CIS-HP NEWS: THE BELL RINGER
August 19, 2020
Communities In Schools of High Point works to help kids all across the Piedmont
HIGH POINT, N.C. — Communities in Schools of High Point believes in building successful students and positive neighborhoods. And thanks to a large High Point Community Foundation grant, their work will continue.
Tommy Walls is the executive director of Communities in Schools of High Point. Walls described the principle the group follows in order to make a lasting impact on the community.
“We have a motto, ‘abc plus p.’ Attendance, making sure they come to school. Making sure they are good with their behavior. And course work, making sure they are getting the necessary academics to succeed and the tutoring support,” Walls continued as he explained the last part of the motto. “Parent involvement, making sure they understand the needed facets to succeed in school and making sure the parents understand what we are doing to provide that support.”
That added support is now in the form of a $100,000 Strategic Leadership Grant from the High Point Community Foundation. Communities in Schools will use the grant to train their volunteer mentors, staff, school administrators, and agency partners that make up the Crisis Mentoring program.
“The Crisis Mentoring program is divided into two parts,” Walls said. “Number one, it provides you the opportunity to learn about nonviolence and drugs and alcohol and how to stay away from those instances and how those things are not good.”
The second part of the program involves teaching people how to respond to stressful events like COVID-19.
“We want to give training to say, ‘hey, it’s OK, we understand COVID is prevalent’, let us provide you with the tools in order to navigate that instance,” said Walls. Crisis mentoring is something the community wants.
“Right now our students are operating on survival mode,” said Walls. “Because of that, we want to make sure we give them the necessary components in order to navigate those systems the best way possible.”
To volunteer or learn more about communities in schools of High Point, check out their website https://www.cisofhp.org/ or call 336-883-6434 extension 5.
BY CHARLES EWING
April 21, 2020
CIS volunteers leave lasting impacts
HIGH POINT — Although local schools remain closed to prevent spread of COVID-19, Communities In Schools of High Point observed National Volunteer Week by recognizing top volunteer efforts and the lasting impacts more than 800 volunteers have made during the 2019-20 school year.
CIS typically works inside schools to help at-risk students stay in school and succeed in life. CIS partners with eight High Point schools, with a full-time site coordinator at each school, to bring community volunteers in to work as mentors, tutors, breakfast and lunch buddies, reading buddies and help with school-wide events. Many of these volunteers work weekly with the same student to provide stability, encouragement and mentoring. These positive role models leave a lasting impact on the students they work with in and out of the classroom, said said Catherine Niebauer, director of development and community relations for CIS.
“One of my greatest passions with CIS is hearing about a student or school need and finding a community partner that believes in supporting that need, ultimately helping students become more successful,” Niebauer said. “Thank you to all the volunteers, churches, and businesses that have surrounded our students and schools with their time and continued support this year.”
April and May normally would have been a time for end-of-school-year volunteer and student celebrations. While Guilford County Schools students are learning at home, CIS wants to recognize the students efforts, successes and the volunteers that made significant impacts at each school.
The CIS “Gina Jacobs Above & Beyond” volunteer award goes to an individual volunteer or group at each school that has gone above and beyond the typical duties of their volunteer role. The following people or groups received recognition at these CIS sites:
Allen Jay Elementary – Providence Wesleyan Church
Fairview Elementary – Monda Griggs
Montlieu Academy of Technology – Larry Diggs
Northwood Elementary – Geoff Beaston
Ferndale Middle – Alameen Haqq
Welborn Academy – Kelli Hackstall
Andrews High – Nancy Gray
High Point Central – Manna Church
Daniel Jones was named CIS Volunteer of the Year for his efforts at Allen Jay Elementary. His love for reading has been a natural fit to volunteer alongside the media center specialist. Jones spends three or four days a week at Allen Jay volunteering in the media center helping with day to day operations and assisting students in selecting books to read during their weekly visits.
“Mr. Jones started as a part-time volunteer and has become a fixture of the Allen Jay Media Center and a beloved member of the AJE family,” said Allan Johnson, Allen Jay CIS site coordinator.
Each year, a high school student is recognized for volunteering with CIS and being outstanding as a star among 300 high school student volunteers. The 2019-20 “High School Student Star” volunteer is awarded to Tyler Rhodes, a senior at High Point Central. Tyler has volunteered all four years of high school at Fairview Elementary as a weekly breakfast buddy.
“We never need to worry about if he will show,” said Pam Greene, CIS Fairview site coordinator. “He is always the first to volunteer when the high school declares a day of service and he always brings friends to help.”
In addition to being a breakfast buddy, Tyler tackled a variety of projects at Fairview, such as painting, tutoring, moving furniture, assembling new tables and chairs and helping with the Eagle rewards store. His cheerful attitude and presence as a positive role model will be greatly missed by students and staff when he continues his education at N.C. State University next year, Greene said. CIS also is grateful for church and community partners that work with individual schools or the whole organization, Niebauer said. These partners often help with school supplies, food pantries, attendance rewards, teacher and staff appreciation, school events and other requests.
Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church is awarded the “Communities of Faith Partner of the Year.” For 17 years, the church partnered to assist Fairview Elementary students. Wesley Memorial members provide backpack food each Friday to go home with students for the weekend, over holiday weekends and breaks. They also provide staff appreciation meals and snacks throughout the school year. A new tradition the Fairview community has grown to look forward to is the back to school hot dog picnic. During this pandemic they were also able to share food with Ferndale, Central and Northwood schools.
Harland Clarke, a new partner to CIS and Ferndale Middle, is awarded the “Community Partner of the Year” award this year. CIS Ferndale Site Coordinator Angel Harper had a vision after hearing the needs of students. Clarke helped Harper upfit and stock a food pantry and backpack program with non-perishables and provided refrigerator/freezers. The company also met the need for a washer and dryer. These resources go beyond Ferndale and can help other CIS partner schools.
The High Point Community Foundation is awarded “Community Partner of the Year” for helping fulfill dreams and visions. HPCF assisted with the dream for new classroom environments at Fairview Elementary. New dry erase tables bring a new approach of community and collaboration into the teaching environment. HPCF also believes in the dream of CIS’ Community Resilience Model. Through a Strategic Leadership grant CIS will offer training to volunteer mentors, CIS staff, school administrators and agency partners to improve understanding and responses to trauma and significant stress.
BY ENTERPRISE STAFF