Parent Liaison
Connecting families to community resources and supporting parent-teacher collaboration.
a Parent Liaison Can Help
Have a question about the school or your child’s academics?
Resources
Wondering about activities or resources that are available?
Need help finding childcare?
Need to connect with Department for Health and Human Services for a Bridge card, insurance, or other supports?
Insecurity
We help ensure stability and support for students and families without a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
Health
Need help connecting with a counselor, psychologist, or other mental health professional?
Meet Us
Beth Morey
Beth is in her fourth year as a Parent Liaison for Jenison Public Schools. Prior to this, Beth spent 11 years as a speech pathologist in Grand Rapids and 12 years as an SLP with Jenison’s ASD program. Beth graduated from Western Michigan University with a major in Speech Pathology and minors in Spanish and Elementary Education. She received her M.A. in Speech Pathology from Eastern Michigan University. In her spare time, Beth loves spending time with her family, boating, and reading. Beth provides support to Bursley, Rosewood, and the High School.
Mary Veldink
Mary has been a Parent Liaison for Jenison Public Schools for six years. Prior to being a Parent Liaison, Mary spent 25 years teaching third grade. Mary graduated from Hope College with a degree in elementary and special education. Her Master’s Degree is from Cleveland State University where she focused on Early Childhood Special Education. Mary loves spending time with her family and friends, traveling, reading, and playing pickleball.
Mary provides support to Pinewood, Sandy Hill, and the Junior High.
Kris Faber
Kris is starting her first year as a Parent Liaison for Jenison Public Schools. Prior to being a Parent Liaison, Kris spent 25 years as a school social worker for JPS. Kris graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Psychology. Her Masters in Social Work Degree is from the University of Michigan where she focused on interpersonal practice and community organizing. Kris loves spending time with her family and friends, experiencing live music, and baking. Kris provides support to El Puente, the ECC, Bauerwood, and the JIA.
Rachelle Gelder
Rachelle joins the Parent Liaison Team as an administrative assistant after spending 7 years with the Young Life Organization as the YoungLives Coordinator. Rachelle’s supportive skills and an understanding of community needs, as well as her connections to many community resources, make her a great addition to the Parent Liaison Program. In her spare time, Rachelle enjoys spending time with her family, physical fitness, and time in the sunshine.
Opportunities for Families
Things to do THIS WEEK
- LMCU’s Reading Adventure: challenges kids (ages 12 and under) to read five books during March Reading Month for a chance to win $100. Entry forms can be printed out online or picked up at a local LMCU branch. Once each child reads their five books, they can submit their entry form online at LMCU.org/Contests, or drop off their entry form at a local LMCU branch by March 31. A winner will be drawn at each branch by April 14, 2023. To learn more about this contest or to submit an entry, visit LMCU.org/Contests.
- Snow Shoe or Cross Country Ski: Ottawa County Parks and Recreation has you covered. You can rent snow shoe and cross country ski equipment to use at Hemlock Crossing Park and Pigeon creek. Be sure to check their Winter Recreation page for up-to-date details.
- Ice Skating: An outing at Rosa Parks Ice Rink is extra magical under the twinkling holiday lights. Reserve your skating session in advance or walk up and skate. Skating is weather dependent. Adults $4/person (includes skates). Youth (17 and under) $2/person.
- Teen After School Hangout is at the Georgetown Township Public Library from 3:30-5:00 every Tuesday. Just show up to participate! 1525 Baldwin St, Jenison MI 49428
- Cheap Movie Tickets: Love the movie theater AND your budget? Enter T.A.C.O. Tuesday at Celebration Cinema. Score $4 movies all day long on Tuesdays. To get the deal, all you need to do is sign up for Celebration Cinema’s C Rewards program (it’s free).
- For ages 5-10, Kent District Library (KDL) LAB Experience: TheKDL LAB Experience promotes creativity, problem solving skills and unstructured exploration time for school-age children and teens. Carefully selected learning tools and activities are designed to help students increase their proficiency in STEAM disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. Get your questions answers and register at the KDL website.
- Community Give Back Opportunity: Love Your Neighbor is gathering items to put in camp bags for children attending summer camp. Children attending a local camp on scholarship may need some essential items. Please see this flyer for more details on how you can help.
