Beaverton Education Foundation has Mountain View Middle School students covered, helping meet their needs before, during and after school. Whether it’s the wellness center, a leadership class, or after school clubs, BEF’s awards create a multidimensional combination of academic and social emotional support, which is especially critical as schools rebound from the pandemic.
“BEF has been an essential partner to Mountain View Middle School,” says Carol Baltazar, one of Mountain View’s assistant principals. “BEF’s funding of meaningful and effective programs has had an incredible impact on our students. All of these programs work together to continue to improve overall outcomes for our kids.”
Before school, as well as during lunchtime, students turn to the Health and Wellness Center, which provides much-needed safe and calming spaces for all students. Through a wide variety of tools, activities and strategies, students learn how to manage their emotions and improve their attitudes and confidence so they are ready to learn. Staff members also work closely with students to provide individualized assistance.
Students in the Upgrade Program open their eyes to careers in the trades. The leadership class, as it’s called at Mountain View, shows middle schoolers career options they may not have considered before, and lets them try out the trades like construction and auto tech. “Upgrade can set them on a path toward better paying jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree,” says Janine Weir, who leads the District’s high school success coordination and development efforts. By exposing students to these opportunities in middle school — at Mountain View and two others — they are more likely to engage with them during high school.
After school, students in the Safe and Sound 4 Student Success (S4) program benefit from a special combination of academic support, peer-to-peer relationship building, soccer and other enrichment activities to help students thrive in school and beyond. BEF first funded S4 nine years ago and the District recently committed additional funds to complement BEF’s ongoing commitment. The program uses the incentive of playing on a school sports team and participating in numerous after school clubs to engage the students in academic and social supports that ease the transition so middle schoolers can become successful high school students. Drama, yearbook, 3D printing and dance club are just a few of the nearly two dozen after school clubs that benefit from BEF awards.
“We are proud to help Mountain View Middle School, and all Beaverton schools, be an enriching environment and offer positive experiences to students throughout their day,” says Kristine Baggett, BEF’s executive director.
BEF relies on its partnerships with Beaverton educators, who come to BEF with solutions to the challenges they face. “They’re our eyes and ears in the schools, and Mountain View Middle School educators have really tapped into how BEF can help in so many ways,” says Baggett. “At Mountain View and across the District, we’re able to help schools serve students who need support, while providing opportunities for all students.”