newsletter spring 2010

4
Dear CIS Supporter, Spring finds Communities in Schools of Greenbrier County as busy and exciting as ever. Emily continues to run herself in every direction! She and her staff recently secured funding which Emily is using for field trips she calls Project MAC (Make a Change). They have traveled to Southern Regional Jail and Mountain State University in March. In April they traveled to WVU where they met with Student Support Services and toured Mylan Stadium. I think this is a great example of how far the CIS staff is willing to go to impact the lives of the children we serve. April 27 and 28 were exciting days at two of the campuses we serve. The Choice Bus, which was recently featured in , visited the Greenbrier East and Greenbrier West campuses with the help of the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office. As always, we keep a keen eye focused on our fundraising efforts. Our Kids Come First! Celebrity Golf Tournament planning is well underway. This year promises some exciting changes to our event which you won’t want to miss. We are also busy planning our Miles Over Mountains for Kids Bike Run for 2010. Even though the dogwood blooms and dandelions keep fall far from our minds, planning for the 2010 Fall Festival is in full swing. We hope you will come out and participate in any or all of these fun and rewarding events. PLAN ON IT! Annual Golf Tournament to be Played on Redesigned Old White Course The area’s only celebrity golf event is just months away and will feature not only a new course, but new celebrities as well. The July 10-11 event will be held on The Old White course and will be the first public event on that course after its redesign for The Greenbrier Classic PGA TOUR event. Teams will once again be paired with an “A-list” celebrity for a memorable day of golf. Previous celebrity participants include Troy Aikman, Daryl Johnston, The Fall Festival, hosted at Western Greenbrier Middle School, brings together a new flair with Bluegrass & BBQ. continued on page 2 An eighth grader understands the value of good decision making and communication. .. with CISGC help. The CHOICE Bus brings a dose of reality to area high schools and leaves a big impact in its place. Very Truly Yours, Daniel C. Ream President CISGC Board of Directors CIS STAFF Emily Haas Julie Coughlin Meg Squier

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The Spring Newsletter of Communities In Schools of Greenbrier County, WV.

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Page 1: Newsletter Spring 2010

Dear CIS Supporter,

Spring finds Communities in Schools of Greenbrier County as busy andexciting as ever. Emily continues to run herself in every direction! She andher staff recently secured funding which Emily is using for field trips shecalls Project MAC (Make a Change). They have traveled to SouthernRegional Jail and Mountain State University in March. In April theytraveled to WVU where they met with Student Support Services and touredMylan Stadium.

I think this is a great example of how far the CIS staff is willing to go toimpact the lives of the children we serve. April 27 and 28 were exciting daysat two of the campuses we serve. The Choice Bus, which was recentlyfeatured in , visited the Greenbrier East and Greenbrier Westcampuses with the help of the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office.

As always, we keep a keen eye focused on our fundraising efforts. Our KidsCome First! Celebrity Golf Tournament planning is well underway. Thisyear promises some exciting changes to our event which you won’t want tomiss. We are also busy planning our Miles Over Mountains for Kids BikeRun for 2010. Even though the dogwood blooms and dandelions keep fallfar from our minds, planning for the 2010 Fall Festival is in full swing. Wehope you will come out and participate in any or all of these fun andrewarding events.

PLAN ON IT!Annual GolfTournament to bePlayed on RedesignedOld White Course

The area’s only celebrity golf event isjust months away and will feature notonly a new course, but new celebrities aswell.

The July 10-11 event will be held on TheOld White course and will be the firstpublic event on that course after itsredesign for The Greenbrier ClassicPGA TOUR event.

Teams will once again be paired with an“A-list” celebrity for a memorable dayof golf. Previous celebrity participantsinclude Troy Aikman, Daryl Johnston,

The Fall Festival,hosted at WesternGreenbrier MiddleSchool, bringstogether a newflair withBluegrass & BBQ.

continued on page 2

An eighth graderunderstands thevalue of gooddecision making andcommunication. ..with CISGC help.

The CHOICE Busbrings a dose ofreality to area highschools and leaves abig impact in itsplace.

Very Truly Yours,

Daniel C. ReamPresidentCISGC Board of Directors

CIS STAFF

Emily Haas Julie Coughlin Meg Squier

Page 2: Newsletter Spring 2010

Plans are underway for the Third Annual Communities In Schools FallCelebration: Bluegrass & BBQ  which will be held on the front lawn ofWestern Greenbrier Middle School, from 12-4.

Once again, the event will feature the popular Half Bad Bluegrass Bandwhose latest CD True Appalachian Roots was just released with rave reviews.Their unique blend of gospel and traditional bluegrass will provide a perfectbackdrop for the fall event.

In addition to live bluegrass music, the afternoon will include a silentauction, local vendors, face painting, pumpkin painting, games, raffle items,jolly jumps and much more.

For those festival food lovers, the day will include scrumptious food vendorsfeaturing a full bbq meal including pulled pork bbq, baked potato, corn onthe cob, macaroni salad, drink and dessert, or the event’s famous $1 hot dogs.

Entry fee for the day is just $5 per person; with ages 4 and under, free. Withthe proposed changes, event organizers anticipate a record crowd. Allproceeds go to help fund CISGC programs throughout the county.

StuffThe Bus

Dell Curry, Chad Pennington, Virginia Tech’s SethGreenberg, and Branford Marsalis. Confirmed newcelebrities include DIY maven Kristan Cunninghamfrom the HGTV hit show, Design on a Dime andLPGA great Beth Daniel.

