Greetings!  

The 2010-11 academic year concluded with many great accomplishments for A's & Aces' scholar-athletes. Here are a few of our success stories:

A's & Aces Becomes a United Way Partner Agency  

 United Way of Greater New Orleans Area selected A's & Aces to be a United Way Partner Agency.  We are greatly honored by this partnership.

Scholarships and Graduations 

A's & Aces Begins Jr. Team Tennis   

Thanks to the Dr. Phil Foundation, 25 A's & Aces students were able to participate on four teams in the USTA's Junior Team Tennis.  The competition will continue in the fall, and more children will join our teams.

           

Summer Reading & Tennis Camps Heat Up 

Children Learn and Play Year-Round in A's & Aces     

Over one hundred campers have filled the full-day summer Reading & Tennis Camp at Dillard University and Edward Hynes Charter School Camp.  Seven-week programming at Dillard University provides tennis coaching for beginners to advanced players and "college prep" reading and writing instruction for children ages 6-12 to advance their knowledge and skills.  Children continue in the fall with school-based programs and A's & Aces' teams compete in Junior Team Tennis league play.   

Lori Ochsner reads from Arthur Ashe's memoir Days of Grace to campers.

 NORDC Commissioner Rini Marcus and LTA representative Lori Ochsner were special guest readers on National Summer Learning Day.

A's & Aces' camps are sponsored by the United Way of Greater New Orleans Area, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, and the PeyBack Foundation.

USTA National Leadership Tours A's & Aces   

 In May, Barry Ford (USTA's Director of Advocacy, Education and Outreach), Dan Limbago (Director of the 602 National Junior Tennis & Learning organizations) and China Fanning (NJTL Education Director) visited A's & Aces, one of a few chapters selected nationally for a Capacity Building Program. The delegation toured programming sites and met with board members, city leaders and members of the NORD Commission.

The USTA representatives experienced firsthand how scholars at ARISE Academy prepare for the Arthur Ashe Essay Contest and learn about sportsmanship and teamwork through A's & Aces' literacy curriculum. Ms. Fanning was particularly pleased to hear an ARISE 3rd grader's thoughtful answer about what he learned while preparing for and writing his Contest entry.  Starting in the fall, all 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade scholars at ARISE Academy will participate in A's & Aces' program!