Communities In Schools of Chatham County

For 25 years bringing Chatham County Together!

impact

“Programs Don’t Change People, Relationships Do” ~Bill Milliken

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The mission of Chatham County Schools (CCS) is “to graduate globally competitive and confident students by providing a rigorous and relevant curriculum in a supportive, safe and nurturing learning environment.” This is a lofty mission, and it’s difficult to achieve when many students face serious challenges both inside and outside of the classroom. That is why the work Communities In Schools of Chatham County (CISCC) does is so important.  Joelle Brummitt-Yale, CISCC board member, says she values CISCC “for being the piece that schools don’t have time to address. CIS Chatham works to help youth be ‘well’ and that includes academically, socially, and behaviorally.” Taking a holistic and targeted approach to helping students succeed in school and in life is especially illustrated through CISCC’s school-based program.

Chatham Middle School (CMS) in Siler City is one of two sites where the school-based program is implemented. Students who attend CMS live  in a community with many identified risk factors that impede their learning and the likelihood that they will stay in school. These factors include, but are not limited to, poverty, discrimination, housing instability, hunger, poor health, limited extracurricular activities and high levels of daily stress. The CISCC school-based model places Student Support Specialists directly inside schools where they serve as the single point of contact in addressing students’ needs. Tych Cowdin has been the CISCC Student Support Specialist at CMS since the fall of 2014. Since then, he has built strong relationships with school administrators and community partners to secure vital supports that are tailored to students’ and families’ individual circumstances.

Cowdin has one foot in the school and one foot in the community, and he brings them together beautifully. The support that he provides can be as basic as asking local businesses to provide school supplies, volunteers to provide academic assistance or partnering with a local church to provide students in need extra food on the weekends. Support can also be more intensive in the form of small groups and one-on-one check-in addressing bullying, anger management, and dealing with grief. Support can even be after-school enrichment activities. Whatever the needs are, the goal is to combine strong one-on-one relationships with evidence-based programs that leverage resources and remove barriers that keep students from succeeding.

According to Abby Bishop, School Counselor at CMS, “Tych has had a major impact on the students at CMS. He has a caseload of students he serves, but he also has a presence at the school where all students know him and want to work with him. He does a wonderful job of being around and being available to students.” Ms. Bishop is grateful for the many programs and services Cowdin has coordinated such as: summer camp placements, Cooking Matters, yoga classes, Strengthening Families Program, and many more. He works with CMS students about their behavior and focuses on the social/emotional development of each student so they have better academic outcomes. Bishop says, “Tych relates to the students and they feel comfortable opening up to him. He’s such a huge asset to our school! Tych is not only loved by all CMS students, he’s also loved by the CMS staff!” CMS principal Chad Morgan agrees. He said, “Cowdin’s “impact on the school has been just monumental,” and that his “greatest asset to our school is his ability to build relationships. He focuses on building relationships with all stakeholders…and his energy to serve is contagious.” Morgan adds that Cowdin does “not just start programs for the sake of starting programs. He listens, reviews data, and seeks feedback from all stakeholders to ensure the programs implemented match the needs of the school.” The needs assessment, student support plans, and ongoing monitoring of student data are all elements of the proven CIS school-based model; but, as Communities In Schools founder Bill Milliken said, “Programs don’t change kids-relationships do.”

Cowdin says, “It really boils down to a lot of mentoring. Kids often don’t have anybody they can view as a role model or somebody to talk with or look up to—somebody there at school they can have a relationship with.” Attendance, Behavior, Coursework + Parent and family engagement are the focus areas guiding  CISCC’s school-based work, but this ABC+P model only works with strong relationships inside and outside of the school.

The program’s positive impact is reflected in what community members and partners are saying. Recently, participants in the Hispanic Liaison Youth Program in Siler City participated in a focus group as part of a community assessment for the Building Integrated Communities Project out of UNC Chapel Hill on how the youth cope with daily stresses. The draft report stated that the youth may not be able to tell you what ‘programs’ helped them, but they talked about the “great person at Chatham Middle who built relationships with the kids, was enthusiastic and cared about them.

