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News from
Making It Better
December, 2011
Vol. 1, Issue 3 |
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Holiday Greetings! | |
Despite our unstable economy, 2011 has been a wonderfully successful year for Making It Better, thanks, in large part, to the generosity of our donors! We have successfully met many of our goals due to the dedication of our staff, volunteers and board members who have worked diligently to serve the rapidly growing needs in our community.
2011 grants and donations allowed us to expand our programs and we are now delivering programs in 8 HISD schools and 2 apartment complexes touching the lives of over 1,000 children! New foundation grants allowed our organization to develop and deliver our innovative Steps 2 Success program after - school programs for at-risk students.
Designed to develop leadership and positive relationship skills, this program also exposes at-risk children to a wide variety of experiences that otherwise, they would not have an opportunity to experience.
Making It Better is proud to announce it has expanded its Board of Directors to lead MIB in 2012. Our Board is comprised of active business and community members with a passion for children and education. Each recognizes the positive influence MIB has had on the lives of the children we serve. We are welcoming Tom Fitzpatrick, Senior Vice President with Chubb Insurance Company and Bret West, Vice President of Wells Fargo Energy.
As the holidays approach and the year comes to an end, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and on those who have helped to shape our organization in a most significant way. We are grateful for your generosity which has made a difference in the lives of so many children and their hope for the future so much brighter.
As we face a year of new financial challenges, we ask for your continued support. Like most non-profits, Making It Better is highly dependent on year-end giving in order to meet our annual operating budget. Please consider making a year-end donation to Making It Better allowing us to support and transform the lives of the children who need it the most and continue our mission of changing the world, one life at a time.
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Take a look at our NEW VAN!!
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Thanks to the generosity of the Houston Children's Charity"Chariots for Children" program, we are the proud new owner of a 12 passenger van!!
Taking part in new experiences is a big part of our after school program and a great way to "expand the world" of our kids . . . trips to various fine arts venues, local universities, and multiple locations where the kids can serve their community will be much easier with our new van!
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2011 Funding Update |
Making It Better wishes to thank ALL of our 2011 donors! No gift is ever too large or too small and each donation is put to good use. As always, we promise to be good stewards of your generous gifts and will use them wisely. Among our many generous friends, we wish to recognize the gifts, made in 2011, from the following foundations which allowed us to continue and expand our various programs:
Castex Foundation
Chapelwood United Methodist Church Foundation
Glaxo Smith Kline Foundation
Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation
Houston Children's Charity - Chariot's For Children
The Children's Fund
The Simmons Foundation |
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Magnums Made A Difference!!
  
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Beautiful people, a beautiful venue, outstanding food & drink...what more can you ask for? Our 3rd annual Magnums Make a Difference Wine Dinner, held at the Wynden, was an amazing success! Many thanks to Gina Gaston for her exceptional job as our guest emcee and to all of our underwriters, speakers, guests, donors and volunteers who contributed to the $91,000 net proceeds from the evening. |
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2011-12 Program Overview | |
Making It Better's 2011-12 school year began with a total of 15 programs in 8 HISD schools!
Our Literacy Program is designed to develop a foundation for academic success through intensive reading tutorials. This program is based upon the 5 components of reading as determined by the National Reading Panel: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics. Fluency, Vocabulary & Comprehension.
The Literacy Program is comprised of twice weekly, 45-minute sessions with a low 4:1 student to teacher ratio. Students are leveled and grouped based upon comprehensive pre-testing, which includes: leveled word list, comprehension and fluency assessment and alphabet recognition and phonemic segmentation tests for emergent readers.
Our goal for the students in our Literacy Program is to move the students' reading level up at least one grade level, if not several. This is accomplished through focused, small group instruction. Additionally, the goal of all Making It Better staff is to connect with students on a personal level and to be an adult on whom the children depend and learn to trust. During the fall semester this program was offered at 6 HISD Elementary Schools: Askew, Bruce, Red, Robinson, Shearn and Walnut Bend.
