The Budget will be covering Yellow Ribbon suicide prevention training in the fourth print issue, which comes out on Dec. 10.

We’d like to get more voices from the LHS community to add to the conversation about suicide prevention. We are inviting students and staff to contribute by sharing a message encouraging someone who has been affected by suicide. Participation is voluntary and notes should remain unsigned.

From today until Wednesday at 1 p.m., there will be boxes in the library and in room 139 labeled “Yellow Ribbon suicide prevention notes” where the messages should be dropped off. The notes will be scanned and put into a slideshow for our website.

On Wednesday after school on the soccer field, we invite students and staff to a balloon release, where the notes will be tied to yellow balloons and released into the air.

We decided to do a balloon release because yellow balloons are a recurring symbol in the Yellow Ribbon training, which 20 LHS students attended on Nov. 25. The program uses the balloons as a symbol for the program because they represent a memorial to a teen whose suicide led his parents to start the training.

We appreciate your help in spreading the word about suicide prevention. If you are concerned about a friend or yourself, contact LHS Student Services or Headquarters mental health services at (785) 841-2345.