Erika Guy has been volunteering at CMS regularly for the last two years, conducting school-wide seminars, small groups, and helping coordinate the healthful cooking classes, and she speaks highly of the collaboration that has been fostered at CMS. She said to Cowdin, “I cannot adequately express how much fun it has been to collaborate with you over these last two years.  What I missed the most when I left my job in Boston, was working with a team of similarly motivated folks—always thinking creatively about how to make the lives of kids just a little bit better. I have found that with you and Abby Bishop, CMS and CISCC.”

Thinking creatively and working together to make the lives of the children and families a little bit better—essentially helping add to their overall wellness— that’s what it’s all about.   

To learn more about CISCC school-based model, the work done and partnerships made, please contact Tych Cowdin, Program Director/Student Support Specialist, Chatham Middle School at tcowdin@cischatham.org or (919) 663-0116 ext. 413

 

“Our kids are hungry for knowledge. We just need to feed them the right way.”~Jazmin Mendoza Sosa

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In November 2016, with increased support from Chatham County Schools, Communities In Schools Chatham County (CISCC) expanded its services to Virginia Cross Elementary (VCE) in Siler City to reach the younger siblings of Chatham Middle School (CMS) students and their classmates. Jazmin Mendoza Sosa is the CISCC Student Support Specialist at VCE, and she is great at putting out fires. In fact, she’s even better at preventing fires from starting in the first place. Mendoza Sosa serves as a liaison within the school and also between the school and the community. Whether it’s making sure the school staff is aware of CISCC volunteers coming into the school, helping teachers and non-native English speaking parents communicate, directly helping students needing extra attention, or bridging the school and the community, Mendoza Sosa works with passion and skill. She is especially invested, because, as she tells her students and families, “I was one of you. I grew up in Siler City. My parents are hard workers too. You can work hard and be like me!”

Mendoza Sosa works with 54 students (10% of the school’s population) on emotional, social, and behavioral learning. These students have been identified as needing extra supports to what VCE already has in place. These children have different needs with different intensities, and Mendoza is exceptionally skilled at understanding these needs, anticipating supports, and finding help. Sometimes Mendoza Sosa works with small groups of children, and sometimes she goes into the classroom to work with students one on one. Whether in the classroom, a small-group setting or walking in the hallways, Mendoza Sosa models the behaviors and skills she is trying to teach. She constantly assesses each situation, “thinks on her feet,” and appropriately responds to the individuals’ and groups’ needs.

Mendoza Sosa has 30 minutes each week to work with a small group of 1st graders and 30 minutes each week to work with a small group of 3rd graders—both during the students’ lunch period. She maximizes every minute she has with them to teach pro-social skills (e.g., sharing, helping, cooperating, and empathy). Mendoza Sosa teaches responsibility and how to share by assigning each student rotating jobs such as line leader, door holder, and bathroom monitor. Mendoza Sosa also demonstrates different ways to handle situations, often on the spur of the moment, according to what students are dealing with right then. For example, she concluded a discussion with the 1st graders on strategies to use when they were disappointed by having to divide two cookies four ways. Mendoza Sosa kindly, but firmly, explained, “We don’t always get what we want. It’s ok to be disappointed. But it’s not ok to call people bad names or hit someone.” The children ended up being ok with sharing their cookie. After all, what’s better—half of a cookie or no cookie at all?

In addition to working with children in small groups and one on one, Mendoza Sosa is instrumental in communicating information between the VCE teachers and parents—especially the parents who do not speak English. She might text or call to stress the importance of children taking their ADHD medication the weekend before EOG tests. Or she might remind parents to sign permission slips for students attending summer Reading Camp. Both the teachers and parents appreciate Mendoza Sosa’s vitality in linking the school, homes, and the community. A first-year teacher at VCE with students on Mendoza Sosa’s caseload recently said, “I honestly don’t know how I would’ve made it through the year without her. She was a valuable asset to me and the students who had behavioral struggles. She is truly an amazing person to work with. She always helps to give other possible options to handling difficult situations and students. She helped with parent communication and was great at getting my concerns addressed to the parents. Ms. Jazmin is undeniably the greatest asset I had at VCE the year.”