The Steps 2 Success After-School Program is new this year and is designed to empower our future leaders to develop good character and leadership skills, positive relationships and to make healthy choices for a lifetime of success. Our extremely low student to adult ratios (6:1), allows for building and sustaining meaningful relationships that will focus on:
- Life Skills: The students will learn the characteristics of a leader and how to deal with feelings in a positive manner.
- Community Engagement: Students will have the opportunity to learn about the connectivity of our "community."
- Lifetime Fitness: The students will learn how to make choices for a healthy life.
- Creativity: The students will have the opportunity to receive instruction from a variety of professional artists, as well as participate in field trips to fine arts venues and performances.
- Grade 13: The students will gain skills and experiences that will enable them to prepare for their future.
- Parent Partnership: Parents will commit to four educational opportunities throughout the year designed to reinforce the curriculum we will be providing for their children.
During the fall semester this program was offered at Askew & Shadowbriar Elementary Schools, Revere Middle School and the Kennedy Place Apartments.
Character Counts is a program offered once a week to eight 5th grade students at Askew Elementary, who have been recommended by their teachers. The primary goal is to give the kids a sense of belonging in order to help them develop positive character traits and learn skills that will enable them to be leaders and positive role models.
Making It Better serves as a sub-contractor for Change Happens! to deliver a Life Skills & Positive Action curriculum to the entire 3rd - 5th grade populations at Askew & Bruce Elementary. The curriculum is very interactive and is designed to give kids skills for making healthy lifestyle choices including avoidance of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
Our Lunch Bunch Program serves 33 girls at Paul Revere Middle School who meet during their lunch period each Monday for a time of sharing in a safe, controlled atmosphere. The girls are learning about relationships, dealing with their feelings in a positive manner, and are acquiring skills for making healthy lifestyle choices.
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1st Semester News from our Literacy Sites | |
Research shows that literacy at the elementary level is an early predictor of future success; furthermore, low reading skills in elementary school are a strong predictor of later incarceration. Because it has been shown that high school graduation can be predicted by the reading ability at the end of third grade, MIB's Literacy Program starts early in order to give our kids a "fighting" chance!
The real highlight for Walnut Bend Elementary has been the opportunity to work with Kindergarten kids, a first for MIB! We have developed a fast paced curriculum with a wide variety of activities that appeal to little guys who need to move around while they are learning. The photo shows one of our kindergartners "baking words" with some of the sounds she has learned.
 Second graders are moving right along, and we are providing them with a wide variety of texts to read. In this photo, one of our second graders is showing off a "Texas Snowman" she made after reading and following step by step instructions in her book.
Our Literacy Program at Askew Elementary got off to a great start In October. Out of a total of thirty-six first and second graders, more than two thirds of the  students have improved by two to five reading levels! One particular student, George came to us last year as one of our lowest first graders. He is back with us as a second grader this year and is currently one of our top students in the program! Not only has his reading ability improved tremendously, but his confidence and attitude toward reading is nothing short of exciting. It has been such a blessing to see this precious boy grow so much over the last year. Seeing this kind of transformation is what makes our work so rewarding. We can hardly wait to witness many more of these success stories throughout the rest of the school year!
 We have 24 students 16-1st and 8-2nd graders in our Red Elem. Literacy program. Our 1st grade students loved using their Halloween finger pointers to practice reading in their Phonics books. Most of our 1st grade students began our program knowing only 3 or fewer high frequency words (HFW), now most of them know at least 20-30 words
Six of our 8 2nd graders passed the HFW exam in the fall. They had to make 80% on their word list. Only 2 of the 8 were proficient on a 2nd grade list when we tested then initially.
Our Bruce Elementary students are all progressing well. The 1st graders are able to recognize their letters and sounds and are working hard to learn all of their High Frequency Words. They are increasing their fluency skills and 70% of the  1st graders have increased their A-Z book level by one level so far this year. The 2nd graders have been working hard on word families to increase their word recognition. They are also doing well with their reading fluency. 73% of the 2nd graders are reading at a level C or higher in the A-Z books, and over half of the students have increased their reading level by two levels since the program started.
