Success Stories
Communities In Schools does make a difference! Below are just a few of the successes and breakthroughs that have occurred on our campuses.
A Summer of Fun and Fulfillment
by Brenda Bennett, Campus Manager at Little Elm High School
Fifteen students from Little Elm High School each donated over 50 hours
of volunteer work serving as teacher interns for the LEISD Elementary
Summer School program. These students were given teacher badges and were
assigned to a classroom. They performed teacher duties such as taking
roll, leading morning routines, individual tutoring, and some even presented
class lessons. This was a win-win situation because the younger students
adored the high school students and received more individual attention.
The teachers loved the program because it gave them classroom support,
and they had the opportunity to mentor a high school student. Last but
not least, the high school students gained three unique experiences. First,
they were exposed to the teaching field to determine if they wanted to
pursue this career. Second, they were placed in leadership positions and
grew in self-confidence. Third, they were able to spend a portion of their
summer in a meaningful way by giving to others. In order to wrap up the
internship experience, they had a CIS party on the last day. Five of the
students were asked about the worst part of the program and they all responded
that the worst part was that it had to end. Two of the most important
results of this program were life-changing decisions made by two of the
interns. They had both told me in May that they were seriously considering
dropping out of school. By the end of the program, both had made a commitment
to start the school year in August and to graduate from high school.
Local Friends Make Summer Program a Blast, Summer 2004
by Sally Ocasio, Campus Manager at Hedrick Elementary School
Hedrick Elementary, Central Elementary and Delay Middle School partnered
to provided summer educational/enrichment activities to 10 students from
each campus for 2 weeks. SUMMER PROGRAM 2004 @ KID'S CLUB was a BLAST.
The summer session included breakfast donated by 2 local McDonald's Restaurants
& Donut Palace. Student's also received lunch that was donated by
local churches whom are members of Christian Community Action (CCA). Student
activities included walking, reading, crafts and field trips to the local
library, the Science Place, bowling, Six Flags, Ripley's Believe It or
Not, and a picnic donated by CCA. With many true local friends, such as
McDonald's and the Donut Palace, 30 children were able to receive a free
breakfast and lunch. With so much to do and so much to eat, we were able
to use the summer funds to provide field trips that might not have been
a part of many of these children's summer.
Vicente's Inspiration, Spring 2004
by Amy Uphoff, Campus Manager at Tomas Rivera Elementary School
As a student enters the third grade he will be challenged with harder
academics and the TAKS test. Vicente was a third grade student this year
that was faced with this very problem. He was consumed by self-doubt and
believed that he could not accomplish any academic task. He was enrolled
in the after school homework center, worked with a mentor three times
a week on academics, and visited the CIS office each morning to get his
homework checked. At the beginning of January he decided that he should
drop out of school because he didn't need a third grade education in order
to get a job. He believed that he could just quit school and successfully
make it at the age of nine years old. During the course of discussing
this issue with him, CIS staff realized that he had just given up on himself.
A couple of days later the school was having Career Day. The CIS campus
manager had recruited Mr. John Minh Nguyen to come to one of the third
grade classrooms and discuss his job as a kungfu instructor. Vicente was
fascinated with kungfu and was excited to be able to talk to someone about
it. During the presentation, John discussed the importance of focusing
on schoolwork and how important it is to strive to be your very best.
After listening to John that day, the student realized how important it
was for him to try his hardest. Vicente worked hard each day and when
it came time to tackling the reading portion of the TAKS test, he thought
of what John had said in regards to focusing on the task at hand. A few
weeks later we learned that he successfully passed the reading portion
of the TAKS test on the first try. This just proves that outside influences
and believing in oneself can help to accomplish any goal that one sets
for themselves.
Three Stories of Success at Denton
High School, Spring 2004
by Mario De La Garza, Campus Manager at Denton High School
Alejandra has been involved with Communities in Schools for three years.
During those three years, she has been a consistent visitor to the CIS
office for help with schoolwork. Because of her hard work and dedication,
Alejandra graduated in three years from high school. She is planning on
attending college in the fall and is working with an admissions person
at Texas Woman's University to gain admission to that university. This
spring, Alejandra received a scholarship from the High Noon Lion's Club
for her academic achievement. This scholarship will help Alejandra in
pursuing her academic goals.
