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.