Upcoming Family Activities
- Spring Break Day Camp: Gymnastics unlimited is offering day care/camp during Spring Break. $185 for the week or attend specific days. Check out their website for more information.
- Summer Camp: No matter your child’s age, there is every kind of summer camp available in West Michigan. The Parent Liaison Office has put together this list of local camps. You can find day camps, overnight camps, nearby camps and far away camps. There are camps for art, sports, animals, STEM, and good old fashioned play camps. GR Kids has a great list of area camps here. Most camps also offer scholarship opportunities!
- Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra Tickets: The Orchestra is a great outing for all families. Any client active on a DHHS assistance program can qualify for 4 free tickets to the GR Symphony Orchestra. Every concert in the 2022-2023 Season is eligible but tickets are limited and subject to availability. Clients may contacts Christen at korstangec@michigan.gov or their DHHS worker for the code and instructions on how to obtain free tickets.
- GR Moms: Moms of Grand Rapids is a local community organization designed with all mamas (expecting, first time, or well seasoned) in mind. Playgroups, Moms Night Out, and Game Nights are just some of the things you’ll enjoy as a member of this group!
- “Talking is Teaching”: Help Me Grow Ottawa has offered a free “Talking is Teaching” calendar that offers simple daily interactions that can help boost children’s brain and language development, setting them up for success in school and beyond.
- Virtual Relaxation Rooms! The Virtual Relaxation Room is designed to be an interactive experience. They are designed to help you decompress, refocus, and reduce stress. Click here for easy access to some favorite rooms!
- Georgetown Public Library: Our local public library has a great variety of activities for youth that can be found on their website and in their monthly youth newsletter.
- Kids Eat Free: There are still a few places where kids can eat FREE (or at least discounted) around GR. You’ll have the most weekend options if you dine out on Sunday!
Educational Opportunities
- Suicide Awareness and Prevention for Caregivers and Communities: TRAILS invites you to attend a free presentation: Suicide Awareness and Prevention for Caregivers and Communities on Tuesday, March 21, from 4:00-5:15pm (Eastern) via Zoom. Space is limited to the first 500 registrants. See this flyer for more information and click here to register!
Preparing for Your Child’s IEP: Setting the Stage for a meaningful and successful IEP meeting. Virtually, Wednesday, March 15th Noon—1:00pm. Ottawa Area ISD Director of Special Education Accountability & Technical Assistance, Jessica Woodard-Robbert, will join us to share her knowledge and passion for empowering parents & caregivers to actively participate in creating their child’s IEP. See the flyer to learn what it will cover, how it will help you, and to register.
Community Empowerment Series: Wednesday, March 22nd, at the Momentum Center in Holland from 5:30pm-7pm. This first installment will be hearing from local attorneys and service providers to hear about your rights when it comes to reporting a crime, understanding Miranda rights, getting pulled over, and responding to allegations of child abuse or neglect.Registration is required for this event and information on how to register is found in the flyer.
- Thriving Family: OSAP knowsit takes effort to establish and maintain a healthy family life. Watch as these different West Michigan families talk about and demonstrate what they do to help their family thrive, the struggles they experience as parents or grandparents, and what you can do within your family. This website also describes what it means to thrive as a family. It also has a series of resources that are available to help parents learn these skills and connect with their youth.
- Parental controls on iPhone/iPad: Knowing how to put boundaries on our kid’s devices can be challenging. This video gives step by step instructions on how to do it as well as how to have conversations with your kids about what is appearing on their screens. For further help, you. may find this video or these written instructions helpful.
- Teen Substance Abuse Education: Today, youth can easily conceal vapes, alcohol, and other substances with everyday, ordinary objects.Tour through a teen’s room staged with 44 different concealment containers, vape pens, and other indicators of youth substance use. Brought to you by Arbor Circle.
- Play and Learn GRCC: If you are a parent or caregiver of a child birth to 5 years old, join this free, weekly, 90-minute program to learn about child development, early reading strategies and positive discipline. While you play with your children, you’ll get great ideas of things you can do to prepare them for success. The curriculum for the Play & Learn Groups is aligned with Michigan Department of Education expectations for kindergarten readiness. Receive free a book when you attend! See all the details here.
