Program Notes
Month: January 2009
School: McWhirter Elementary
Saving the World~~ Robotic Lego Competition at University of Houston~~
Ninety-five teams (around 1000 students) had the task of researching
climate change and developing creative ways to address it and build a
Robotic Lego to go on planet-saving missions. And McWhirter was one of the
teams.
CIS, G/T teacher, mentors, and McWhirter parents supported our students
during this competition. The students worked for 12 weeks to design, build
and program robots with specific planet-saving missions. McWhirter came in
9th place. We didn’t win but we had a lot of fun and are eager for next
year. Their project, which demonstrated the students’ problem solving
skills, creative thinking skills, and team work, is reflective of the
hurdles scientists and other professionals are tackling today. So, in my
opinion, they were all winners!
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School: Brookside Intermediate
New Year, New Semester
At the close of the fall semester and the beginning of another, the
students were anxious about seeing their peers, teachers, administrators
and CIS. They could hardly wait to see everyone to visit and talk about
the holidays. Many students were bored, some liked sleeping later and
others wanted to return to school.
The new year kick-off was with an assembly presenting Judge Jo Ann Delgado
speaking to all the student grade levels about attendance, behavior,
respect, responsibility, and the consequences of appearing before her in
court. The students had the opportunity to ask questions and receive clear
and concise answers.
The counselors made changes to student schedules especially those that
were in need of TAKS accommodations and those others that had elective
preferences. CIS staff had many requests for assistance in the selection
process of courses.
Also, CIS met with new semester and prior semester students in a group
setting in which everyone was introduced. An ice-breaker game was played
and much to their amazement, the students really enjoyed it and learned
from one another. Their reaction triggered their interest for the next
group meeting!
In addition, CIS staff recognized all the students that achieved A’s and
B’s the 2nd 9 weeks with gift cards to WalMart or Target. Special
recognition was also given to students that made the effort to improve.
The Bulldog Bulletin, the school newsletter, included some CIS information
for volunteers, mentors, and tutors that are interested in helping
students achieve their goals to pass classes and/or the TAKS exam.
Moreover, Communities In Schools staff is promoting a positive attitude, a
“Yes, I Can”, outlook to encourage students to complete their homework,
turn it in, get assistance when needed, and be respectful of everyone.
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School: Clear Springs High School
School Community Reaches Out to Assist Students
Due to the natural disaster of Hurricane Ike, many social service agencies
are stretched thin or are not able to offer what they normally would any
other time. Communities In Schools – Bay Area staff member received
assistance from her co-workers for some of their students in need of
clothes. Two female students needed clothes. School clothes and hygiene
products were provided for both students. It was mentioned to a teacher
that CIS was trying to figure out how to get clothes for a student. The
teacher stepped up and asked CIS if she could help. You bet! The teacher
is enjoying the smile on her students’ face. The other donor was an
Administrator whose wife is the same size as a student. He was able to
donate some of his wife’s maternity clothes to assist the student who is
pregnant.
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School: Clear Brook High School
Watching the Weather
Permission slips were tallied and there were twenty at risk boys ready to
board the bus to the National Weather Service office in League City. Ms.
Finley, the SLC Coordinator, Dr. King, the Possibilities Program
facilitator and Ms. Shafer, the CIS Truancy Program Coordinator, boarded
the bus to accompany the boys. The boys were extremely excited since most
of them rarely attend a field trip off campus. This group of boys come
from socially or economically challenged families and many reside in a
single-parent household. These boys are also some of the students most
likely to drop out of high school.
The ride to the weather service center was a lot of fun with one of the
students singing a little hip-hop music for us and the rest of the boys
asking questions, listening to their I-pods or just hanging. Upon arriving
at the facility, we split the group up into groups of 10. The CIS
Coordinator and Dr. King took one group and Ms. Finley took the other
group. The National Weather Service is housed in League City in the same
building with the Galveston County Disaster Relief Center. The students
were able to tour the Galveston County Disaster command center that was
recently in full operation during hurricane Ike. The boys had lots of
questions for our tour guide, Chris McKinney, employed by the National
Weather Service.
