Debra Card, a health teacher at Hutchinson High School, observes 10th-grade students writing in their class journals.
Michael Scott, director of teaching and learning for Hutchinson School District, said suicide awareness and prevention are addressed in a variety of ways at schools in the district.
Melissa Berget
Suicide is a subject many families and the public avoid.
Hutchinson schools are taking a different approach.
Michael Scott, director of teaching and learning for Hutchinson School District, believes the district is tackling the issue in many ways.
To begin with, all teachers licensed by the state of Minnesota are required to have suicide prevention awareness training.
“On certain staff development days, we try to offer courses with these mandates to meet the teacher re-licensing obligation,” Scott said. “We also have student assistant teams. They consist of administrators, counselors, social workers, a psychologist and teachers that come together monthly to figure out if something needs to be looked into.
“We encourage staff to reach out about students,” he added.
The district has at least one counselor at each school, with three at the high school and two at the middle school.
“We have a lot of specialized staff,” Scott said. “They do an excellent job of keeping their caseloads to support students.”
New Century Academy in Hutchinson also has its staff network developed toward suicide prevention awareness. The school has consistent and available mental health support through virtual and in person counseling all day every day, according to Director Jason Becker. This support is provided by a licensed social worker, licensed school psychologist and a licensed school counselor.
“All of our staff receive ongoing mental health training which includes suicide prevention,” Becker said. “Staff operate a referral process that helps students and families connect to professional support when needed.
“Each student also has an adviser assigned to them when they enroll and usually that same adviser is with the student until they graduate,” Becker said. “This provides confidence to parents that their child has a committed professional available for any and all questions related to their child’s development.”
Programs for students
At both Huchinson Public Schools and New Century academy, students receive instruction in their health classes specifically dealing with suicide awareness.
“Students receive education on suicide awareness and prevention and the early identification of the signs and symptoms of mental health distress,” Becker said. “We emphasize the importance of self-expression and allow students opportunities to raise awareness for suicide prevention through various art mediums. These efforts are often displayed on the walls in the hallways of the school.”
Hutchinson High School staff has worked with many resources that provide mental health literacy. The school recently partnered with 2B Continued, a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention and awareness, founded in 2019 by Tammy Diehn and Terri Lynaugh.
Many might know 2B Continued as sponsor of the “Dancing Like the Stars” competition, which raises money for its programs. No school pays for the 2B Continued staffing or curriculum offered thanks to the fundraising and grants the nonprofit receives.
A seven-week course, “Teen Mental Health First Aid,” is an evidence-based training curriculum approved for 10th- through 12th-graders. It teaches students to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use among their friends and peers. It doesn’t teach them to diagnose, but to seek help from a trusted adult if they recognize concerns.
Deb Card, health instructor at Hutchinson High School, has worked with 2B Continued-trained tMHA coordinator Melissa Berget for the past two years.
“Melissa and 2B Continued has been a vital resource for addressing the concerns with suicide prevention,” Card said. “I have enjoyed the collaborative efforts.
“We are trying to provide a culture of open communication amongst our students, teachers, and administrators,” Card said. “All of us are trying to assist them (students) in navigating the challenges they face while promoting positive mental health.”
In the two years she has offered the course in her classroom, Card has noticed that students are more aware of mental health.
“I think we’ve reduced the stigma surrounding mental health.” she said.
Berget sees this with students at all of the schools with which she works.
“The program is stopping the stigma,” she said. “Students are more comfortable and confident talking about it. They’re bringing that home. They are helping everyone around them. Parents are learning from their kids.
“The parents then ask, ‘What can I do? How can I get more involved?’” Berget said.
Card said she has noticed increased awareness, that students are willing to share and discuss emotions. They recognize and value the supportive networks available to them at HHS.
“It is crucial to acknowledge that the struggles our students face are real, and it is imperative that we pay close attention to the signs and signals they may be sharing,” Card said. “We must continue to create an environment where seeking help is not only accepted but also encouraged. It is important for our students to know that it is OK to ask for assistance and support when they need it.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report that shows youth suicide diminished 8% in 2022. Officials believe increased attention to youth mental health issues in the schools is helping. New Century Academy and Hutchinson High School — assisted by 2B Continued — are hoping to be part of that solution to help continue that downward trend.
Right before school started in August, many law enforcement organizations pulled their school resource officers from schools due to worries about liabilities concerning the use of prone restraints. After waiting a few weeks for clarification from state government, some SROs are returning to school campuses.
The decision came after Attorney General Keith Ellison said the law passed by the Legislature earlier this year did not place the kinds of restrictions of law enforcement that some saw.
“The Amendment does not limit the types of reasonable force that may be used by school staff and agents to prevent bodily harm or death,” Ellison wrote. “The test for reasonable force remains unchanged, and is highly fact-specific.”
