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Constellations  South Shore Day Care Services, Inc. 

 Early Education and Youth Development Programs Recognized for their Excellence 
IN THIS ISSUE
Stellar Study Budy
State Street Adopts SSDCS
Constellation Grows
Program News
Volunteer News
Strategic Plan
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
 
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RISE In the News
 
FEATURED ARTICLE
Randolph Preschool Family
Bringing Familes Together:
Preschools host Open Houses to introduce RISE 
 
Preschool classrooms in Quincy, Randolph and Weymouth kicked of their Reading Is So Exciting (RISE) programs funded by the
JJill Compassion Fund in September and October by welcoming families for dinner and socializing followed in their child's classroom.  Children decorated book bags to be used to carry books home from the classroom lending library while parents learned about at-home activities to promote reading readiness. The open houses are the first of four literacy nights designed to encourage parents to read to their children at home.
SAVE THE DATE 
 
"For the Love of Kids Gala"

Saturday, April 4th 2009 at   

F1 Boston 

STELLAR STUDY BUDDY

 

According to James DelPrete, Emerson & Cumming Application Engineer and RCMS STARS volunteer, proficiency at pre-algebra, geometry, or essay writing are not essential prerequisites to be a successful study partner to middle school STARS students.  DelPrete and 3 collegues give time once a week at STARS to mentor a student identified as needing one on one time.  Volunteer tutors are an important component of afterschool programming at SSDCS.  "The most important qualities are patience and a genuine caring for kids," says DelPrete.
 
VOLUME ONE ISSUE ONE NOVEMBER 2008
Greetings! 
Welcome to Constellations, South Shore Day Care Services' first quarterly email newsletter.  We hope you learn more about our organization and what we are doing in your community.
 
Thanks for reading and please forward to your friends! 
 
Gwen Tarbox
Director of Program Resource Development
State Street Global Adopts SSDCS: 
 
State Street Volunteer Group PhotoTrainees Bond with Community Service Work
State Street Global Services announced their commitment to adopt SSDCS programs for the next 12-18 months as the focus of their employee volunteer outreach initiative.  The Global Services Group, which consists of over 1,200 employees, will participate in volunteer days once a month and provide Study Buddies to our Quincy afterschool programs. On September 19th, 18 energetic trainees completed their two week rotation at Global Services with a community service day at our Jefferson School building in Weymouth. 
A New Star in our Constellation! 
 
High School Program spurs Community Service Learning
SSDCS announces the opening of a new High School STARS (Students Training for Achievement, Responsibility and Success) at Randolph High School.  Developed in partnership with the Randolph Public Schools and funded by a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant, the goal of RHS STARS is to improve school achievement and reduce the high school drop out rate.  In addition to academic support and enrichment opportunities, STARS is based on a Community Service Learning model designed to promote social growth, civic responsibility, self-esteem and leadership skills in at-risk students.
STARS Program News
 
Math Clubs Give the MLB Post Season New Meaning!
Do you know how to calculate your favorite player's AB/HR (home run ratio), SLG (slugging percentage), WHIP ratio or ERA?  Can a team manager use a player's LIPS stat (late inning pressure situation) to determine whether the player bats when he has RISP (runners in scoring position) late in the game?  The answers to these questions and more are part of the project-based math clubs that Randolph middle school students experience during each 11 week cycle of STARS.  Students participate in a mock draft, practice math concepts as they apply to stats (data collection, ratio, percentage, analysis) and graph results for a final project.  Other project-based clubs in high demand include Cooking & Math and Double Dutch.  The clubs present their final projects at the December Showcase.
Local Companies Give Back
 
Blue Cross Volunteer Group PhotoVolunteer Crews "Sweep" Through SSDCS 
Donna Caliri, SSDCS Special Projects Coordinator, extends thanks to the many volunteer crews that provided hundreds of service hours to our programs over the last six months.  Special thanks goes to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Milton Academy, MIB Group of Braintree, State Street, United Way Ambassadors and United Parcel Service for all their hard work and good cheer!
New 5 Year Strategic Plan:
 
Board Approves Revised Mission Statement
In March the SSDCS Board of Directors adopted a new five-year strategic plan which includes an updated Mission Statement (see below).  The plan identifies strategic priorities related to quality of programs, expansion of existing programs, and new opportunties to achieve mission.  Committee members Nereyda Garcia (Board member & facilitator), Michelle Carson (Board President), current board members Bruce Haas, Steve Briggs, Julie Fallon and Rosemary Wahlberg, past board member Gwen Tarbox and SSDCS staff Sheri Adlin (Executive Director), Michelle MacDonald (RED Program Coordinator) and Debby Rawson (Early Education Coordinator) participated in a six month long planning process.
Mission Statement: SSDCS provides comprehensive early education and youth programs, using a family support approach, that enhance the development of children from economically and culturally diverse families through collaboration with parents, schools and communities.