Becky also graduated from Denton High School this year. One of the barriers to Becky's success at the beginning of this school year was that she had not passed all portions of the TAAS test, a requirement for graduation. Becky was set up with a tutor/mentor through Communities in Schools. Becky did pass the writing portion of the TAAS and did reach her goal of graduating in the spring of 2004. She plans to attend the University of North Texas or North Central Texas College.
Ethan was a freshman at Denton High School this past year. At the beginning of the school year, CIS helped him in attaining glasses through a private donation. Throughout the school year, Ethan would come into the CIS office to talk or to get help with schoolwork. CIS helped him to attain funds to go on the JROTC trip during spring break as well. Ethan has excelled in his classes (especially algebra) and is well on his way to making his high school career successful.
Andy, a CIS Success Story at Central Elementary, Spring
2004
by Nellie Apodaca, Campus Manager at Central Elementary School
I met Andy soon after returning from Christmas Break. His teacher explained
her concerns regarding Andy. She stated that Andy came from Mexico and
had enrolled at Central Elementary in November just before Thanksgiving
Break and until now had not received any education which set Andy behind
all his peers. She stated that Andy, whose primary language is Spanish,
didn't know how to write, say his ABC or numbers. I met with Andy later
that day and explained to him who I was and how I was going to meet with
him to help him with his academics. The first time I worked with Andy
was the first time I truly understood how far behind Andy was. I spoke
with his teacher that day and explained to her that I needed to see Andy
twice a week in order to make a difference in his academics, and she agreed.
It wasn't until a month later that his teacher and I started noticing
that Andy was making some progress but we know it wasn't enough. I made
a home visit to Andy's house that week and spoke with his mother and asked
her for her help in Andy's education. I gave her materials she could keep
at home so that she could work with Andy as well. At the end of the school
year Andy was right on track with his peers and slightly above his academic
level. Andy's academics success couldn't have been accomplished without
the participation of his teacher, parent, CIS case worker and most of
all Andy. This is what CIS is all about, bringing a group of people together
to help a child succeed in life.
Thirty Minutes a Week, Spring 2004
by Heather Green, Campus Manager at Roanoke Elementary School
Fourth grade is crucial to the feeling of overall success during Elementary
school. No longer can a student behave as a child, they are now considered
part of the "older kids" on campus. There is a lot of growing
and maturing that comes during this year. This is the story of one such
fourth grader at Roanoke Elementary. At the beginning of this year, there
was a little girl who, despite all efforts, could not control her emotional
outbursts. Many saw her as uncontrollable, easily distracted or not wanting
to cooperate with her classmates. One day a mentor from UNT decided to
volunteer her time to work with students who were having trouble in class.
So week after week these two would meet and spend just thirty minutes
talking about life, school, family, boys and all the other things fourth
graders are interested in. It wasn't long before the mentor began to see
the behavior that had become so frustrating for others. It was during
this one-on-one time that the mentor was able to discreetly address the
behavior that this child had been exhibiting. The child acknowledged that
she sometimes feels like a bottle ready to explode. A whole new world
became unlocked for this fourth grader as she and her mentor began discussing
creative ways to release the stress before she exploded. This student
is now making new friends and working well in the classroom. In addition
to her behavior, her self-confidence has improved and she looks forward
to school. It's amazing what thirty minutes a week can do for a child.
Jessica's Success, Fall 2003
by Christine Windlinger, Campus Manager at Central Elementary
School
Jessica is a 5th grade girl who has had a mentor for the past two years.
She was failing 3 classes. The mentor worked incredibly hard with her
the during the fall semester. Jessica is very quiet and shy. Slowly, Jessica
began to come out of her shell. This last six weeks, Jessica passed all
of her classes for the first time in two years. This is testament for
all the mentors who work so hard with their students and give up their
time to mentor students. It really does help the students improve in their
academics.