The clarification says that officers can use reasonable force, such as the prone restraint, if a student is in danger of hurting themselves or others. Other physical restraints also are allowed, Ellison said in his opinion, as long as they don’t fall under holds that would stop a student from breathing or signaling distress.
Hutchinson Police decided the clarification was enough to allow reinstatement of its school resource officer, Madisen Douvier, at district schools, continuing the 32-year partnership with the Hutchinson Police.
“As of Monday (Oct. 2), the SRO was back in the buildings,” Hutchinson Superintendent Dan Deitte said. “We have reinstated our contract with the Hutchinson Police Department, and the plan is for her to keep doing what she was.”
Officer Aaron Nelson, who works as school resource officer at Litchfield Public Schools, never left the schools.
“Chief (Patrick) Fank and I are on the same page,” Litchfield Public Schools Superintendent Beckie Simenson said. “We had some great conversations about the issue, and we decided to keep Officer Nelson here.”
What Deitte thought was most missed during the four weeks the Hutchinson SRO was absent was the relationship-building she did with the students.
“People noticed she wasn’t in the building all day,” he said. “She would form relationships with students. The kids and staff know she’s there for safety.”
Simenson also noted that a key part of an SRO’s job is building rapport with students.
“He’s (Nelson) got a great way about him, where kids don’t hesitate to talk with him,” she said. “And they share a lot with him. So it’s worked out very well for us.”
The main focus for the SROs is to be there not only to react to situations at the schools, but to be proactive.
“Officer Nelson is a resource for students, their parents and staff,” Simenson said. “His duties vary day to day, but he helps with traffic congestion, watches open lunch, checks the parking lots and helps students if they need that extra support.”
While people had noticed officer Douvier was reassigned to patrol, there weren’t any communicated concerns from teachers or students about the drop in school presence.
“I sent out communications (but) nobody really asked any questions,” he said. “I think because she still was showing up and she was still there it wasn’t a situation where we went from everything to nothing. So nobody questioned it or had anything to say.”
Deitte said he was glad the SRO was back.
“I would still choose to have somebody there more often than the way it was, but I think they (the police) still did a good job with it,” he said.
John Paulson
Andrew Engel
Members of Minnesota Capital Investment Committee made a pit-stop in Hutchinson last Tuesday to discuss funding requests for the 2024 budget cycle.
Members of the Minnesota Senate’s Capital Investment Committee visited Hutchinson last week as part of their statewide tour of sites seeking capital improvement funds.
Hutchinson has requested $9.9 million in state funds as part of Minnesota’s 2024 preliminary capital budget. If approved, $6.4 million would be allocated to Hutchinson Area Transportation Services to construct a tempered vehicle and equipment storage building and to replace and modernize the fueling station at HATS. The remaining $3.5 million would go toward a restoration project at Campbell and Otter lakes.
“There’s nothing like seeing projects in person, whether it’s a wastewater treatment plant that needs to be redone or a community center or a lot of sewer projects,” Capital Investment Committee Chairman Sandy Pappas said. “We look at road projects; we just looked at a maintenance facility. So we really get a chance to kind of taste and feel and smell in many cases what the projects are.”
According to McLeod County Public Works Director Andrew Engel, the HATS project is expected to cost $10.3 million and is split between the City of Hutchinson, McLeod County and Minnesota Department of Transportation.
“We are proposing to contribute $700,000 of HATS operating and reserve funds for a local match and are requesting the remaining $9.6 million — $3.2 million for each agency — from the Legislature,” Engel said.
MnDOT is unable to receive General Obligation Bond funds for its portion of the project, but has requested money from the state trunk highway fund to cover its portion.
The HATS facility is a multi-purpose complex, housing various agencies in the region.
“Since the facility was constructed in 1996, staffing and operations have changed. Equipment has become larger, more complex and computerized, requiring longer down time for diagnostics, repair and more mechanic space,” Engel said.
This transition has put increased strain on the original fuel system, which was installed in 1995, according to Engel. That nearly 30-year-old fuel system is now beyond its useful life and constantly requires repairs. Due to the system being out-of-date, finding replacement parts has become a burdensome task, causing prolonged operational disruptions, often stretching for weeks.
Another issue is the facility’s proximity to the Crow River, resulting in a high water table at the site. To address the problem, the project proposes the installation of above-ground tanks. The tight confines around the existing system’s location make this an impractical approach. Instead the plan is to relocate the fuel system near the new tempered vehicle and equipment storage building.
“Above ground tanks for a replacement system is the most responsible route,” Engel said.
Engel emphasized that the project is not just about fixing the fuel system. It’s a comprehensive effort to modernize the facility and cater to the changing needs of the transportation hub that serves McLeod County, city of Hutchinson and MnDOT.
“This project will address the space needs of the mechanics and improve the fueling system, making operations more efficient for the areas transportation system maintenance work,” Engel said.