We also toured different offices that were responsible for watching the
winds, rain and fronts that travel across the United States. In another
room, we were able to observe the radar that is sent from a weather
satellite orbiting the earth and we were told some stories about Ike when
it was approaching the Texas coast and some of the things that were
reported during the storm. The boys had lots of questions during this
display and lecture and really showed a keen interest in what was being
explained.
After the tour, we met outside and took some pictures before boarding the
bus. We are planning another fieldtrip this year and I suggested that next
time we arrange to take the boys to lunch after the field trip. The boys’
behavior during this outing was very impressive; they were cordial,
respectful and listened throughout the tour. The group was praised in the
bus for their excellent behavior and Ms. Shafer handed out handfuls of
candy to the boys upon their return to school as a reward for their great
behavior.
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School: Clear Lake Ninth Grade Center
Party Time!
Good attendance is somewhat hard to come by, especially so close to the
holidays. Students are tired and ready for a break, and their attendance
often reflects that. So, what better way to encourage the kids to go to
class, than enticing them with a party?
Associate Principal Dr. Bass came up with the idea of hosting a ninth
grade attendance competition where the three classes with best attendance
will win a pizza party. Communities In Schools was in charge of getting it
off the ground and stirring up the excitement. This was a month long
competition where announcements were made daily and where teachers wanted
to win as badly as the students. The students were not the only ones with
an incentive; the winning teachers would be allowed to wear jeans for a
week!
Before the break, the winning classes were chosen and both students and
teachers happily awaited their prize. A big thank you to Assistant League
of the Bay Area who supplied one of the classes with muffins and juice
since it was a morning class, and donuts were provided by Communities In
Schools.
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School: Dickinson High School
Parents as Partners
January has been a transitional time for all students here at Dickinson
High School. All the Assistant Principals and teachers wanted this
semester to be a time to assistant students in controlling their absentees
and tardiness. CIS Truancy Department staff decided to build partnerships
with parents and encourage them to visit on site. Together the parent and
CIS staff would come up with a solution that would improve the number of
absences and tardies his/her child had previously to a minimal.
CIS would contact all assistant principals and teachers of the outcome
from the parent visit to update them on any other issues that may be
contributing to the student absences. Students and Parents have found this
service to be potentially helpful for them due to the fact they now have
another person or persons they can turn to for any concerns they may have
whether its truancy or personal issues. The number of absences has gone
down but, we still have a lot of work to do.
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Month: December 2008
School: Barber Middle School
“Tis the Season”
Although a man in a red suit only lives in the imaginations of small
children, the spirit of “Old St. Nick” is alive in the actions of others.
Still recovering from the aftermath of “Hurricane Ike”, Barber Middle
School pulled together to ensure a pleasurable holiday season for our
students. We reached into our own pockets in spite of economic hardships
for all of us, and we relied on the help of others.
Each staff member adopted one or more students for Christmas. The presents
bought were given to parents of the students to be put under the Christmas
tree. Regardless of if the student was displaced from their home, we
wanted to make sure the Christmas spirit followed them to their new or
temporary home. Along with presents, we also collected food and clothes to
give to the families.
Thanks to Payless Shoes, many of the CIS students got the opportunity to
get a new pair of shoes. Because of hard times, several students had
rested with the idea of not celebrating Christmas this year. So the new
shoes brought forth excitement and kick started their holiday season.
To add to the holiday cheer, CIS hosted a Christmas party filled with
cookies, presents, games, and fun. A school wide “Survivor Party” followed
proving that things are not back to normal but we did survive. It proved
that we are still working hard to bring stability back into the lives of
our students. It was a perfect example of the Christmas spirit.
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School: Clear Creek Ninth Grade Center
Creek Generosity
In December, the Creek family once again proved how generous they can be
and how much they care for their community. Several clubs, sponsored by
the different SLC’s (Small Learning Communities), around the campus held
fundraisers for different charities. The School of Design and Technology
held a canned food drive with the proceeds going to local food pantries.