Three Wonderful Tutors, Fall 2003
by Brenda Bennett, Campus Manager at Little Elm High School
Three senior girls who are in the ESL class (English as a Second Language)
came to me in August and asked for help with the TAAS test. They have
not passed the writing portion of the TAAS since they started high school.
They will not graduate if they don't pass this test. CIS arranged for
3 tutors from Retractable Technologies to tutor these girls 3 times a
week to improve their grammar and writing skills. On the day of the test,
these tutors came to bring the students a light breakfast and "pump"
them up for the test! Two of the three students passed the test! We have
the same tutors working with the girl who didn't pass, so that she will
pass the February test! It's exciting to watch the benefits of bringing
the community resources into the school environment. Volunteers are a
key element of the success of the Communities In Schools Program.
A Reading Lesson, Fall 2003
by Heather Green, Campus Manager at Roanoke Elementary School
Third grade is a defining point in many students' lives. No longer can
a student behave as a child, they are now considered part of the "older
kids" on campus. There is a lot of growing and maturing that comes
during this year. This is the story of one such third grader at Roanoke
Elementary. At the beginning of this year, there was a little girl who,
despite all efforts, could not focus on her lessons. Many saw her as uninterested,
easily distracted or not wanting to learn. Her grades reflected the lack
of attention that she gave to her work. One day a mentor from UNT decided
to volunteer her time to work with students who were having trouble in
class. So week after week these two would meet and spend just thirty minutes
reading the assigned story and answering questions. It wasn't long before
the mentor came to the realization that this student wasn't trying to
be distracting, she simply didn't understand what she was reading. It
was during this one-on-one time that the student finally began to feel
comfortable enough to ask questions as she read. A whole new world became
unlocked for this third grader because one volunteer took the time to
read with her and answer questions. This student is now consistently improving
her grades and has found a new excitement for reading. In addition to
her academics, her self-confidence has improved and she looks forward
to school. Her family has also commented that homework isn't a struggle
anymore. It's amazing what thirty minutes a week can do for a child.
Learning a New Language, Fall 2003
by Melanie Spainhour, Campus Manager at Prairie View Elementary
School
One student in the CIS program here is developing her English language
skills after just moving here from Mexico. She is trying very hard to
understand and speak more English each day. She is being tutored by the
CIS campus manager three days a week, and she is picking up concepts rapidly.
Her ability to learn is just amazing and her desire to succeed is an inspiration
to other students. The students in her class have enjoyed teaching her
new words and phrases. She will continue to learn in many ways throughout
the year.
My First Week as a Campus Manager, Fall 2003
by Nellie Apodaca, Campus Manager at Central Elementary
School
One of my Yahoo! moments was when I enrolled a student in the Fall. The
parent was very hesitant about the program and didn't trust the school
system due to past situations with the school. The mother called me and
wanted her child to receive the help but was reluctant to sign the CIS
forms. I explained the benefits of the program and how it would help her
and her child. I informed her about CIS policies and how I would communication
with her about her child's progress. The next morning her child handed
me the CIS forms signed and attached was a Thank you card from the mother.
She thanked me for my patience with her and said she was excited her child
was to be enrolled in the CIS program. This was my first week at the school
and this moment made my transition to the school a wonderful experience.
Staying Warm in the Cold Winter, Fall 2003
by Amy Uphoff, Campus Manager at Tomas Rivera Elementary School
As the weather became colder in December there were many students in need
of winter coats. I had one student in particular who only wore a sweatshirt
to serve as his winter protection. I was able to give him one of my coats
so he could keep warm. After a couple of weeks he brought me back the
coat that I had given him. I was confused and he explained to me that
his mentors here at the school purchased him a new coat for Christmas.
He went on to say that he wanted me to give my coat to someone else who
may need it to stay warm. It was such a wonderful feeling to see the impact
even a coat has on a student and the generosity he wanted to reciprocate
to someone else in need.
And other success stories...
My CIS Story, by Christina Perez, 2001-2002
In Her Own Words, Shaquala Rice, 5th Grade Student, 2001-2002
Thank You, from Julie Carpenter, 2001-2002
I Will Make My Life What It Is or Isn't ... by Mandi Redmon, 2000-2001