Archive for July, 2012


Partners with a Purpose

Filed Under: Families, Programs by Erica Rafferty — Leave a comment
July 31, 2012
Essary with family and lunch

Communities In Schools of East Texas Site Coordinator Nancy Essary (left) with a church volunteer and children receiving lunch.

The First Baptist Church of Diana wanted to help the students of its small community in Diana, Texas. It was 2007, and one of the parishioners was concerned that the students who participated in meal programs during the school year would go hungry over the summer without the same assistance. Knowing they wanted to do something but needing additional help, they called Nancy Essary, who had just finished her first year as site coordinator for Communities In Schools of East Texas and was rumored to help match community resources to student needs.

“Your phone will ring. There is someone on the other end, and the person either is offering something or need something. And either way works well. What this all boils down to is relationships – having a relationship with another organization that wants to help,” said Essary.

Essary coordinated with the New Diana Independent School District (NDISD) to find students’ addresses and phone numbers, and to get parent permission slips signed. This allowed the church to focus on planning the logistics of purchasing, preparing and delivering lunches. Five days a week for nine weeks, starting the first weekday after school let out and ending the last weekday before school started, church and school staff volunteers delivered lunches across Diana.

Since that fateful phone call five years ago, the site coordinator estimates that this joint partnership has served approximately 7,500 lunches to students.

This past summer, about 75 church members and several school administrators from NDISD joined forces to plan and drop off lunches to nearly 25 students of all ages. Oftentimes, delivering those meals means driving miles from the community center, down unpaved roads and to homes that literally are in the middle of nowhere. Many of the children may see no one else but their family and the volunteers for the entire summer.

For Essary, not only does the summer program give students nourishment, but it also serves as a great opportunity to make sure other student needs are met as well.

“The point is that we are bringing another caring adult into their lives,” she said. “They are hearing another positive voice, and that is just a win-win across the board.”

In the past, there was a donor who bought the lunch meat and bread for the summer program. This year, Essary said most of the food was purchased out of pocket by the church volunteers and school staff.

Despite the shortage in funding, the program never has turned a student away. In fact, when volunteers learn that a family may need more than just lunch delivered, the church finds a way to provide groceries or meals on the weekend, too.

To Nancy Essary, this summer lunch program is a living example of Communities In Schools’ mission to surround students with a community of support.

“This is the true heart of Communities In Schools – partnering with these other organizations. It’s always a team effort, and everyone has the same vision and focus of what will help these students achieve their potential.”

Check out some fantastic photos of Nancy Essary and the lunch program!

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What We’re Reading

Filed Under: Research, What We're Reading by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
July 27, 2012

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Photo courtesy NASA.

Chronicle of Philanthropy: A new study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation revealed that in 2010, 15.7 million children in the United States lived below the poverty line. This is a marked increase from the Foundation’s 2005 study of the same subject, and signifies the long-term effects of the 2007-2009  recession.

As people across the country deal with unemployment or underemployment, their children struggle to gain access to the resources they need to succeed. During the 2010-2011 school year, 87 percent of the 1.26 million children Communities In Schools served were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Our site coordinators work around the clock to make sure students get everything they need to survive and thrive, including food, medical care and clothing. We also make sure their emotional needs are met during this stressful time by providing mentors, counselors and more.

Education Week: This week is the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. In connection with the conference, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new statistics about the spread of HIV and AIDS in the United States and their effect on our youth. As of 2009, people ages 15-29 make up 21 percent of the U.S. population; but they account for 39 percent of all new HIV infections. And according to the CDC, while about half of all teens report they are sexually active, only 60 percent of those having sex report using condoms.

The Education Week article offers an enlightening look at how sex education differs in schools across the United States, and asks whether or not promoting abstinence-only programs is what’s best for today’s students.

GOOD: This week we said goodbye to Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Since her historic journey on the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983, Ride has served as a powerful role model for young women with a passion for science, technology, engineering and math. She was a leader in the fight to break down gender barriers and promote the role of women in STEM subjects. Among many speaking engagements and initiatives, in 2001 Ride and other female scientists founded Sally Ride Science, a company dedicated to producing classroom materials and programs for students that promote diversity in the workplace.

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Site Coordinator Snapshots: a Lifetime Commitment

Filed Under: Site Coordinator Snapshots, Site Coordinators by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
July 26, 2012

The city of Waco recognized Nola Tatum's work with students by declaring July 15, 2012 as "Nola Tatum Day."

Today’s Site Coordinator Snapshot is by Communities In Schools of the Heart of Texas’ Executive Director Doug McDurham.

In July of 1992, Nola Tatum began her work as the new Communities In Schools site coordinator at Sul Ross Elementary in Waco, Texas. Walking into a complex system that required interacting with lots of different people was initially scary, she said, but she quickly learned the ropes and the importance of building relationships within the school. As the faculty and staff began to understand Ms. Tatum’s role and the unique contributions that she and Communities In Schools brought to their students, a sense of trust and collaboration was firmly established. Helping the children was extremely gratifying, and Ms. Tatum saw her new job as a lifelong dream.

Fast-forward two decades, and Ms.Tatum still believes that being a Communities In Schools site coordinator is her dream. Sul Ross Elementary is a neighborhood school and Ms. Tatum often hits the surrounding streets to track down parents. Whether helping parents locate needed resources, talking to them about their child’s progress or providing information about how to best support their kids, Ms. Tatum is often the connection between parents and the school. In the last few years, many of these parents have come to her, and she recognizes the faces of students she once served. She says that it is an amazing feeling to meet an adult who she knew as a child and to hear the stories of how she helped students become who they are today. She loves seeing the former students as actively engaged parents and watching the chains of generational poverty begin to break.

