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E-Connections Newsletter May 09 |
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Communities In Schools (CIS) of Charlotte-Mecklenburg
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 Dear Friends of CIS,
Thank you in advance for taking a few moments out of your already busy day to read about the recent good work being done by Communities In Schools. The ultimate end result for CIS is to have more students graduate from high school and then go on to further educational opportunities. We just wrapped up our biggest event of the year, "Celebrating Our Graduates," and I am pleased to announce that we increased our number of graduates in one year from 225 to 392. This is something we are very proud of.
This issue of our E-Newsletter shares highlights from Celebrating Our Graduates, including Shannon Frink, the West Meck senior who won our top award, the CIS Leadership Award; and our guest speaker, CIS graduate Brandi Sims, who impressed everyone with her thoughtful speech and graceful delivery. Below you'll also find links to a slideshow of photos and the text of Brandi's speech.
On another note, please mark your calendar and plan to eat out on June 16 to support CIS through Dine Out For KidsŪ. This year marks the 10th Anniversary of "Dine Out" and we hope to make this the best year yet!
Bill Anderson, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Inc.
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CIS serves 4,800 students annually in 37 CMS schools. Click here to see schools that offer CIS.
99% of CIS students stay in school.
88% are promoted.
90% of CIS seniors graduate.
Did You Know?
In N.C., only 69 of every 100 students graduate from high school.
The national high school graduation rate is 73%.
Approximately 2,500 students drop out of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools each year.
More than 23,500 students drop out each year in North Carolina.
75% of N.C.'s prison inmates are high school dropouts. It costs $600 million annually to incarcerate them.
Quick Links
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Celebrating Our Graduates 2009!
In case you missed them, there were two wonderful articles about CIS in The Charlotte Observer on April 17. Here are the links:
 West Meck Senior Shannon Frink wins CIS Leadership Award
CIS held its annual "Celebrating Our Graduates" event on April 16 at The Westin in uptown Charlotte. The luncheon is held in honor of the graduating seniors in our program, many of whom have faced significant challenges along their path to graduation. CIS is proud of our 392 seniors who are on track to graduate in June and we wish them every continued success!
Pictured above is West Mecklenburg senior Shannon Frink, who won this year's CIS Leadership Award. Jennifer Roberts, the Chair of the Mecklenburg County Commission, presented the surprise award to Shannon, who plans to study pre-medicine at Spelman College in the fall.
Note: On April 10, Shannon Frink was featured in a Family Focus news story on WSOC-TV. Click here to view the video clip.
CIS Alumni Speaker shares story, says "past must not dictate future"
 Another highlight of the "Celebrating Our Graduates" program was this year's CIS Alumni Speaker, Brandi Sims. Brandi spoke eloquently and with great poise about her involvement with the CIS program since her middle school years and the important relationships she gained:
"Never could I have imagined the immense impact that not only Communities In Schools would have on my life, but the relationships I created with mentors along the way. It was these mentors, along with family and friends, who provided unconditional and genuine love, support and guidance. But most importantly, they allowed me to make mistakes, but were also there to help me correct my wrongs."
Even with her quiet delivery, Brandi had the audience's undivided attention during her speech. She shared enough of her background to indicate the serious challenges she faced in her personal life during her youth, but she also made it very clear that one of the best decisions she ever made was to "never allow the unchangeable circumstances of my past to dictate the success of my future."
Brandi is a 2003 CIS graduate of North Mecklenburg High School and received her undergarduate degree from North Carolina Central University. She then pursued a Master's degree in Social Work and will graduate this month from UNC-Greensboro. She hopes to work in the medical field of HIV/AIDS prevention and advocacy.
Click here for a slideshow of photos from Celebrating Our Graduates.
CIS would like to thank the sponsors of Celebrating Our Graduates:
Presenting Sponsor
Wachovia, A Wells Fargo Company
Silver Star Sponsor Bronze Star Sponsors
TIAA-CREF AmWINS Group, Inc.
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
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Coming soon to a restaurant near you...
Dine Out For KidsŪ
Tuesday, June 16th
Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, June 16th and plan to Dine Out For KidsŪ to support CIS! Participating restaurants will donate a portion of the day's sales to CIS - all you have to do is go out to eat! Click this link for a list of participating restaurants!
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RMA Golf Tournament benefits CIS
Pictured above are (L-R): Phil Haines, Ryan Everett, Jeb Carlisle, Bill Anderson, Tim Herbst, and Boris Henderson.
Many thanks to the the Risk Management Association (RMA), which held a golf tournament on April 20 at Birkdale Golf Club to benefit CIS. The tournament netted more than $2,500 for CIS. RMA is a not-for-profit, member-driven professional association whose purpose is to advance the use of sound risk principles in the financial services industry. CIS would like to thank Boris Henderson and Tim Herbst, both RMA member who also serve on the CIS Board of Directors; and Ryan Everett, RMA member who handled much of the tournament's planning and details. Way to go, RMA!!
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| VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
M.O.V.E. Volunteers support teen mothers at Hawthorne High School  There are few challenges in life as demanding as raising a child when you are a teen parent. Many students at Hawthorne High School, which houses TAPS (Teen-Age Parent Services), attest that the demands of parenting often conflict with the demands of their education, and create tough choices that few truly understand. Cara Burton - a student at UNC-Charlotte, mother of a two-year-old daughter and mentor at Hawthorne - understands. Read More
Tyler Epp
Mentor at Hopewell High School
"He was the first person I wanted to call..."
 David "D.J." Long says his mentor, Tyler Epp, was the first person he wanted to call when he learned that he was being promoted mid-year to the 10th grade - after having been held back in the 9th grade at Hopewell High School because he did not pass his EOC tests.
"This guy is the best man on the planet," said a beaming D.J., when asked about his mentor. "Hanging out with Tyler, learning from him, it's definitely kept me motivated to do better in school," he said.
Note: Tyler Epp was featured as our Volunteer Spotlight in the print edition of the CIS Winter newsletter. We're so impressed with Tyler's enthusiasm and commitment, that we're sharing the article again here in the hope it will inspire others to become mentors. Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator for more information. |
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Only selected schools in CMS offer the Communities In Schools (CIS) program. A student must attend one of these schools in order to participate in CIS. Click here to see a list of CIS schools.
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Contact Info
E-Connections Editor Executive Director Web Phone
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