The 1st graders at Robinson Elementary are making great progress. All of the students are able to identify their letters and sounds. Over half of the students passed their fall High Frequency Word assessment. They are doing a great job increasing their word recognition and 70% of the students are reading at a B level or higher in the A-Z reading books.
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1st Semester News from our
Steps 2 Success Sites | |
Our newest program, Steps 2 Success After-School Program is being offered at Askew and Shadowbriar Elementary Schools, Paul Revere Middle School and at the Kennedy Place Apartments.
Askew students focused on the fact that everyone has unique gifts and talents and should use those skills to better themselves and others. They also discussed the importance of never giving up on one's dreams. In an activity where students matched biographies to famous people, students were fascinated to learn that even the most famous of individuals still experienced failures, mistakes, rejections, or disabilities which they fought to overcome in order to attain their goals. This led to a discussion centered on the importance of determination and belief in oneself in the never-ending fight to attain their dreams. The students continue to reference that activity when they talk about their dreams and goals.
Students' creativity is evident in this photo which illustrates a project in which the students were introduced to the names of each state's flower and then were asked to paint them onto tiles.
The final group project will be presented to the school leaving the students' legacy to future generations!
A major priority in our Steps 2 Success Program is providing our students access to a variety of experiences they might never have the opportunity to experience without our program. Students at both Askew and Shadowbriar were introduced to yoga and took a field trip to Terry Hershey Park where they met with a yoga instructor. The students were taught that anger is a normal response, but that our behavior and the way we choose to deal with the anger can be harmful. This was surprising to them because they always thought that anger was a negative thing. The students were taught how to relax themselves and how to gain control of their bodies through this yoga experience. The instructor was astounded by the student's determination and they continue to practice their yoga moves, genuinely trying to deal with their anger in a more appropriate manner.
4th and 5th grade students participate in the Shadowbriar Steps 2 Success After-School Program. The children thoroughly enjoyed creating their tile art project of the 50 state flowers and proved to be quite talented artists! They have gone  through the process of setting goals for themselves and track their progress each week - seeing their individual progress is a great source of pride! This group is a very lively and chatty bunch - they are inquisitive and really "get into" discussing the lessons each session. We had great participation from the students' parents during our 1st parent session "How to Help Your Child Succeed in School" and are looking forward to more sessions in the spring. The highlights of this semester were certainly the field trips . . . Yoga in the Park and a trip to The Alley Theater to see A Christmas Carol.
Paul Revere Middle School has twelve 6th grade students enrolled, most of whom started out the year as strangers. As the weeks progressed, so did the friendships and close bonds have been forged. Essentially, this group has turned into a close knit, healthy support system for one another, crucial at this time in their lives. They recently completed a "kindness awareness campaign" where they tied a small message to candy canes and handed them out to students and faculty at the school. This exercise was the culmination of a lesson where they discussed that one small act of kindness can change a person's life!
Through our partnership with Houston Housing Resource, we are serving eight students in our Steps 2 Success program at Kennedy Place  Apartments this Fall. As a community service project, the students visited the Pleasant Hill Village Retirement Community in the Fifth Ward. The youth served refreshments, spent time talking with the senior residents, and enjoyed playing several rounds of bingo with them - they were serious about their bingo. Justin, 9 years old, said, "They changed my life by showing me where I would be in a couple of years, by showing me what a retirement home would look like and how nice the people would be." Although Justin has quite a few years before he will be old enough to be in a retirement home, the experience for him was quite impactful. |
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Lunch Bunch, Life Skills &
Character Counts News! | |
The entire 4th and 5th grade student body at Askew Elementary received the Life Skills Curriculum this fall taught by longtime MIB employee, Kimberly Tutor. Kimberly, who also delivers the Literacy Program at Askew, reports that it was hugely rewarding to get to know so many of the Askew students outside of the Literacy realm. Even after the program had concluded she was often stopped in the halls by students just wanting to "check in" and share with her what was going on in their lives. Taking to heart what she had been taught about peer pressure, a 5th grade girl confided to Kimberly that she was being bullied by classmates after school. Kimberley was able to speak to both the teacher and principal about this to ensure that the young girl felt safe when leaving school. True to her dedication, Kimberly still checks up on her weekly!
