partnerships that can help.