Mendoza Sosa’s work doesn’t stop when the school year ends, though. She and the media specialist at VCE, Lindsay Shore-Wright, are taking an existing resource to higher levels this summer by expanding the Bookmobile.  Beginning on June 13th and running through August 22nd, each Wednesday VCE will bring a library on wheels to 10 neighborhoods in Siler City. This summer, though, extra activities are planned at two of the stops—activities that reinforce literacy skills and encourage reading for fun. The goal is to double the numbers of Bookmobile participants from last year. Snacks, prizes, bookmarks, pencils, and erasers will be given out and craft and reading comprehension activities will be done. There will even be a volunteer reading aloud at these two sites each week.

Not all parents feel comfortable going into their children’s schools, or even onto the Bookmobile.  Last year it took all summer for one parent to feel comfortable getting on the Bookmobile to help pick out a book for her child. Mendoza Sosa wants the whole experience to be friendlier and include more than checking out books. The weekly Bookmobile visits will give Mendoza Sosa the opportunity to engage families and find out from parents what kinds of things they need to support reading with children and their children’s learning in general. Krista Millard, formerly with Chatham Reads— whose mission is to foster community partnerships that are dedicated to ensuring that literacy and reading resources are accessible to all Chatham County residents—said that Jazmin is an integral part of the Bookmobile’s success. “She provides a safe place for families to come and access books over the summer. She interprets and is a familiar face to the students.” Mendoza Sosa is passionate about trying new things to benefit students. She tells the families, “I care about your family. We need to work together to help your child succeed.”

Mendoza Sosa lives her passion and will track data from this summer’s Bookmobile to see if the extra efforts are making positive impacts. “Our kids are hungry for knowledge,” Mendoza Sosa says. “We just need to feed them the right way.” There is no indication that Mendoza Sosa will stop until the right way is found.

For more information on the work done at Virginia Cross Elementary School or with the Bookmobile, please contact Jazmin Mendoza Sosa, Student Support Specialist, at  jmendozasosa@cischatham.org or by calling (919) 663-0116 ext. 410

Where Are They Now? CIS Chatham Nurtures Growth

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Communities In Schools Chatham County (CIS CC, and formerly Chatham County Together!) has been serving at-risk youth in Chatham County since 1989. Over the years, programs have evolved, new programs have been added, programs’ names have been changed, and some programs have even been moved to other local agencies to oversee. What has stayed consistent is CIS CC’s commitment to support Chatham County’s youth. To achieve our mission—to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life—everything Communities In Schools does is guided by the following five essentials: A one-on-one relationship with a caring adult, a safe place to learn and grow, a healthy start and a healthy future, a marketable skill to use upon graduation, and a chance to give back. Meet two remarkable individuals whose involvement with CIS CC has been very different—one a volunteer and one a program participant—but who both embody the spirit CIS CC works to promote.

Bieisy didn’t speak English when she started the pre-K Head Start program in Siler City, but she was making almost all A’s in her eighth-grade year at Chatham Middle School.  Bieisy was one of a hand-picked group of students chosen to participate in Jordan-Matthews High School’s AVID (Advancing Via Individual Determination) program. In high school, Bieisy took Advanced Placement Spanish, multiple honors’ classes, and volunteered for CIS CC’s Teen Court program. As a Teen Court volunteer, Bieisy served the roles of jury member, clerk of court, and she was in the process of being trained as an attorney. In addition to volunteering with CIS CC’s Teen Court program for several years in high school, Bieisy also volunteered with Chatham Area Network for Therapeutic Riding (CAN-TR). She graduated from Jordan-Matthews in 2014 and started college at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Due to some unexpected circumstances, Bieisy had to take time off from school at UNC-Pembroke and ended up back in Siler City for a while. Not one to sit idle, Bieisy returned to volunteer with CIS CC, this time with the Hablando Claro, or “Plain Talk” Program. She first came with a friend and saw that there were often young children present who needed supervision and engagement. Bieisy did a good job with the children and was asked to “officially” help with the kids each time the Hablando Claro program met. In the summer of 2016, CIS CC’s Family Advocacy Program needed a part-time assistant. Bieisy had a good track record from helping with the children and was hired to work five hours a week assisting with paperwork and filing. She did this for one year.