A pre-tournament reception and auction will onceagain kick-off the event, featuring live music, heavyhors d’oeuvres, adult beverages, a live auction and thepairing of celebrities to teams. For the non-golfer, thereception event is the perfect way to get involved, withtickets available for $75 per person.

Golfers may register solo or in teams, at a rate of $500per player. This fee includes cart rental, on-courserefreshments, reception on Saturday evening and thePlayer’s Luncheon following the tournament onSunday. A special $199 group room rate for the eventis also available from The Greenbrier.

Fast FactsEvery 26 seconds,

a child drops out of school.8 out of every 10 dropouts

end up incarcerated.

Julie CoughlinCommittee Chair

Summer is just around the corner and CISGC is gearingup for its fifth annual school supply drive.

There are countless students in Greenbrier County who beginschool each year without the supplies necessary to learn andsucceed in the classroom. Together, we can help solve thisproblem. The goal is to completely fill a school bus withbackpacks, zippered binders, three-ring binders, notebooks,dividers, paper, pens, pencils, colored pencils, markers, pencilpouches, and other school related items.

But CISGC needs your help to ! Donationscan be dropped off at the WalMart Supercenter in Lewisburgon

from 9am to 6pm.

continued from page 1

For more details,log onto our

new event website atwww.greenbriercelebritygolf.org

Page 3: Newsletter Spring 2010

RESULTS ARE THE BEST RECOGNITION

“It feels kind of weird!” That wasthe response Billy gave whenasked how it felt to havecompleted eighth grade with onlyone discipline referral. A quiet,modest young man, Billy openlyacknowledges he is a differentperson than he was just two yearsago. “I had a bad attitude. I thinka lot of that came from themedication I was taking. It wasnot helping my anger; it actuallymade me feel worse.”

Sixth grade was a hard year forBilly. He struggled with hisanger, did not like to completeschool work and was suspendedmore than once for bullyingbehavior. His school team –teachers, counselor, principal,nurse, CIS staff, mother andgrandmother – all recognized hispotential and did not give up onhim. Although he repeated thesixth grade, his behavior slowlybegan to improve. He met with acounselor outside of school, andwas given extra support throughthe Communities In Schoolsprogram at EGMS.

Billy participated in small groupsfacilitated by CIS staff, focusingon recognizing and managing hisemotions, particularly anger. CISwas a safe place for him to comeand vent his anger, as well as getsome extra help with school work– when Billy was ready to acceptthis. He finished sixth gradesuccessfully and moved on toseventh grade, where hecontinued to do quite well. Billyclearly feels that stopping hismedication had a big effect on hisattitude. “I didn’t feel good when

I took my meds. One day I tookthem, and I kept falling asleep inclass. I went to the nurse and shecalled my mom and the doctor, andthe doctor said stop taking them.Things have gotten better ever sinceI stopped.”

Billy was open to meeting with amentor, and began weekly visitswith Jim Phares, a local communitymember recruited through CIS. “Itgives me time away from peopleduring the school day. Jim listens tome, and helps me solve problems. Ithink meeting with him has beengood for me.” Billy has continuedhis relationship with Jimthroughout his eighth grade year,and hopes to continue meeting withhim when he transitions to the highschool next year.

CIS played a crucial role on Billy’sacademic team at EGMS. “CIS gaveme support and hung in there whentimes were hard” Billy reflected.His grades have improved, althoughhe acknowledges he could studyharder. And earlier this year, Billyspoke to a group of communitymembers about how important hismentor has been to him andencouraged them to give one hourper week to help a student in need.

A little bit of support goes a long,long way.

Our Vision: To champion the connection of needed

community resources with schools to help youngpeople successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life.

Fast FactsA high school dropout will earn

$9,000 per year.

A high school graduate will earnmore than $1 million in their

lifetime.

950 students sign no-dropout pledge

Communities In Schools with supportfrom the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s

Department recently made a big impact inmiddle and high schoolers’ minds.

The Choice Bus is an experience-basedlearning tool designed to show young

people the power of education, as well asthe likely consequences of choosing to

drop out of school. 75% of prison inmatesnationwide are high school dropouts.

On entering the bus, a movie quizzed thestudents on the earning potential of a

dropout versus a high school and collegegraduate. The movie also featuredseveral powerful testimonials from

people who regret dropping out--prisoninmates. When the movie is finished, acell is revealed demonstrating the starkreality experienced by many dropouts.

Students are then invited into the prisoncell to briefly experience the

uncomfortable living conditions.

As students exit the bus, they receive apledge card and are asked to make a

commitment to finish school and makegood choices. The objectives are for

students to understand the link betweendropping out of school and the likelihoodof spending time in prison, to stimulate

discussions about the importance ofmaking good choices and the potential

consequences of making bad ones.

Page 4: Newsletter Spring 2010

July 10-11 Golf Tournament

August 6-8 Stuff the Bus

September 25 Miles Over Mtns

October 2 Fall Festival

PO Box 1188Lewisburg WV 24901

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Daniel Ream, Renea Ream,Adam Criddle, Melinda Workman, Lisa Vaughn, Sara Irons, Carolyn Dorsey, Brandon Johnson,

Beverly White, Amber Hinkle, Frank Adkins, Christy Clemons-Rodgers, Charlie Callison