Communities In Schools of the Heart of Texas recently commemorated Nola Tatum’s 20th anniversary of service at Sul Ross Elementary. Three of the principals who have worked with her over the years showered her with symbolic gifts (super hero T-shirts, flashlights and more) and praise. Proclamations and letters from the Mayor of Waco, the Communities In Schools national and Texas state offices, and the Deputy Commissioner of Education (also a former Sul Ross principal who had worked with Ms. Tatum) rounded out the celebration and left everyone – not just Ms. Tatum – feeling respected and appreciated.

In response to massive education budget cuts in Texas, the Waco Independent School District board of trustees recently voted to merge Sul Ross Elementary with another school. Soon after the official vote, the principal of the “receiving” school contacted me to request that Ms. Tatum join her team. I quickly agreed, assuring her that this was our hope as well. Ms. Tatum simply sees this as the next step in her amazing journey and is ready to embrace the new challenges ahead.

From my office window, I can see the shuttered Sul Ross building and the tree-lined streets that surround it. The kids playing in that neighborhood will soon load up on busses to go to their new school. And I know that they will be all right, because Ms. Tatum will be there by their side.

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Keeping Reading Skills Sharp All Summer Long

Filed Under: General by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
July 24, 2012
summer reading billboard

Teachers assign summer reading to make sure students stay engaged in learning until they’re back in school. Photo courtesy San Antonio Public Library via Flickr.

Throughout the month of July, we’ve talked about the “summer slide” and how being out of school can impact students’ ability to retain knowledge gained in the classroom. We’ve also talked about things parents and mentors can do to alleviate summer brain drain, and even created an awesome Pinterest board with lots of fun and creative ideas. But there’s one aspect of summer learning that Beyond the Classroom has yet to discuss: assigned reading.

When most students think about assigned summer reading, it’s with an internal (or audible) groan. But when teachers give out lists of books at the end of the school year, it’s not with the intent of torturing students. Rather, it’s an effective way of making sure students stay engaged in learning and keep their language skills sharp until they’re back in the classroom. For students who don’t normally enjoy reading, or have trouble doing so, assigned summer reading ensures that books stay in their hands. And having a couple of months to complete the assignment means less pressure, so kids may actually enjoy reading and discussing the books with their families or friends.

Some of my favorite books were given to me as summer reading in high school. To this day, I absolutely love taking The Poisonwood Bible and Snow Falling on Cedars to the beach, two books I would never have read if I had not been assigned them by a teacher.

What are some favorite books you learned about through assigned summer reading? Please share them in our comments section!

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What We’re Reading

Filed Under: Race Equity, What We're Reading by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
July 20, 2012
students at girls who code camp

Young women learn computer science with nonprofit organization Girls Who Code. Photo courtesy Girls Who Code.

Huffington Post: A new study released this week by Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis revealed that black and Hispanic students are significantly underrepresented at the nation’s most selective colleges. The study, which analyzed race, income and enrollment patterns at top-tier universities from 1982 to 2004, showed that white students were more likely than black and Hispanic students to not only apply to selective schools, but to gain admission as well.

Stanford’s study also took a look at the enrollment rates of low-income students, independent of race, and revealed that they were underrepresented at high-tier colleges as well. Almost 58 percent of the students enrolled at the nation’s most selective schools come from families in the top quartile of income distribution, while only six percent come from the bottom.

Even though the United States is in the midst of an economic downturn, colleges’ price tags continue to grow. This makes it harder for low-income students to afford an education at more selective schools, which tend to be more expensive. For many students, the price of a post-secondary education is enough to discourage them from even applying. More must be done to help students, regardless of race, ethnicity and income class, be able to afford the schools that best fit their education and career goals.

New York Times: Budget cuts are not only affecting students academically, but physically as well. In its biennial survey of high school students across the nation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last month that nearly half said they had no physical education classes. In addition, in an attempt to fit more classroom time into the school day, many schools are cutting time from, or entirely eliminating, recess.

While it’s important to make sure students are developing their minds, we must also acknowledge that physical education classes give students the opportunity to expend excess energy, fight obesity, and learn new passions and skills. All of this helps them win in the classroom. Communities In Schools affiliates across the nation offer numerous opportunities for students to be active, including self-defense classes, soccer and basketball clubs, and field trips to bowling alleys and ice skating rinks.

GOOD: With 1.4 million computer science-related job openings expected to be available by 2018, majoring in the subject during college is a pretty safe bet. So why are only 14 percent of women graduating with computer science degrees? Many nonprofits are closing the gender gap by giving young women exciting opportunities to explore computer technology. For example, Girls Who Code is a new nonprofit dedicated to inspiring and equipping 13- to 17-year-old girls with the skills and resources to pursue opportunities in technology and engineering. This month they launched their first intensive summer camp in New York City, where they will be teaching attendants robotics, web design and mobile development, among other subjects.

One of Communities In Schools’ Five Basics is to make sure that every student has a marketable skill to use upon graduation. Organizations like Girls Who Code not only see a gap in the job market, they’re utilizing the Five Basics to make sure young women are prepared to graduate from high school and successfully fill in that gap.

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