What is Bieisy doing now? She is in her last semester at Randolph Community College where she’ll be graduating in May of this year with a Human Services Technology Associate in Applied Science Degree and a Human Services Technology Substance Abuse Certificate. Oh, and she works full time with CIS CC as the Program Assistant for three programs: Community Service & Restitution, Family Advocacy, and Teen Court. When asked where she saw herself in five years, she said she wants to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree and eventually study Social Work.

Jordan, also a graduate of Jordan-Matthews High School, said that his family has been helped by CIS CC as long as he can remember. CIS CC secured school supplies for Jordan and his two sisters, as well funding for all three children to attend summer camp, through the Send a Kid to Camp program of the Triangle Community Foundation. Both sisters had CIS CC mentors, and Jordan participated in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) when it was one of CIS CC’s programs.

Jordan said that his grades in high school weren’t very good and his options for college were limited. The WIA program provided opportunities for Jordan and other youth to prepare for and advance their education and careers. Jordan learned a lot of work-related skills and also skills he could use in real life such as how to bank and manage money. He was exposed to occupational skills training and employment services information through workshops and seminars. Travis Patterson, the WIA Program Manager at the time, was a mentor to Jordan. Travis assisted Jordan in enrolling in Central Carolina Community College where Jordan earned his Associate in Arts Degree. Jordan said being part of the WIA program delivered the motivation he needed that ultimately led him to going on to college and choosing a career field in helping others as others had helped him.

What is Jordan doing now? He transferred to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is in his second semester where he is studying Elementary Education. He wants to teach Kindergarten through Second grade. Jordan also works while being a full-time student. He commutes to Greensboro three times a week, and back home in Siler City he works as an assistant manager at Wendy’s.

Kim Caraganis, ED says of Bieisy and Jordan, I can’t think of two better examples of advancing via individual determination! Biesy says that ever since she was young she has wanted to help others because she wants to return the favor that other people have given her. Likewise, Jordan is excited about his future as a teacher. He looks forward to molding young people in positive ways.

CIS Chatham’s spring “Tapas” event represents its primary source of community support. Support that encourages kids like Bieisy and Jordan to stay in school and achieve in life. This year’s April 15 event is at the Agricultural Conference Center in Pittsboro. Catered locally by Angelina’s and 39 West, it will include a silent auction, 50/50 raffle for a chance to win $2,000 (only 100 tickets sold), and local music by the Onyx Club Boys, renown from Bynum to Bear Creek and beyond, featuring swing and gypsy jazz. Please join us at Juke, Jive & Jazz for the Kids. Sponsorship, event and raffle ticket sales, and additional details can be found at CIS Chatham’s website www.cischatham.org.

Restorative Justice: An Opportunity Rather Than a Punishmet

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It’s not a person’s mistakes which define them—it’s the way they make amends. ~Freya North

Teenagers often make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes get them in trouble with the law. When someone breaks the law, they have to face the consequences. What if the consequences for delinquent youth focused less on punishing them and more on helping them take responsibility for their actions while making amends for the damage they caused? This less punitive approach is known as restorative justice and is the approach that the Community Service & Restitution Program at Communities In Schools Chatham County (CISCC) uses. The restorative process seeks to repair the harm by involving the entire community in rehabilitating offenders and holding them accountable for their behavior. CISCC’s Community Service & Restitution Program is led by Coordinator Jeremiah McCaffity and Program Assistant Bieisy Santiago. Youth in the program are referred by the Department of Juvenile Justice, are between the ages of 10-17 living in Chatham County, and have committed non-violent crimes as first-time offenders.

