CIS of Wake County -Student learning continues during summer

Student learning continues during summer

Sunday, June 29, 2008 | 3:49 PM

By Barbara Gibbs

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) – Even though school is out, many Wake County children are spending their days in Communities in Schools Learning Center, taking part in their summer programs.

Communities in Schools is built on the idea that if companies and their employees get involved in education, it can make a real difference in the lives of many children.

In the shadow of Downtown Raleigh sits the Skanska Learning Center at Heritage Park. Every day after school, dozens of students go to the center to get some extra help.

Koray Ozgenc, senior project manager for Skanska, is one of those people giving the help the children need. “We build, we build buildings and we build communities and part of our company culture we like and we want to be involved as part of the communities.”

Ozgenc is one of many Skanska employees who make time to help students with their homework and get a better grip on challenging subjects. “They are very smart and it’s fun to be here. You’re amazed by how much and how fast they learn,” he said.

Alshanice Toney is one of the students who benefits from meeting the volunteers at the learning center. Alshanice says she dreams of going to college and getting her master’s degree in education so one day she can give back to the community.

“I like helping people,” the eight-grader said, “and I think they’re contributing to my needs. Most people need this extra push and I need it because the EOG’s are coming up and I need help.”

Skanska’s involvement goes a lot deeper. In the summer of 2007 the company and its sub-contractors gave the learning center a complete makeover. Ozgenc says being in a new and clean environment means a lot to the children who come here every day. “It’s part of giving and in return we see the improvement and we are in the community and we feel it is our duty to give back to the community.

CIS of Lexington/Davidson – Camp allows children to explore their artistic sides

June 27. 2008 9:00AM

 

Camp allows children to explore their artistic sides  

 See the video of this story - http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1632702440/bctid1631200307

 

  

Guitar teacher Billie Feather helps students Anya Aranda (left) and Alexis Reep learn to play Thursday during the CIS Arts Discovery Camp held at Welcome Elementary School.  Donnie Roberts/The Dispatch

 

BY JILL DOSS-RAINES 
The Dispatch

 

 

WELCOME | Eight-year-old Nathan Fulk’s parents are sure to hear one question from their son when he completes Arts Discovery Camp on Friday – “Can I take guitar and piano lessons?”

A reserved boy when talking to adults, Nathan’s love of playing the guitar and piano has been set afire at the camp at Welcome Elementary School, which is a joint venture between Grace Episcopal Church and Communities in Schools for Lexington/Davidson County. CIS provides mentors for students through its Lunch Buddy programs at 15 elementary, middle and high schools in the Lexington City and Davidson Countyschool systems.

“I want to learn to play the piano and guitar,” said Nathan, one of 29 participants in the camp.

Other financial supporters of the camp are the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, Arts United for Davidson County, the local and district Rotary and the Charity League of Lexington. A second weeklong camp is set for July 28-Aug. 1 at Grace Episcopal Church.

This is the third year Arts Discovery Camp has been offered to CIS students and other rising third-, fourth- and fifth-graders in the community. Organizers opened up the Welcome school camp enrollment to Churchland and Hasty Elementary schools students this year but didn’t have any participants enroll.

The camp began at the suggestion of the Rev. Bonnie Duckworth of Grace Episcopal. She asked the Communities in Faith members – an offshoot of CIS involving county churches – to get behind the idea of offering an arts camp to students who might not be exposed to it otherwise.

“My passion is music,” she said. “That’s my background. It feeds the soul, and we are offering it at a time when many schools are not.”

All student participants take part in an art class, which this year explored clay modeling. Then each child chooses two of the following classes to take – piano, violin, guitar, drama and dance. All classes are taught by professionals in the respective fields. 

 

 

 

 

  

Communities in Schools student Isaac Frazier (right) and Nathan Fulk (center) play a piano piece with the accompaniment of teacher Connie Burleson (left).

In addition, other professionals from the art fields visit the camp to share their crafts with the students. This week the students have heard from Frank Ray of Full Moon Pottery,Lexington Youth Theatre young thespians, artist Dempsey Essick and musician Ken Davis. On Friday, The Healing Force will perform and lead a drum circle for the children.

The faculty will identify some of the CIS participants to receive arts scholarships to continue studying a specific arts field, such as guitar or violin, with a teacher during the school year, Duckworth said.

Nine-year-old Faith Gower said she has really enjoyed the art classes this week.

“Most of what I like about it is working with the clay,” she said. “I made a cat, and I made a little pot. It’s messy, and you can do all kinds of things with it.”

Isaac Frazier, also 9, loved working with clay in art class, too.

“I like it because if you mess up, you can do it over again,” he added.

Duckworth said she hopes to grow the camp’s outreach this fall by beginning an Arts Academy at Grace Episcopal Church. Classes in painting, sculpture, guitar, piano and organ, violin and more will be offered to CIS students and children and adults from the community. To learn more or register for the classes, call Duckworth at 249-7211.

