Newsletter

Communities In Schools of Spokane County Newsletter Volume I, Issue 3  Summer 2009      Dear Friends, It has been a busy few months since we last sent a newsletter.  I encourage you to read below to find out the latest news from Communities In Schools! Attend the Spokane Indians game on August 26th.  If you bring school supplies to donate to Communities In Schools you receive $1 off your game ticket.  A great way to support students and see a baseball game!  More information!     Three Summer Programs Sizzle!  July sizzled inside and out for over 140 middle school students, many of whom have challenges around school success.  Communities In Schools of Spokane County, in partnership with Glover, Cheney, and Chase Middle Schools, offered quality summer programming at no cost to families.  Incoming sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders participated for up to 4 weeks.  Their 6-hour days were divided into morning studies (Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies) and afternoon enrichment.  All were well fed with free breakfast and lunch.  Transportation barriers were removed in Spokane when we arranged school bus transport to and from each site. Our community partners enriched the afternoons with a wide range of exciting and fun classes.  Students at Glover and Chase added some delicious recipes to their personal cookbooks, learned how to “leave no trace” by working with REI staff, created colorful artwork, and even constructed computers.  Thanks to Food Sense, REI, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Spokane Public Schools’ Tech Connections, and more tremendous youth serving partners! Each student averaged 15 days of attendance for 6 hours.  Students were thrilled to visit local college and university campuses to see what high school graduation can bring.  Dedicated and creative teaching teams integrated the students’ academic focus into real-world applications on field trips to Fish Lake and Carver Farm, to name a few.   Communities In Schools of Spokane County was able to provide these outstanding, free services because of generous donations from community partners like you.  We encourage you to provide for future summer programming by donating now.  Thanks for investing in our collective future!

Volunteers Add Value

Over 50 community leaders volunteered to share their career and personal success tips with students in AVID at NC High School in 2008-2009.  This is a great partnership that CIS hopes to continue. At the middle schools, community and business volunteers also shared their vocational passions with students and encouraged each student to set the obtainable goal of graduating from high school.  Look for more news in the coming school year about how new career infusion strategies are being integrated into each middle school. Another unique volunteer role made a difference for middle and high school students.  We initiated site-based mentor programs at two schools, which produced an upturn in attitudes and grades.  Fifteen mentors made a difference in the classroom or in afterschool programs when they demonstrated that caring adults can be serious advocates and resources for the students.    Family engagement volunteer opportunities will be available at the elementary and middle school levels this fall, winter, and spring.  Let us know if you would like to help once, or once a week!  Just email ben@cisspokane.org or sherry@cisspokane.org.   Keep in constant touch with volunteer opportunities on our website at volunteer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Save the date: October 22nd, Second Annual Fundraiser 

  On October 22, 2009 Communities In Schools invites you to enjoy our Second Annual Fundraiser.  The theme this year is a “Mask your Aid” Ball.  We will provide the Masks and you provide the Aid!  Last year over 180 community members gathered to hear Mayor Verner, ESD101 Superintendent, Mike Dunn, and Costco VP,  Art Jackson, endorse the value of Communities In Schools’ work in Spokane County. 

 

This year,  join us for jazz , appetizers, wine, a silent and live auction, and a look at back at our first year in the schools.  To learn more about attending, sponsoring a table, or becoming a gold or silver sponsor, please visit our event page.  We look forward to seeing you again at the beautiful Lincoln Center from 6:00 to 8:00 pm!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School starts in the next few weeks – we can’t wait to get involved in doing what we do best – connecting targeted resources for students and families just where they need them – in the schools!  We value all of the staff, teachers, and volunteers at Glover, Chase, and Cheney Middle Schools.   Many thanks to all for an extraordinary effort in getting positive results for at-risk students and keeping them in school!
 
Let us know if you would like to have one of us present about Communities In Schools to your group.  We’re excited to share our success in Spokane County!   
Please pass this newsletter on to anyone who might be interested in our work and enjoy the rest of your summer!
 
Sincerely,
 

Ben Stuckart
Communities In Schools of Spokane County

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CIS Works! 2008-2009 Results

Communities In Schools is unique in many ways.  We believe that schools cannot do it alone so we put a paid coordinator on-site at selected schools.  We believe that each child is unique so we broker in numerous community resources to meet the specific needs of each child.  We believe that CIS is not the answer, we are a collaborative effort that brokers existing resources instead of recreating what others are already doing well.  To see a list of our partners go here.   But most importantly we are unique because what we do work’s and we can prove it.  We track children to make sure we are getting them the right services at the right time.  During the 2008-2009 school year we tracked 256 children.  98% of these children were promoted to the next grade.  35 students were referred to Communities In Schools for behavioral issues, of these 69% improved their behavior.  27 students were referred for attendance issues, 63% of them improved their attendance.  194 students were referred for academic concerns,  72% of these students improved or maintained their academic performance.    Communities In Schools connects needed community resources to the schools so students can successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life. IT WORKS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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