- Be Better Holland is offering the following free opportunities in March:
Adult S.E.N. Group: Support*Educate*Navigate Group is held virtually every Friday at 12 noon. The topics depend on the week and are stand alone. These topics will guide the discussions. Please click on Groups Schedule for week-by-week general topics
Young Adults 18-24 Life S.H.A.R.E: Support*Health and wellness*Addressing life’s challenges*Relationships* Engaging in life Young Adult Group is held virtually every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm. They are facilitator led and a place to connect with others and talk about relationships, mental health wellness, life goals, and life challenges. See here for details.
Teens 13-17 Life S.H.A.R.E:
Support*Health and wellness*Addressing life’s challenges*Relationships*
Engaging in life Teens
Group is held virtually every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm. They are facilitator led and a place to connect with others and talk about relationships, mental health wellness, life goals, and life challenges. Click here for the details
- Divorce Care for Kids (DC4K): Divorce Care for Kids is a special group created to help children ages 5-12 heal from the pain caused by the separation or divorce of their parents. FREE PIZZA PROVIDED! The class meets at Fairhaven Church on Mondays from now through March 27 from 6:30-8:30pm in the 100 wing. Parents can register their children for the class here. Parents that are interested in Divorce Care (a support group/class for adults that runs at the same time as DC4K)can find more information and registration here.
- Ottawa Food’s Community Listening Sessions: These sessions are a space to share lived experiences, challenges, and insights on food assistant programs in Ottawa County. These sessions are a great way to guide local programming and generate opportunities for those with lived experiences to lead and advocate. Participants receive a $25 gift card! Learn how to sign up here.
- FREE Parenting Skills Education Classes: Arbor circle is offering the following FREE classes. Please click on each one of the following for more information.
- Nurturing Parenting Program: FREE Virtual 10-week series in April and June for parents and caregivers! Classes will cover topics including discipline, communication, child development, and problem-solving. This fun and informative class is for parents & caregivers with kids of any age! Classes are held virtually on Tuesday Evenings and Wednesday Afternoons.
- Just for Dads: FREE Virtual 12-week series, March-May, just for dads! The group will follow the 24/7 DADS curriculum created by the National Fatherhood Initiative and will explore issues of fatherhood including: anger management, discipline, nurturing, and role modeling. Each virtual session is 90 minutes and will be held on Tuesday Evenings. See this flyer for more information.
- Strengthening Families: 10-14 Program (in person) Monday evenings, April – May. Being a parent or caregiver can be hard. Being a 10-14-year-old can be hard. Join us for a FREE 7-week program where we will work with your family to strengthen your relationships with a variety of skills & tools. Childcare is FREE for children under 10. See this flyer for more information.
- Mental Health Videos: Ottawa Substance Use Prevention Coalition created three to five-minute videos to help youth practice positive mental health skills. Anyone can use these videos in individual or group settings. If you’re a teenager, feel free to watch these on your own. Middle School Videos / High School Videos. Videos are also available for Adult positive mental health skills.
- FREE Support Groups: Resilience of Michigan, Advocates for Ending Violence is offering support groups for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. See the details here.
- Sibshops: peer support groups that offer a safe and engaging space for siblings to learn, have fun, meet and be supported by other children who understand what it’s like to have a sibling with special needs. Click here for more information on having your child participate in Sibshops in Ottawa county. Or, Click here for more information on having your child participate in Sibshops in Grand Rapids.
- Online infant car seat safety classes: Spectrum Health offers this FREE class online monthly. This class is for anyone who is expecting, going to be grandparents, nannies, whomever may put baby in a carseat. This is a great class to be educated on car seat safety and more. Sign up online through SHZCH classes Childbirth and Parenting Classes | Zeeland Community Hospital | Spectrum Health
- Mental Health Support Groups: Be Better in Holland is here to provide guidance, support, and education to the individual and their network. Free support groups are happening now. Learn more here.
- Parent Education Videos: In 2021, Ottawa County Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP) launched a new Parent Education SHORT Video series. Several West Michigan parents self-recorded their parenting experiences or conversations with their teens about topics linked to substance use, mental health, and more. These candid recordings give insight into how parents can engage teens in necessary conversations that may feel uncomfortable to start or other helpful parenting advice. OSAP will release a short video each week on its YouTube Channel. Click here to watch the first video of the new Parent Education Video Series. From there you will be able to see the others or subscribe for future videos.