OTHER AREA PROJECTS
Capital Investment Committee members also listened to a presentation on the restoration project for Campbell, which is in phase 2 and requested $3.5 million in General Obligation Bond funds. These funds will be used to address sediment inflow from the large contributing watershed beyond city boundaries, the South Fork of the Crow River.
During phase 1, the city of Hutchinson invested in storm water treatment infrastructure, spending $2.5 million to improve water quality to Campbell and Otter lakes from city drainage and to restore fish passage from the Crow River into the lakes.
“This project has been going on for a long time,” Project Environmental Regulatory Manager John Paulson said. “It’s been something that the city’s been interested in doing since back into the ’90s. Cleaning up the river, improving the recreational and habitat benefits for the river itself is something the city’s been working on for a long time.”
Funding has been coming together with a significant boost received from the 2020 legislative session, which allocated $3.1 million for the project.
“We’ve finally gotten to the point where we can start moving the ball forward,” Paulson said.
The funding, along with previous contributions, has laid the groundwork for a comprehensive project estimated at a total cost of $19.8 million, according to Paulson.
Enhancing habitats, reviving the lake, ensuring it supports fish year-round, addressing various aspects of this project comes with extensive costs. While the city may not have the primary responsibility for these tasks, there is strong community support and interest in revitalizing the lake’s depth, functionality and fish habitat among other goals, he said.
One key aspect of the project is sediment management, with a focus on diverting sediment-laden floodwaters away from the lake and river. This strategy includes measures like sediment traps on farmlands, restoration of eroded stream banks and the creation of sediment basins outside of water bodies to safeguard future investments and protect downstream water systems.
“We know we can’t do it all at once,” Paulson said. “It’s just a huge project … We’re not just building a building. We’re talking about habitat improvements, recreational improvements, restoration activities, fish and wildlife improvements as well. It’s a broad project, lots of moving parts to it.”
The committee also heard later in the day about a Ridgewater College request for $8.2 million to help with construction, health care, student services and classroom renovation.
Cynthia Buchholz points to her “Barn Quilt” mural on the side of Quilt Haven on Main in downtown Hutchinson. The mural is made of two 5-foot by 10-foot metal sheets and is drilled into the wall of the building.
Barn quilts are beautiful, geometric designs that come in a variety of shapes and mediums.
Cynthia Buchholz took on this art form as a signature style. Once an artist invested in oil painting, Buchholz found expression and a new part to life in the barn quilt style. She brought that style to the mural she painted on the walls of Quilt Haven as part of the pARTicipate Hutchinson mural project.
Buchholz has been learning about and making art since she was a kid. While she was always into art, it wasn’t until all her kids had grown up and moved away that she became invested in barn quilts.
“My daughter-in-law signed me up for a barn quilt class,” Buchholz said. “And I took that, and I just loved it, but I never dreamed of teaching it. Well, my husband had made one for his room at the (Hutchinson) middle school, where he teaches wood shop, and Sharon Armstrong (program coordinator) from Community Education saw, and she asked if I would be interested in teaching a class.”
At first Buchholz was hesitant, but after much encouragement from her family she called up Armstrong and started teaching.
“I’ve taught and in like 20 to 25 communities all throughout Minnesota,” she continued. “I go to different places all throughout the year. And so Sharon really, really helped me there.”
Buchholz kept teaching classes and took on some orders, but she wanted to do more.
“The lady that works for Quilt Haven called me,” Buchholz said. “I drove around there like three times and parked in front of the store, even put on makeup, combed my hair. And I wanted to go in and offer my class, but I didn’t dare. Well, this woman called who does the schedules for classes and stuff. And she asked me (to teach) and so I’ve taught there 14 times.”
Another big accomplishment for Buchholz was at the McLeod County Fair.
“Casey Walters took a chance on me at the fair one year,” Buchholz recalled. “It was the oddest thing, because we put together this 6-foot cow barn quilt cow. I brought all the paint, and it was a ton of work. But there were ladies that helped me, volunteers and people would walk through the fairground or the building there, and they would paint on it, we’d tape it off and they’d come through and paint it. So, it was a community thing where everyone came to paint and can show off every year their contributions.”
Those experiences and people have inspired Buchholz to do more around the community.
“Those three people were really supportive of me and believed in me and I don’t know why but it is just crazy,” Buchholz said. “It’s changed my life. It made me want to give back to the community. It made me love the community. It made me just happy and fulfilled.”
Buchholz said her mural is one of the ways she plans on giving back to the community and the people who supported her.
To connect with Cynthia Buchholz and explore more of her artwork, visit her website at https://bittersweetbqc.com/. Stay updated on her latest projects and collaborations by following Buchholz on Instagram and Facebook @bittersweetbarnquiltcompany.
