October 12, 2026 · Issue 1 · Columbus Day
Hello, Village!
Welcome to the very first issue of The Village Post — landing in your inbox on Columbus Day: a little place for curious kids, caring grown-ups, creative neighbors, and the kind of ideas that may require extra tape. Whether today is a day off or a day on, there's something in here for your family. You already belong here. Let's make something wonderful together.
A word from Dom
Your Resident Resiliency Coach
Hi, Village — Dom here. Before we get to the confetti and the kitchen-table experiments, I want to tell you something I'm proud of: I'm a certified Resiliency Florida resiliency coach. That means I've trained in the skills that help kids bend without breaking — honesty, grit, perseverance, and the rest — and I'm bringing that training straight to our neighborhood through this newsletter.
Each month, we'll take on one resiliency characteristic together, with a fun fact, a real-life example, and one thing your family can try that week. This month: honesty. And if reading this makes you want to coach too, there's a path for that inside — I'd love the company.
Here's to raising kids who tell the truth, try again, and know their village has their back.
— Dom
Save the date
Countdown Confetti
68 DAYS TO GO!
Mission 001 is close enough to circle in glitter pen. Oakleaf STEM Discovery Day—Super STEM Saturday—is a free, hands-on day for Clay County's K–5 kids and their families.
- Saturday, December 19, 2026
- 10 AM–1 PM
- Clay County, Florida
- Free • Approximately 50 seats • Grades K–5 plus families
Curious minds have crews.
Take the "Which Crew Are You?" quiz on the homepage and find the crew where your curiosity feels most at home: Nova (Science), Circuit (Technology), Forge (Engineering), Prism (Arts), or Compass (Mathematics). Kids may join more than one crew if their schedule allows—because some brains simply refuse to choose one favorite kind of awesome.
Where learning takes the stage
The Village Ovation
The first Village Showcase has not happened yet—the stage is still being built. For now, The Village Ovation is our place to imagine what could step into the spotlight: a dance, a song, a poem, a tiny science spectacle, a clever invention, or an act nobody has dreamed up yet.
Families, start dreaming together. What would your child love to share with the village? No polished plan is needed yet. Curiosity gets the first bow.
Try this at home
Kitchen Table Curiosity
THE 10-MINUTE BRIDGE
Can paper become strong enough to carry a tiny passenger? Grab paper, tape, two books, and a toy car—or a spoon if every toy car has mysteriously rolled under the couch.
The curious part: Which shape holds more—flat paper, a folded fan, a tube, or something entirely your own? Change one thing, test again, and notice what happens.
Built something brilliant—or brilliantly wobbly? Send a photo to youbelong@thestemnetwork.org. We cheer for both.
Teacher battle of the grades
High Five of the Week
Teachers are competitive in the sweetest way—especially when their grade level gets bragging rights. High Five of the Week turns educator appreciation into the kind of cheerful scoreboard people will whisper about in the copy room.
There are no nominations yet, which means the very first high five is wide open.
- Nominate a Clay County educator who deserves a high five.
- Every nomination adds one point to that educator's grade level.
- Each issue names the winning grade—and the bragging rights are glorious.
Nominate a Clay County educator here — choose "Licensed Clay County Teacher" as the nominee type and tell us their grade level so the point lands on the right scoreboard.
Resiliency Florida · Character of the month
The Resiliency Corner
Each month, The Village Post spotlights one of Florida's official resiliency characteristics — the same skills Dom coaches as a Resiliency Florida resiliency coach. October's characteristic is HONESTY: telling the truth.
Fun fact: Telling the truth is your brain's easy mode — no story to keep straight, no details to memorize, nothing to hide. Honesty is literally less work.
Try it in daily life: You accidentally broke your sister's favorite crayon. Honesty sounds like: "I broke it. I'm sorry — can I help fix it?" instead of hiding the pieces. The truth might feel wobbly for a minute, but it always lands softer than a cover-up.
Family game of the week — Two Truths and a Tale: At dinner, each person shares two true things and one made-up thing about their day. Everyone else guesses which one is the tale. It's silly, it's loud, and it trains everyone's truth-detector.
What is resiliency coaching? Resiliency Coaches are trained, trusted volunteers who serve as a first layer of support for children — helping kids build the skills to face everyday challenges, from improving a grade to bouncing back after a hard day. Coaches complete an online training plus a 4-hour volunteer practicum, and Florida offers a $150 stipend on completion.
Get involved: Want to become a Resiliency Coach? Apply through the OneClay website here and list Domanisha Hicks or The STEM Network as your referral — or just write to Dom at youbelong@thestemnetwork.org and she'll walk you through it. Educators: there's also a Resiliency Educator endorsement — same referral applies.
Resiliency Shout-Outs: Each month we'll celebrate Clay County students caught showing the characteristic of the month. There are no winners yet — which means the first shout-out is wide open. Teachers and families: nominate a student who showed honesty this month at youbelong@thestemnetwork.org.
Keeping the village safe
Village Heroes
Village Heroes is our recurring thank-you to the people whose steady work helps children and families feel safer. Our first honor belongs to the Clay County Sheriff's Office and its Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.