- GVSU K-12 Connect: Offering free tutoring services and homework help to students in grades K-12. See the link for more information and to sign up.
- Early Childhood: The Jenison Early Childhood Center (ECC) has a new facebook page! Check out the Facebook link for everything going on in early childhood!
- Depression / Bipolar /Anxiety Support: Fairhaven church in Jenison is offering a free DBSA support group on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. See this flyer for more information.
Community Resources
- Free Dental Services: The Miles of Smiles Dental Bus is coming to serve Jenison Public Schools. Free dental service will be provided by Ottawa County to JPS students who qualify. Registration is open now. Please see this flyer for all of the details and how to register.
- Your Child’s Development: Did you know you can do the Ages and Stages Development Questionnaire (ASQ) when your infant is as young as 1 month old and up to 60 months? This tool is FREE on the Help Me Grow Ottawa page! Check on your child’s development and milestones throughout their growing up for school readiness.
- Become a Mentor: Are you someone who knows how to guide a conversation, connect with a stranger, strengthen skillsets…? Love Your Neighbor has a Life Skills Program that is the perfect place to hone in on your God-given talents. Become a mentor, see transformation, provide guidance to someone during their season of struggle. If you visualize yourself being a mentor, please reach out to Wendy at Wendyd@lovewm.org to learn more!
Car Seat Safety Check Events: All car seat inspections are free. A limited number of low-cost replacement car seats are available at all locations, for those who qualify. Children who need a replacement seat must be present with a parent or legal guardian. This flyer has all the date and locations.
- Community Emergency Resources: Jenison Public School Parent Liaison Office is glad to offer our community an easily accessible flier that gives information for emergency resources in our area.
- February Mobile Food Pantry Schedule
- The Emergency Food Assistance Program: TEFAP will distribute USDA commodities to households in Ottawa County in December. Distribution will take place at the these sites, dates and times.
- Love Your Neighbor Resale Shop: This community partner offers so many things to our community and one of them is their resale shop. Check out the weekly sales on their website!
- Free COVID tests: MDHHS is announcing its expanded partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation through Project Act to provide 180,000 COVID-19 tests to 36,000 households. All households in the state of Michigan can order their free COVID-19 tests through AccessCovidTests.org. Each household will receive one kit with five tests, typically within a week of ordering. Individuals without internet access can contact 211 for assistance ordering tests.
- Good and Cheap Cookbook: Ottawa Food has provided the Eat Well on $4/day Good and Clean cookbook by Leanna Brown for free! It can be accessed for online at https://books.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf. Ottawa County DHHS also has some of these available in their lobby for anyone interested.
- Food Distribution: Check out this Infographic from Ottawa County Community Action Agency explaining our food assistance programs and how to sign up.
- Free or low cost Broadband Service: The ACP provides up to $30 per month, making many internet plans FREE. The program also provides a one-time discount of $100 for a laptop or tablet. Families that receive free and reduced school lunch; WIC or SNAP benefits; or are enrolled in other programs like Medicaid, Head Start, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) qualify. Apply Here for affordableconnectivity.gov
- Hearing and Vision Screening: The Ottawa County Health Department is offering free vision and hearing screenings for children ages 3-5 years of age. Please see the flyer to sign up!
- Free College: Michigan residents 25 and older who don’t have a college degree can now apply for funding to cover community college tuition costs or skilled trades training scholarships. Click here for more information or to apply.
- Work with an employment coach: through Michigan Works to improve your skills and find a job. All information is on this flyer.
- Looking to Build Resource and Learn New Skills? Families in Hudsonville, Jenison, and Grandville can connect to community and resources at Love Your Neighbor. For families in Holland or Zeeland, Doors of Hope offers practical life skills (financial literacy, parenting, healthy relationships).
- Community Action House Food Club is now open! Please see this video for more information. They are located at: 739 Paw Paw Dr. Holland MI 49423 Food Club FAQs
- Ending Domestic Violence: Resilience offers resources for helping to end domestic violence. Check out the website to get connected or call the 24 Hour Help Line at 1-800-848-5991 for free and confidential support for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
- The Fresh Guide to EBT answers all of your questions related to food stamps in Michigan. And best of all, the Fresh EBT app for I-phone and Android helps you keep track of all of your EBT information right on your phone