The event will start with an AEIS, Parent Involvement and Title 1 General Meeting at 5:45 p.m. Parents are invited to visit classrooms and meet teachers from 6-7:15 p.m.

Communities In Schools Bay Area has played a role in the success of hundreds of graduates from the Dickinson Independent School District. The program, which has been an integral part of Dickinson ISD for 20 years, helps take care of the social and physical needs of students, so that teachers have more time to focus on academics. This team approach has one goal - for each student to earn a high school diploma and not become a dropout statistic.

"The mission of Communities In Schools (CIS) is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life," said Peter Wuenschel, Executive Director of Communities in Schools Bay Area.

This is accomplished through the work of six case managers at five Dickinson ISD campuses, including K.E. Little Elementary, Barber Middle School, Dunbar Middle School, McAdams Junior High and Dickinson High School. Because of the district's growing student enrollment and the increasing needs of students, the organization added an additional case manager at DHS this year.

In a typical year, each CIS case manager oversees 90 different students, making sure they have access to resources to allow the student to succeed. This may include family counseling, basic physical needs for food and clothing, health services, tutors, mentors, job shadowing, college visits and educational enrichment. In addition to case managed students, CIS provides a variety of school-wide programs, such as career fairs and Red Ribbon Week activities, to encourage achievement and success in school for all students. These programs allow them to touch the lives of thousands of students.

"While they are not employees of the school district, our case managers become part of the school employee family. They develop relationships with the students, who many times look to the case managers as surrogate parents," said Wuenschel.

Lennel Collard left teaching at DHS in June but was hired by CIS to fill the new position at the high school. She has seen the needs of students from two different sets of eyes. She brings with her years of teaching experience and working with students but is now able to solely concentrate on the social needs of students.

"It made me look at the students a little more differently. Kids need an adult they can go to that will not judge them," said Collard. "Many times, students are at-risk of not graduating through no fault of their own."

Collard is excited about the possibility of helping the students that she taught for so many years and giving them a safe place to learn. She said CIS is truly a community of partnerships as they work with organizations such as the Assistance League to provide clothing, M.I. Lewis Social Service Center for food and other necessities and Operation Backpack through the Houston Food Bank which provides food for the weekend for students in need.

CIS is funded in part by the Texas Education Agency, the school districts in which they serve and through private donations and fundraisers. For more information, go to www.cisba.org.