From July 15–18, 2026, Operation Firewall brought CCSO together with law-enforcement partners for a four-day undercover effort focused on people accused of targeting children online. The operation led to 12 arrests; when the results were announced, two additional suspects were still under investigation.
To every investigator, analyst, deputy, partner, and support professional who carried this difficult work: thank you. Much of child-protection work happens beyond public view, but its purpose reaches every family in the village.
Read the local report (link the article here)
Thank you for believing early
The Big Village Hug
This first thank-you belongs to the first believers: the families saving seats, the volunteers raising their hands, and every neighbor helping this village take shape.
There is no giant list of names yet. There is something better to begin with: a real community forming one yes, one shared post, one offered hand, and one curious kid at a time. Thank you for believing early. We are so glad you are here.
A village grows in small, beautiful ways.
A family saves a seat. A teacher gets a high five. A neighbor shares a box of supplies. A child discovers one more thing they can build, test, perform, or become.
Give useful things a new adventure
The Village Wishlist
Clean out a closet. Fuel a classroom.
Have something useful waiting for its next adventure? The STEM Network is collecting in-kind donations for Mission 001—Super STEM Saturday on December 19—and for the hands-on labs still to come.
- Sewing and costume supplies — including sewing mannequins and dress forms
- STEAM art supplies — including clean fabric rolls
- Build materials — including cardboard boxes and kid-safe supplies
- Science station supplies — for experiments, exploring, and discovery
- Event gear — including tables, chairs, and pop-up tents
Browse the live Facebook Marketplace ad, then message us with what you have. One neighbor's extra can become a child's next big idea.
Real work that matters
Lend a Hand
Got time instead of stuff? The village runs on people. Here are three ways to jump in right now:
- Mission 001 event crew — Saturday, December 19, 10 AM–1 PM. Setup, registration table, station helpers. One shift, one morning, fifty kids who'll remember it.
- Build Again Bin Crew — Help us sort, clean, and pack upcycled materials into the bins kids will invent with. Flexible hours, odd jobs, good company.
- Supply runners — Have a car and an hour? Pick up donated supplies around Oakleaf/32065 and get them to us. The easiest yes on this list.
Raise your hand at youbelong@thestemnetwork.org — tell us which one and we'll put you to work. Volunteers get thanked by name in the next issue. That's a promise.
Heads up — clearance required: All volunteers need an active Level 1 clearance with Clay County, and workshop leaders need Level 2. Start your application here: oneclay.net/volunteer. Get cleared now and you're ready for everything this year.
The village through kids' eyes
Clickity-Clay
The village looks different from four feet tall.
Kids, this one is yours. Show us the Oakleaf and Clay County moments that make you stop, laugh, wonder, or look twice: a grand old oak, a squirrel with serious plans, a cloud shaped like a science experiment, or one wonderfully ordinary corner that feels like home. Parents can help with the camera and the sending—but the eye behind the photo belongs to the child.
The gallery is brand-new, so there is no winner yet. Your child's photo could be the very first Clickity-Clay favorite—show us what caught their eye today.
A closer look at what matters here
The Village Lens
A love letter to Oakleaf Village
Every issue, The Village Lens will pause over something dear to the neighborhood: a person doing beautiful work, a place that holds our memories, or a current story that deserves the community's attention.
For our first look, we begin with Oakleaf Village itself. The oaks hold the light. The squirrels race through their tiny daily dramas. Familiar paths turn errands into hellos, and ordinary corners become part of a child's map of home.
This is the village we call home—not because every day is perfect, but because we keep noticing, caring, and showing up for one another. When children show us what they see, they give the grown-ups a truer picture of what feels joyful, safe, surprising, and worth protecting.
Until next time, Village—
The STEM Network, Inc. | Clay County, Florida | 501(c)(3)
thestemnetwork.org | youbelong@thestemnetwork.org
Local buzz
Here's What's Happening Under The Oaks
Topic of the week: no school Monday! October 12 is a Planning Day — kids are home. Perfect excuse to try the Two Truths and a Tale game from The Resiliency Corner, or start dreaming up your Clickity-Clay photo.
Mark it down:
- Oct 17–18 — Orange Park Fall Festival. 44th annual, 200+ vendors, kids zone, FREE. The county's biggest fall weekend.
- Oct 30 — Tales from the Clink. Student actors perform true-crime history in the 1894 courthouse and old jail. $1 for kids. Spooky, quirky, unforgettable.
- Nov 8 — Clay County Day at the Jacksonville Icemen. District-partnered family night, discounted tickets, kids skate after the game.
Search is on: Local Clay Artist of the Month. We're looking for the first artist to feature — painter, sculptor, photographer, muralist, any medium, any age. Someone whose work makes Clay County more beautiful. Nominate yourself or a neighbor at youbelong@thestemnetwork.org with a photo of the work and a line about the artist. The first winner gets the spotlight in the next issue.
Mark your calendar
Coming Up in the Village
- Every month (the plan!) — The Village Post lands in your inbox with a new resiliency characteristic, a family activity, and village news.
- Every week (also the plan!) — A bite-size Village Post online: one photo, one idea, one reason to smile. Follow along between issues.
- Saturday, December 19, 10 AM–1 PM — Mission 001: Super STEM Saturday. Free hands-on STEM Discovery Day for K–5 kids and families. ~50 seats. Save your family's seat →