The first step is completing a comprehensive intake. In addition to assessing the youth’s risk to the community, Jeremiah and Bieisy have a chance to learn about the youth’s hobbies, interests, schedule, and family life. A vital part of the intake includes establishing an Individual Service Plan that maps out how the youth will fulfill their court-ordered service and/or restitution commitments. Each person’s plan is thorough and includes specific and measurable goals, dates for regular Work Site visits, dates for progress reviews, and a well-developed exit strategy. Once the intake is complete and the plan is in place, the youth are placed in one of our 13 partner Work Sites throughout Chatham County, based on their interests and availability.

 

Youth might not be thrilled about having to do community service hours, but every effort is made to pair them with Work Sites that will provide them with the most personal growth and the best possible outcomes for the community at large. Some youth like working with animals. Others prefer working outside harvesting food from local gardens. We are grateful for the partnerships with our current Work Sites as they provide diverse opportunities for youth to integrate into the fabric of their communities while being exposed to resources they might not otherwise have access to. Our current Work Sites are:

 

Chatham Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore

Chatham Trades Inc.

Communities In Schools Chatham County

Community Lunch at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church

Chatham County’s Health & Wellness Committee Garden

Happy Hills Animal Foundation Inc.

Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge

Small Museum of Folk Art

Take and Eat Food Pantry

Virginia Cross Elementary School

West Chatham Food Pantry

 

An advantage of implementing the restorative justice model on our county’s youth is that the benefits are observed well after the community service and/or restitution has been satisfied. When deliberating with his peers about what sentence to give a youth defendant in Teen Court, “John” recently said, “I think we should give the maximum number of hours. Maybe (s)he’ll enjoy the community service work and want to continue doing it. I enjoyed mine. Mine was fun.” In addition to “John” enjoying giving back to his community, he was great at it. His Work Site was Virginia Cross Elementary School (VCE) where he helped distribute food bags to families in need. Site Supervisor/Student Support Specialist Jazmin Mendoza said, “I am very happy with “John.” He did an amazing job and teachers love him. He came to VCE, and he is remembered by teachers as a great student.”

The youth aren’t the only ones who gain from the Community Service & Restitution partnerships. Courtney Goldston is the Human Resources Analyst at the Chatham County Manager’s Office. She is the volunteer Site Supervisor for Chatham County’s Health & Wellness Committee’s shared garden. One of our youth recently completed community service hours at the garden, and Ms. Goldston had only positive things to say about him and his work. She said, “It was such a pleasure working with and getting to know “Jay.” I could not have asked for a more perfect garden companion!  He was knowledgeable and very helpful to our novice gardeners. Our youth can teach us so many things about life, ourselves and others.  His grandparents have raised an exceptional young man and I hope they are very proud of him.  I look forward to seeing what the future holds for “Jay”!

 

Jeremiah is passionate about the program being a positive experience for youth to learn, grow, and develop and is always seeking out new, creative ways to build relationships with new partner Work Sites and volunteer Site Supervisors. Currently, there is a need for more volunteer Site Supervisors in the northern part of Chatham County. Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” We invite you to become a part of Chatham County’s youth finding themselves.

 

For more information on any aspect of the Community Service & Restitution Program, including how to become an approved partner Work Site, or how to become a volunteer Site Supervisor, please contact Jeremiah McCaffity at: jmccaffity@cischatham.org or (919) 663-0116 ext.406

“Relationship Before the Task”