In order to show how many cans had been donated, the students built a
space shuttle out of the collected goods.
The PTSA (parent/teacher/student association) set up in both campus
libraries with Christmas cards for students to sign. The signed cards were
then given to a local military recruiting office who forwarded them to
military personnel stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Students in the
School of Communication, Law, and Social Services held a blanket drive.
The many new and gently used blankets were donated to several homeless
shelters.
Students enrolled in Communities In Schools participated in a toy drive
benefiting the annual Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” toy drive. Students
brought new, unwrapped toys to school and dropped them off at the CIS
office. The toys were then boxed and delivered to a local Marine Corps
recruiting office to be distributed to children who would otherwise not
have any toys for Christmas. The toy drive was a success as 125 toys were
collected and delivered.
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School: League City Intermediate
It is beginning to look like Christmas!
The halls are being decked, the bells are being hung, and everyone seems
to have a little peep in their step. It looks as though there may be a
great holiday approaching. CIS students are working extra hard to bring up
their grades and willing to help around the house. Some CIS students
pretended to be too grown up to admit that they still believed in Santa
but they heard about a nice guy in a red suite with a list of good little
boys and girls; they were making sure they are going to be on that list.
Students collected and donated canned goods through out the month of
December. The LCIS food drive was very successful. The children in this
school gave with their whole heart. LCIS collected over 30,000 pounds of
food for Interfaith Caring Ministries. The LCIS orchestra donated many
gift cards to CIS to select special families within the school. This
generous act certainly helped many families, with Honey Baked Hams,
American express, Target and Wal-mart gift cards. CIS gracefully accepted
the role of Santa and delivered food and gift cards to special families
selected. All the families expressed how grateful they were for the help
during this holiday season.
Making Christmas cards for soldiers in Iraq was an interesting activity.
The CIS lunch buddies were creative and enthusiastic about their cards.
There were several students that understood first hand how important this
activity was for our soldiers. The CIS lunch buddies talked about their
fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters that had been away
from them during the holiday season and how hard it was, so, they wrote
with great meaning and lots of feelings.
Before the two week Christmas break the school exploded with parties. A
school wide party filled the commons. Loud music, fun games and dancing
students young and old made for great memories. CIS participated by
helping chaperon the students but seemed to get caught up in bust’in a
move with the students. Great laughs, great fun was had by all.
The Assistance League comes through again for the LCIS CIS students
donating twelve dozen cookies. Cookies were earned by students for perfect
attendance. Way to go CIS students, almost all the cookies were given out.
The left over cookies were given to our teachers, who go above and beyond
their duties. The extra ordinary teachers who were selected for the cookie
grams were chosen by the students.
New shoes at this time of year can be a big need for many of the LCIS
students and no one likes homework. So, it was a great surprise when
thirteen lucky recipients were awarded a $15.00 PayLess gift card just for
having their homework checked. It is so much fun to make their day!
The month of December was short but very sweet. CIS took great pleasure
giving out gift cards, coats, and cookies; we had many fun activities and
good times. CIS had ten new students enroll and have several pending.
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School: McWhirter Elementary
“Wish Lists”
It is amazing to think that December and the holidays have come and gone
at such a rapid speed.
I was busy working with six different organizations organizing Christmas
“Wish Lists” for 300 children. Starting in November, I passed out Wish
Lists to families affected by Ike and CIS case managed students (and their
siblings). Then, I asked for input from administration and teachers. With
CIS volunteers, we got all the toys delivered before Christmas!
Two hours before I was scheduled to leave for Christmas break (and I had a
flight to South Carolina the next day) a parent came to my office to pick
up toys for her two girls. She told me that she did not have any money and
that she was waiting for their new home to be inspected before moving and
that it would not be done until after the holidays. She said they would be
opening presents in their car. I told her that I needed to make a few
phone calls and I would get back to her.