Also on Kimberly's weekly agenda is Lunch Bunch with Paul Revere Middle School girls. She reports that currently there are 35 girls signed up, but, because the program is so popular with the current girls, each week finds another few asking to participate.Fifteen of these girls are returning from last year's program which speaks to Kimberly's nurturing spirit which encourages conversations centered around body image, self-esteem, crushes and friendships; all issues paramount in the life of a middle school girl!
Our Askew 5th graders have been learning about their gifts and talents and how they can use them to impact others in a positive way in their Character Counts class. The kids are developing bonds with one another and with their group leaders which was evident when one of the boys, who is very "closed off" actually gave Jacque Daughtry (MIB Senior Director) and Brittainy Dennis (Askew teacher, MIB volunteer & Jacque's daughter) each a hug as he said goodbye after their Christmas party . . . this was BIG as it was a first for the semester!
Bruce Elementary had 181 4th and 5th grade students enrolled in the Life Skills classes in the Fall semester. The Life Skills classes focused on the avoidance of smoking, alcohol and drug prevention in a practical and interactive setting. In one of the activities, each student was challenged to come up with a Truth About Smoking ad. Through their ads, the students demonstrated that they were getting the message about the dangers of smoking from what they had learned. Some students even gave a first-hand account on the complications their family members have experienced as smokers. The students were encouraged to continue to share the message of smoking, alcohol and drug prevention with friends and family. |
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Belmont Apartments After School News | |
Thanks to our partnership with the Belmont Place/LaFontaine Apts. who provide the 3 bedroom apartment for our program and a grant from The Children's Fund, we are able to serve 21 children (Pre-K - 5th grade) who attend Walnut Bend Elementary School and live at the apartment complex.
 The students start each day with a healthy snack and have a chance to unwind and chat after a long day at school before breaking up into groups to begin the day's activities. Our tutorial staff helps the children with homework and depending upon the needs of each group, tutorial lessons are developed to work on math and/or reading skills.
A highlight for the Pre-K - 2nd graders is "story time" with Grace Myers who is a sophomore at Westside High School who reads to the little ones twice each week. The kids also love playing on the playground and a wide variety of arts/crafts projects, as well as going on field trips!
At the end of tutorials, the students spend a few minutes on a fun activity like Scrabble or a computer game. During the activity period, the students do all sorts of fun activities geared toward creativity and improving their socialization skills. They include board games and puzzles, group games, arts and crafts, and Hip-Hop dance. During activity time, the students also go outside for unstructured playtime at the apartment playground.
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Thank you for taking the time to catch up with all of us at Making It Better!
Sincerely,
Jerry V. Davis
CEO/Executive Director
Making It Better
832-860-1766
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Your donations help provide much needed programs that positively impact the future of the at-risk children right here in our own back yards.
DONATE HERE
Many thanks to our Magnums Make a Difference Sponsors & Underwriters!!
Andy & AnnaLee Waite
CenterPoint Energy
Complete Production Services
Vinson & Elkins, LLP
Amegy Bank
Curry Glassell
Wells Fargo Energy Group
Post Oak Bank
Andrews Kurth, LLP
Avalon Advisors
We'd like to recognize and thank the following individuals and businesses who stepped up to the challenge presented by an anonymous donor at the Magnums Make a Difference event who offered to MATCH any funds raised up to $25,000:
$250
Norman Baker,
Allegiance Bank
$500
Brian & Samantha Brantley
Matt & Mary Frazier
Steve & Mignon Gill
Lynn Mathre & Stuart O'Dell
Chris & Kim Miller
Felix & Keisha Phillips
Trish & Ty Whitcomb
$1,000
William & Sandy Bryan
Thomas & Lynn Burke
Fred & Anna Charlton
Mike & Krista Dumas
Steve & Vada Earnest
Jason & Arvia Few,
Reliant Energy
Greg & Janelle Frazier
Jean & Amy Frizzell
Dave Jones, Echo Energy
Steve & Judith Katzman
$3,000
MRE Builders
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