Graduation Day a Major Accomplishment for Some Students

by Linda Harrill

President of CISNC

 

Blue ribbons, certificates of perfect attendance, soccer trophies, cheerleading awards, honor roles and big scholarships are among the things many graduating seniors and their parents celebrate on graduation day.  These are the students who get recognized for their outstanding achievement and accomplishments throughout their twelve years of schooling – their future is bright and promising.

 

Then there are those students who have been neglected, abused, disregarded, bullied and/or humiliated because they are different or come from different surroundings.  They are unable to participate in after-school activities because they may work to help put food on the table or they may have to go home in order to care for younger siblings.  For some, after-school activities are out of the question because they have no way to get home when the activity has concluded.  What’s more, a number of students in our communities are homeless – they work just to have a place to live.  Others are teen parents who are already supporting a family, and trying to balance work, school and some semblance of a home life. 

 

Many of these students have made poor choices, no doubt.  Fortunately, they recognized that they were heading down the wrong path before it was too late.  As a result of their own determination and hard work, and perhaps because of the support of a caring adult – a teacher, a volunteer, a relative, neighbor or religious leader – they are also graduating.  For these graduates the road has been long and challenging.  They may not win any of the awards or get much recognition when their names are called.  It is also unlikely that they will have or attend a graduation party or leave for a trip to the beach.  In all likelihood, they will simply return to their jobs and their day-to-day lives.

 

While this may not seem like much of a life-changing achievement, nothing could be further from the truth.  The fact that they stayed in school and graduated is good news.  In spite of the many obstacles they had to overcome – a dysfunctional home life, an after-school job, the lure of a gang life, or the responsibility of a child – they persevered.  They have prevailed over every problem thrown at them, many of which might have derailed some of us adults.  As a result, these are graduates we should all want to hire because they have revealed an astonishing resolve to achieve something that did not come easy. They have accomplished something that 30 percent of their freshman class did not achieve.  They graduated from high school and, consequently, they have a ticket to a future, unlike those who chose to drop out. 

 

Reach out to them.  Let them know how proud you are that they stayed the course.  They still need your help.  Most of them cannot afford to go to college or on to post-secondary training without some financial support.   They not only need scholarships for tuition, they need a way to actually get to their college of choice and pay for food, clothing and shelter.  If they are going to college in your hometown, give them a job or a paying internship.  Be a mentor to one or more of these graduates and teach them what someone taught you many years ago. Give them opportunities to continue to learn and gain new skills.  They have shown the motivation and desire to carry on.  Honor them for their recent accomplishment by helping them get where they want to go.  You will be proud that you did.

 

CIS of Rowan County gets grant of 10,000 books

Communities in Schools gets grant of 10,000 books

Thursday, June 19, 2008 11:42 PM

By Sarah Nagem

snagem@salisburypost.com

Students at some Rowan County schools won’t have an excuse for not reading a book this summer.

First Book, a nonprofit group that gives reading material to children of low-income families, has awarded the local office of Communities in Schools with a grant of 10,000 books.

Communities in Schools applied for the grant months ago, said Vicky Slusser, executive director of the program.

The local nonprofit organization will distribute the books among Elizabeth Koontz, Hanford Dole, Overton and North Rowan elementary schools and Knox and North Rowan middle schools.

“What we were planning to do was give each kid a book on the last day of school,” Slusser said.

A delay pushed it back, though. Now, Slusser wants to give out books on Aug. 23 during the group’s annual school supplies giveaway.

In the past, Communities in Schools had held the giveaway at St. John’s Lutheran Church in downtown Salisbury, and Slusser hopes to return to St. John’s this year.

Educators agree students need to read during school breaks, Slusser said.

“Kids lose a lot during the summer,” she said.

But some students don’t have books at home, and a sagging economy might make it harder on parents to buy books.

“I think people are going to weigh: ‘Do we need that $2.50 golden book, or do we put a half-gallon of gas in the tank?’ ” Slusser said.

Last year, Communities in Schools provided supplies to 357 students.

If books are left over after the Aug. 23 giveaway, Communities in Schools staff members will distribute them at the schools when classes resume.

CIS of Asheville/Buncombe Co. – Salsa Dance Lessons

Here is a great link from the Asheville Citizen Times about a program by Children First/CIS of Asheville/Buncombe Co. that links the Latin and American communties.  The pictures are amazing!

 Salsa Dance Lessons

Transylvania schools get $27,000 in new books

Before the close of school, library-media specialists in Transylvania County’s elementary and middle schools received $27,000 worth of new books earmarked for distribution to students. Titles varied by the ages of the students for whom they were intended. Middle school titles included Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean, Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, Anacaona by Edwidge Danticat, and Book Without Words by Avi.

