Fall Newsletter 2014
Transcription
Fall Newsletter 2014
Bound Together Fall Newsletter - October 2014 167 West Pike Street Pontiac MI 48341 248-334-3827 www.boundtogetherpontiac.org Fall Newsletter - October 2014 - Page 2 In this issue Our mission is to nurture self worth and academic growth for Pontiac elementary school students performing below grade level. Notes from the Director Celebrations Volunteer Reflections Tutor, Parent and Students Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Karaoke for Kids Fall Fund Raiser Social Media Wish List Page 6 Page 6 Page 7 Notes from the Executive Director... Jane Porter The year is in ”full swing” with 22 children participating and 62 tutors on board. The Kids Café is well managed with menus, shoppers, cooks and clean up crews! We have welcomed new tutors and welcomed back many tutors from last year. This winning combination of “seasoned” tutors PLUS new tutors adds an atmosphere of excited anticipation in making a real difference in the life of a child (as well as enriching our own lives) This is a “win-win.” The routines are being established and the pairing up of tutors and students (learning partners) is taking place. Thank You to the parish of All Saints Pontiac. They allow Bound Together to use the rooms it requires to accomplish the work that needs to be done. Thank You to St. Philips, Rochester. They continue to plan the menu, complete the shopping and the organizing of the cooking/ clean up teams and schedules. This means so much to these children and their families. Many groups have stepped forward to partner with St. Philips and Bound Together. These are: Christ Church Cranbrook, The Bank of Birmingham, St. Stephens-Troy, and most recently, Notre Dame Prep. These much anticipated meals are greatly appreciated by the children! They always ask, with excitement ,“What is for dinner tonight,” and secondly, “What is for dessert?” In the classrooms, we continue to utilize the “Triumphs” curriculum. Both the children and the tutors are becoming familiar with the work sheets and accompanying books. In the later part of October, we will “introduce” an iPad component to the tutoring time. Children will be assigned a number and that number will correspond to an iPad that they will have use of for 20 minutes, only one day a week. That way we will rotate the iPads. They are downloaded with Continued on page 3 LEADERSHIP BOARD MEMBERS BOUND TOGETHER STAFF Gail Hunger President Roz Miller Vice President Steve Wogaman Treasurer Janice Benkert Ron Caughran Dyann Hayes Rev. Karen Johanns Ged Youngman SUPPORT STAFF Jane Porter Executive Director Bonnie Moulik Program Assistant Tutor Volunteers Kids Café Volunteers Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Fall Newsletter - October 2014 - Page 3 Continued from page 2 5 educational “games” (math and reading) appropriate for grades 1-6 These applications came highly recommended by several elementary teachers. This was made possible by a grant from the Village Club Foundation of Bloomfield Hills, and additional help from the Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities of SE MI. We enjoyed great success with our last year incentive rewards and have decided to continue this practice. The children hand their books in at the end of each session, with a paper filled out by their tutor indicating the amount of stamps. There is a possibility of earning 2 stamps per session. The kids check these book and understand what is expected and in some cases when only one stamp is given (or in rare cases—no stamps) they think back and understand the cause and effect. They turn in their books for prizes with 12 stamps = a choice from the 1 Page Box, 24 stamps = a prize from the 2 Page box etc. As the number of pages increase, the value of the prize also increases. We now also offer an incentive to complete Chapters and Units found in their binders. After a Unit (comprises of many chapters) is completed, a child can select from a bin of donated Beanie Babies. We are planning many fun events for the children. There will be a Halloween Party, Thanksgiving Meal Celebration and a “Shopping Day” (where the children can choose gifts for family members generously donated by the AAUW of Birmingham.) The gifts are wrapped and sent home to go under the tree. We will enjoy a Christmas Party, complete with Santa, scheduled for Dec. 17. All are invited! Great things are happening, thanks to everyone - from donors, tutors, cooks and parents. It truly is a labor of love. Celebrations Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Fall Newsletter - October 2014 - Page 4 Serving children of Pontiac 20th Anniversary 1994 1994--2014 Donate Tutor or Cook “There is a word in South Africa - UbuntuIt is the recognition that we are all bound together in ways that can be invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us.” President Obama at Nelson Mandela’s funeral Bound Together 167 W Pike St. Pontiac MI. 48341 248-334-3827 www.boundtogetherpontiac.org Help make a difference Free Tutoring/Mentoring/Meal program every Tues., Wed., and Thurs. throughout the school year. Art classes two Mondays a month with dinner. in the life of a child. "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." Nelson Mandela Fall Newsletter - October 2014 - Page 5 Reflections on Bound Together What Bound Together means to me... As a tutor... My thoughts about tutoring are simple ones: I love the energy and honesty of the kids; I get more in return than I can give to the students; I believe that the kids will remember and value their time with Bound Together; and it is a way to respond to our call to help our neighbors. Glen Anderson As a parent... At Bound Together my girls have something to look forward to after school. They are disappointed when the program is over for the year. The program staff go above and beyond to help our kids succeed. Alethia (a mom) As a cook... Over the years, I've worked on any number of outreach programs for kids at risk in our communities, but I've never enjoyed and felt the sense of accomplishment I do with Bound Together. It's an extremely well organized program that is really making a difference in the lives and education of the kids involved. Whether you volunteer as a tutor, cook, shopper, menu planner or in some other capacity, it soon becomes apparent that the kids are making progress on many levels and they love the program. It doesn't get better than that! Marilou Wieringa As a student I like coming to Bound Together because I get to eat with my friends….. I like Bound Together because I have a nice tutor….. I like coming to Bound Together because I like art club….. I like Bound Together because we get to go to the gym and have snacks…. I like math now cause I can do the multiplication table up to 7….. I like coming to Bound Together - we have parties too I like Bound Together because a have a puzzle book to do (after our binder work)... Great things taking place at 167 W. Pike St. Pontiac! Fall Newsletter - October 2014 - Page 6 Karaoke for Kids On September 12, 2014, we hosted our Fall Fund Raiser “Karaoke for Kids,” and celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Bound Together! Thank you to all who helped “staff” the evening, bought tickets, attended, and sold raffle tickets. It was such a fun event. The venue was beautiful (Sylvan Lake Community Center.) We dressed the room up to celebrate the coming of fall with themed tablecloths and center pieces. Posters also were displayed to remind folks of our mission and purpose. The food was fantastic from NYA Catering and the DJ, Chip Staley, was very entertaining! We also welcomed Michael Whitted, who travelled from North Carolina to be part of the festivities. Michael and his wife Julie presented Bound Together with a “Pledge Challenge” to highlight our twenty years of serving the children of Pontiac. Their foundation will match up to $20,000 in donations to help secure a bright future for Bound Together. How amazingly generous! I am happy to say we are well on our way, and hopefully we will reach the mark. The night also revealed the hidden talent that resides in this area. It was like being in the audience of American Idol or The Voice! We had a Live Auction featuring a week stay at a luxury condo in South Beach FL. We also were given a fun packed package from the MGM Grand Detroit to provide an exciting get away for a couple. There were a variety of Silent Auction baskets that were won by 8 happy winners! We also made the drawing for our raffle. 1st Prize was an iPad, 2nd Prize was a $100 Gift Certificate and 3rd Prize was an iPod Shuffle. Thanks to everyone who bought and sold tickets. Thanks to the generosity of many, we are closer to achieving our goal. Social Media - Bound Together To gain more support for the work that takes place at Bound Together, we have a Facebook page. The page is updated weekly to tell “our story” to anyone who is interested. We are asking folks to click the “Like” button to gather more friends (and supporters) of Bound Together. https://www.facebook.com/BoundTogetherPontiac Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Fall Newsletter October 2014 - Page 7 What we believe: We believe Bound Together provides a safe, welcoming and comfortable place to learn and grow. We believe that Bound Together takes Pontiac elementary school students after class and provides to them, the tools they need to be successful both academically and in their families. We believe we can reach out and give a child a chance at individualized attention. We believe we can give them the nutrition they need to succeed. We believe we can give them hope, because they know we’re all standing behind them. Bound Together is a lifeline for the children and their future. Wish List Additional Tutors (contact [email protected]) Additional Kids Café Folks (contact [email protected]) Copy Paper (Letter size) Books of Stamps for mailing Snacks (Juice Boxes and Granola bars) Ink Cartridges for HP8600 Plus Yes, I am able to help at this time. I have enclosed my donation of: $ $ 25 50 $ 75 $ Name Address Phone Email Please make checks payable to Bound Together and mail to the address below. Or donate online at www.boundtogetherpontiac.org via Paypal If you have questions or would like to learn more about Bound Together, please call us. 167 W. Pike Street Pontiac, MI 48341 248-334-3827 www.boundtogetherpontiac.org www.boundtogetherpontiac.org 248-334-3827 167 West Pike Street Pontiac MI 48341 www.boundtogetherpontiac.org Fall Newsletter October 2014