A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear CIS Friend,
With the holidays right around the corner, I want to express our profound gratitude – not just today, but every day – to all our community supporters who continue to exemplify their commitment to Communities In Schools' mission. Thank you for all you do to serve our students, community and each other. Learn more about a new team member, our upcoming bus tour, and what else our amazing team and students have been up to in this issue!
With gratitude,
Ashley Hall, Executive Director
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BEING THE BRIDGE
Did you miss the debut of our Being the Bridge video? Through the example of CIS at Falling Creek Middle School, it highlights the impact and tremendous relationships that our Site Coordinators build with students. We hope it gives you a glimpse into the CIS model in action and inspires you to support our work!
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ATTENDANCE MATTERS
 School attendance is a powerful predictor of student outcomes. Students who regularly attend school achieve higher levels of academic success. To motivate student attendance, our Site Coordinators engage with students, families, and school staff to to build a productive partnership to curb absenteeism. They assess and address attendance barriers and set goals to hold students accountable.
Mary Thompson, our CIS Site Coordinator at Carver Academy, recently hosted a breakfast to celebrate seventeen students who significantly improved their attendance. The recognized students went from missing over fifteen days of school last year to only missing one or fewer days since the current school year started. Among the students, a few were former CIS students of two other CIS Site Coordinators - Carlos Marti at Falling Creek Middle and Talaya Oxendine at L.C. Bird High. Mr. Marti and Ms. Oxendine attended the breakfast to surprise their students, who were thrilled to see them! This is a wonderful demonstration of the power of the relationships our Site Coordinators build, along with the importance of our prioritization of feeder patterns when we expand to new schools!" Thank you to our Site Coordinators for helping students develop healthy attendance habits!
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ALL ABOARD! CIS EXPRESS 2022
CIS Express is back for the third year! Join us for this holiday light tour with a mission. t As a participant, you will enjoy the beautifully (and fun) decorated homes of Hampton Park from the comfort of your car!" We're hosting a Live Event Night on December 16, sponsored by Skanska USA where you can grab some hot cocoa and cookies at the first stop, along with some fun entertainment and other goodies!
Dates: December 10th through the 23rd
Time: 5:30 pm, every evening of the tour dates
Location: Hampton Park neighborhood in Midlothian
If you or someone you know would like to support the event through a sponsorship, check out our sponsorship package here. For any questions, reach out to Devan Colley at devan_colley@ccpsnet.net.
Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks!
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WELCOME TO THE TEAM!
 The CIS team is thrilled to introduce our new Program Coordinator Locina Montague! Locina brings a wide variety of experiences from education to social work to housing. As a teacher in RPS, she had a strong relationship with the school's CIS Site Coordinator and saw the impact CIS makes firsthand. Please join us in welcoming her to the team!
"I am thankful to be a part of an organization that provides resources to make all students successful in life!" |
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BUS TOURS ARE BACK!
Join us for our first bus tour in the 2022 - 2023 school year! Our tours involve visits (by bus) to three schools, where you get to meet our Site Coordinators, hear about the work being done, and see CIS in action. Space is limited so, please sign up early!
Date: Friday, November 11th
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Falling Creek Middle School
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GAME CHANGERS
 The CIS team is excited to share that Tonika Claiborne, our CIS Site Coordinator at Salem Church Middle School, received the Superintendent's Game Changers Award!
The Superintendent's Game Changers Award recognizes the game-changing work – inside and outside of schools – that staff members do on a daily basis. Chesterfield's Game Changers are those who step up to meet the needs of our students; provide an extra layer of support for families outside of the classroom; and who generally make a positive and sometimes life-changing difference in the lives of our students. Please join us in congratulating Tonika! |
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November is College and Career Readiness Month
Chesterfield County Public Schools has put together the following opportunities for college and career exploration:
College Application Assistance Program, November 12 (10:00am - noon): Get help with college applications and filling out the FAFSA during events organized by Chesterfield County Public Schools, Chesterfield County Public Library, and GRASP. Registration is required.
Work-Based Learning Fair, November 9 (6:00 - 8:00pm): Job shadowing, internships, and mentorships are among the work-based learning opportunities in Chesterfield County Public Schools. Students in grades 6-12and their parents will hear directly from work-based learning students and business partners during a Work-Based Learning Fair at Monacan High, 11501 Smoketree Drive. Register here.
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