First Book, a nonprofit organization that seeks to bring books into the hands of children-especially those from low-income families, and Communities in Schools of North Carolina have a long-standing partnership to provide these books to schools for distribution to students. Their only rule is that the books must be given to students at no charge. Transylvania County received enough books to give every elementary and middle grade student one book each.

The program also sponsored Miss North Carolina’s visit to Rosman Middle and Rosman High schools last February. At that time she promoted the value of reading in her talk with students and presented each of these schools’ libraries with a number of age-appropriate titles.

Brevard Middle School library-media specialist Kristy Bryson staged a party at which the highlight was the book give-away. She served snacks and also provided students with a handout listing safe sites for students who are interested in publishing their creative writing. Most students who took part in the free book distribution had also participated in the first annual BMS Creative Writing Contest earlier this school year.

Published Wednesday, June 18, 2008

BlueRidgeNow.com

2008 North Carolina Education Ball

Business, Civic and Community Leaders Honored for Their Support to Education

 

Complete with beads and masks, business, education and community leaders from across the state gathered for the Mardi Gras-themed North Carolina Education Ball in Raleigh on Saturday, June 7. The sixth annual Education Ball, which supports the work of the Communities In Schools (CIS) network across North Carolina, was held at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts. Top business leaders and educators gathered to support the vital work of this non-profit dropout-prevention organization in our state.

 

In addition to the Mardi Gras-themed performances featuring Broadway veterans and student talent, the evening honored the winners of this year’s H. Glenn Williams Power of One Award. The award was created to celebrate the impact one person, one company, or one organization can have on education and the community.

 

This year’s winners included: Anne Laukaitis of Cabarrus County, Kathleen Byron of Moore County and IBM.

 

Anne Laukaitis has been making a difference in the lives of children in Cabarrus County for more than 30 years. She has been a teacher, a director of a Charlotte-based center for children with physical disabilities, a supervisor of a child-abuse-and-neglect agency covering 47 western NC counties, chair of the community Child Protection Team and a board member of various child-centered agencies. Anne has been involved with Communities in Schools of Cabarrus Country since 1991 when she was asked to become a member of the founding board. During her time with Communities In Schools she has served as an energetic and devoted director of the organization. She has served as the chair since 1998, and has been vital to the success of CIS of Cabarrus County.

 

Kathleen Byron is a long-time volunteer for children in Moore County. In the past 9 months alone, Kathy has exceeded 1,000 hours working with the teachers and students of Aberdeen Elementary School designing, planting and growing an organic, user-friendly vegetable garden. Kathy’s enthusiasm and love for children has been making a difference in the lives of many Moore County residents through her volunteer work in the Moore County Regional Hospital Auxiliary, as a Community In Schools of Moore County board member and through her volunteer work with many other charitable organizations.

 

IBM has a deep and long history of commitment to improving education and the lives of children in North Carolina through the use of technology and its volunteer efforts in our state. IBM is committed to the fundamental belief that people of every ethnic, social and economic background must be given the utmost opportunity for success through education and technology. IBM believes that incorporating technology into classrooms with first-rate instruction is essential to improving education and the relevance it has to the global marketplace. IBM’s educational programs such as KidSmart Early Learning, Reading Companion Grants, TryScience, MentorPlace, E.X.I.T.E and IGNITE camps are changing the lives of North Carolina’s children by bringing rigor, relevance and relationships to the State’s public schools.

 

In addition, CIS of North Carolina presented this year’s Graeme Keith Student Leadership Award to Jessica Simpson, a student at the Performance Learning Center (PLC) of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools. During her two years at the Center, Jessica has exemplified hard work and determination through the completion of her college preparatory work. Jessica currently serves as a member of the CIS leadership team, vice president of the Spanish Club, creator and organizer of the PLC Literacy Pioneers, member of the Kids Voting Campaign and this year she is the student body president. Jessica will attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the fall. She plans to graduate with a double major in political science and communications with a minor in Spanish.

 

 

Ryan Wuerch, Chairman and CEO of Motricity, and his wife, Shawntel, served as this year’s North Carolina Education Ball Chairs. John Clark and Barbara Gibbs of WTVD-ABC11 were the emcees.

 

 

Thanks to everyone who made this a special night and supporting CIS.

 

Please view the slideshow here - 2008 North Carolina Education Ball

 

Welcome to CISNC’s Blog

CISNC would like to thank each of you for stopping by and visiting our new blog. We look forward to using this blog to update the great State of North Carolina on issues facing our children and the hard work our local affiliates are doing. Please check back regularly and we welcome your participation with comments. Please also visit our website to learn more about Communities In Schools of North Carolina at http://www.cisnc.org and how you can make a difference in the life of a child today!