Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine | Page 20

Encouraging school success and engaging students at League City Elementary By Hillary Gramm, CIS Bay Area [email protected] Since 1989, Communities In Schools – Bay Area (CIS - Bay Area), has strategically worked to combat the troubles that lessen the likelihood of a student becoming a statistic. CIS – Bay Area counselors are on 14 campuses in Clear Creek and Dickinson ISDs. Annually, our program works intensively with over 1400 students. Principals, teachers, nurses, and parents refer the most at-risk students to be served by our program. Individually, these students work with a CIS – Bay Area counselor to identify his or her needs and together they connect with the community to ensure success. Our CIS – Bay Area counselors are placed in elementary, intermediate and high schools where the campus needs are highest. Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, Communities In Schools – Bay Area began serving League City Elementary School. Principal, Xan Wood, welcomed our program and Campus Coordinator, Kaitlyn Thompson, with open arms! League City Elementary has a 94.7% at-risk population of students. These students have indicators, out of their control, that may influence them to drop-out of school. Fortunately, the attendance rate for League City Elementary is nearly 96%, which means students are attending and receiving the support they need to thrive. Communities In Schools – Bay Area plays a role in encouraging attendance by providing a multitude of services and support. Kaitlyn Thompson shares her story: My name is Kaitlyn Thompson, I am the CISBA Program Coordinator at League City Elementary. This is my second year at LCE but this is my fifth school year working with Communities In Schools. I love what I do because I get to see and work with kids every day. At League City Elementary, we have so many students in need and I am honored to be able to help meet some of those needs. A lot of my time is spent helping students secure social services, such as increasing their access to food, linking them with dental and eye exams and helping them get new clothes. I am also dedicated to networking within the community and finding resources from the community to bring into our school. One of the most positive programs that has been put in place is my mentoring program. Several community members have dedicated their time to meet with a student each week, usually during their lunch, to read with them and mentor them. The students love this and look forward to their buddy visiting them every week. Additionally, I spend time working with students on building character, improving classroom behavior, maintaining good attendance, and improving academic work. I love the students and staff at League City Elementary and have such a great time serving them all as I can!! Communities In Schools – Bay Area keeps students on a path of success through graduation and beyond. For more information, visit our www.cisba.org and our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/cisbayarea.