I called a friend and she called her husband and he agreed to pay for a
hotel for two nights in Kemah. When my friend went to the hotel and told
the story, the hotel said they wanted to take care of this family. The
hotel gave them three nights, put a Christmas tree in their condo and
stocked their kitchen with food! (This family has been living in many
different places since the hurricane so each family member having their
own bedroom and a stocked kitchen was a gift by itself. I was still on the
phone while packing for my trip and contacted the family and got
permission to give their name and phone number.
When I got back from Christmas break I received a “thank you” card from
the family:
“Dear Mrs. Rice,
Thank you so much for helping us make our Christmas wonderful. The
Anderson’s went above and beyond to make sure the girls and I had
everything we needed. They not only put us up in a condo for days, but
presents, passes to Kemah boardwalk and Christmas dinner. We could not ask
for anything more! It was truly a Blessed Christmas. I hope you had a
great holiday and God blessed you also! Thanks again for everything, you
are greatly appreciated!!!
Love,
XXXXX”
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Month: October 2008
School: Clear Lake
Ninth Grade Center
Hurricane Ike Relief Drive
The month of October kicked off with the Hurricane Ike Relief Drive
hosted by Communities In Schools – Bay Area. This was to benefit the
many families and students affected by Ike and its aftermath. Needed
donations included clothes, non-perishable goods and toiletries.
Donation boxes were dispersed across the school and within classes. Many
students donated items knowing they were going directly to classmates
and friends; everyone seemed to know someone who had been touched by the
storm. Some teachers even challenged their students to match the number
of items they brought themselves. Many items were donated, and all were
appreciated. For several weeks, food and clothing were given away almost
on a daily basis, making it a little easier for people while they tried
to rebuild their lives. Had it not been for the outpouring of support
from students and faculty, none of this would have been possible.
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School: Clear Creek Ninth Grade Center
Creek Happenings
October has been a busy month for the Clear Creek family. Upon return from
Hurricane Ike, administrators, teachers, and staff were busy helping
students cope with the trauma associated with such a natural disaster.
Many of the students and their families, as well as some of the employees
at Clear Creek High School had been directly impacted by the hurricane.
But with the efforts of all the Creek family, those effected had been
assisted, either through donations, referrals to outside agencies, or just
a hug and a kind word. Slowly but surely, things were getting back to
normal as the Wildcats helped each other.
October 13 – 17
was everyone’s favorite week as the school got ready for Homecoming
festivities. Students showed their school spirit every day by wearing
different “costumes” to commemorate the days leading up to the football
game (favorite day was “hippie day”) . Students also decorated the doors
to their advisory classes in a team spirit contest. The week ended with
a carnival enjoyed by all. The carnival show-cased many different booths
run by the various clubs at school. They included fun activities such as
face-painting, ring-toss and more and also included several different
food booths. The busiest booth was by far the one selling the ever
favorite sausage-on-stick. Students were allowed to attend the carnival
during their lunch periods and fun was had by all.
Parent Open House had originally been scheduled for the beginning of
October but had to be postponed because of the hurricane and its
aftermath. It was rescheduled for October 27th. Parents were invited to
come by the school to meet their students’ teachers and administrators.
Open House was well attended as parents made their way across the campus
and met with principals, teachers and counselors. Many also observed the
damage that had been done to the campus by the hurricane and how the
district has made every effort to make the school a safe environment for
everyone.
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School: McWhirter Elementary
Houston, Houston, do we have a problem?
Last year I took sixteen fifth grade girls to Rice University to the
Sally Ride Science Festival and this year I brought twenty-five on full
scholarships! One of the workshops the girls attended was “Robotics in
Education and Competition Robotics.” The girls got to build a robot and
keep one to take home. The festival brought to life the idea that girls
could go to college and become a scientist, an astronaut, or an
engineer.
The festival featured: An inspiring talk by astronaut
Peggy Whitson, a biochemistry researcher and astronaut. Currently, Peggy
is NASA’s most experienced astronaut with just over 376 days in space. She
has performed a total of six spacewalks, more than any other female
astronaut. She was the commander and oversaw the first expansion of the
international Space Station’s living and working space.
The girls actually met Peggy and got her autograph! Now
if you ask the girls what they want to do when they grow up, they will
tell you an astronaut!
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