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Erika Guy’s entrée into CISCC came by way of “Challenge Day” held at Chatham Middle School (CMS) in Siler City in October of 2016. The Challenge Day school program provides teens and adults with tools to break down the walls of separation and isolation, replacing them with compassion, acceptance, and respect. Retired after having worked in several states and cities as a professional counselor, advisor, and advocate for school children in grades 7-12, Erika has been involved with and exposed to hundreds of private programs and groups helping children. She says that Challenge Day accomplished more in a six-hour time frame than anything she’s been a part of. After one day, Erika was hooked and wanted to keep up the momentum with the middle-schoolers by helping to harvest the seeds that had just been planted. Since the fall of 2016, Erika has spent her Thursdays at CMS leading three grade-level intervention groups, serving a total of twenty students. She also helped launch the first “Cooking Matters for Teens” program at CMS and is now coordinating the third class. Erika has partnered with CMS counselor Abby Bishop to lead a bullying prevention and self-help hotline workshop to the entire student population and faculty. Recently, Erika facilitated a ‘ Working with Youth and Grief’ seminar for CISCC mentors. Erika can’t imagine a life without kids, and because of that she feels like she’s “never had a job.” Her work as a “kid advocate” and “teacher always” is an extension of who she is. And, she always puts the “relationship before the task,” because in her experience working with children, “until they know how much you care, they couldn’t care less how much you know.”

Leading by Example-

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Josilyn is a warm, smart, friendly 5thgrader who attends Virginia Cross Elementary School in Siler City. Susan Collins Thompson is a creative, resourceful retired educator. Josilyn and Susan are friends as part of CIS-Chatham County’s (CIS-CC) Mentoring Program. Matched in late February, 2017, the pair meets regularly to have lunch together, work on school work, and attend monthly movies at Wren Memorial Library in Siler City.

The weekly Monday lunches are special, whereby Susan lays out colorful cloth placemats and napkins, setting a positive space and tone for the week. A couple of Josilyn’s classmates always join the pair, and they talk about current successes and challenges. Susan encourages the students to be well-behaved and to make good choices in and out of school.

These mentoring activities happen like clockwork, Susan said, and it’s evident that Josilyn responds well to the consistency. “I know what’s coming up. I know what we’re doing. I can count on Susan. She is super-fun, really nice, and really generous.” Josilyn’s father, a single dad, is thankful for the CIS-CC mentoring program that connects both of his children with positive adults.

Susan also introduces Josilyn to service-learning experiences and has led by example how to become involved in the community. “We go to a lot of places,” Josilyn said. “She helps me get out of the house.” One of these places is a friend’s farm. Visiting the farm was special because Josilyn rode a mule, saw baby chickens, and learned how to tell the difference between fresh eggs and eggs that have been sitting out for a week. Fresh eggs will sink to the bottom of a cup or bowl filled with water.

Another favorite activity was participating in an Earth Day clean-up at the Loves Creek Greenway Trail in Siler City. On April 22, 2017, a team comprised of Josilyn, Susan, Siler City’s Parks and Recreation Director, Joseph Keel, and student from the Beta Club at Chatham Charter in Siler City picked up trash along the trail. Eventually, Susan and Josilyn went through the steps to officially “adopt” the trail, thus giving them civic responsibility to make sure the trail is kept clean. Josilyn is proud of this accomplishment. “When the [adoption] signs were put up, it made me feel special—and that I have a big responsibility in helping keep the community clean and safe.”

Susan delights in how much Josilyn has “bloomed.” Josilyn exhibits a great attitude, acts as a leader, and just made A/B Honor Roll! Others have also noticed the difference. Josilyn was recently honored by her class when she was chosen as September’s “Lion Cub Leader” for being Proactive. When asked about being selected, she said, “It feels good. I’m showing a good example for the school.” Being proactive is “always helping others, and being nice.” Indeed. These are the same qualities Susan shows Josilyn when spending time with her each week.

Susan said the best part about being Josilyn’s mentor is that it’s a “really good match.” When elements like this align, the impact is large and everyone—the child, the mentor, the family, the school, and the entire community—benefits.

You can make a difference in the life of a child too! For more information on community and/or school-based mentoring, contact Shirille Lee, Program Manager, Mentoring Program, at: (919) 663-0116 x 404; shirille@cischatham.org

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