Madelon Brennan - Communities In Schools of NOVA

International Academy Soccer Club at Francis C. Hammond Middle School

With support from Communities In Schools of NOVA, the International Academy Soccer Club at Francis C. Hammond Middle School had its inaugural practice in March 2016. 84 young men and women signed up to participate, with the leadership of four volunteer International Academy faculty and CIS of NOVA’s Outreach Coordinator, Candace Hill. This startup venture was supported by a partnership with the NOVA Gang Prevention Task Force, and the Alexandria Soccer Association, with enthusiastic support from International Academy Academic Principal, Tim Brannon, and Hammond School Principal, Pierrette Hall. It originated after a discussion regarding gang prevention amongst the faculty. The consensus was [...]

Madelon Brennan2020-03-08T14:19:41+00:00June 27th, 2016|0 Comments

Partnership Highlight: Arlington Food Assistance Center

The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) has been serving Arlington County residents in need of supplemental groceries for over 25 years. With the weekly assistance of a small army of volunteers, AFAC distributes nutritious food to over 2,200 county residents each week. About 35% of those who receive food from AFAC are children. Barcroft Elementary is the most recent school that AFAC has partnered with to provide students in need with supplemental meals. Through the Backpack Buddies Program, students may receive a bag of groceries to take home with them on Friday afternoons. Each bag contains two days worth of nutrition (six [...]

Madelon Brennan2020-03-08T14:20:14+00:00June 20th, 2016|0 Comments

Arlington Middle School Students Tour GMU

Over 40 students from Gunston Middle School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School took a trip to George Mason University for a school tour, and a chance to meet many multicultural student leaders on campus. The Office of Minority Achievement paired up with CIS of NOVA and GMU student organizations to introduce students to the life of a college student, while also encouraging students to consider college as a post-graduate opportunity. Many of the GMU students represented student organizations on campus that aligned with the Office of Minority Achievement’s mission to help students discover and utilize resources that would help them progress toward [...]

Madelon Brennan2020-03-08T14:20:39+00:00June 13th, 2016|0 Comments

A New Beginning: Outreach Efforts in Alexandria

By Candace Hill, CIS of NOVA Outreach Coordinator As the Communities In Schools (CIS) of NOVA Outreach Coordinator for Alexandria, I feel fortunate to be a part of a team that’s out there helping to educate our city residents and businesses on the needs of Alexandria City Public School’s students, and to find the resources needed to enable their success in school. The journey that led me to CIS of NOVA is one that has consistently involved working with youth, as I’ve always been fascinated with child development. My career began in research, managing the Temple University site for the NICHD Study [...]

Madelon Brennan2020-03-08T14:21:00+00:00June 2nd, 2016|0 Comments

Healthy Hammond Community Fair & 5k Color Run

By Candace Hill, CIS of NOVA Outreach Coordinator The forecast had predicted a torrential downpour with heavy winds and rain, but there was no turning back, as the already rescheduled Healthy Hammond Community Fair and 5k Color Run was going to happen on May 21st, rain or shine! Even with the unpredictable morning rain, there were many “shining moments.” I could talk about the girl that came to the event alone, walking 1.5 miles from home to participate in the 5k, only to walk 1.5 miles back home after running the 3+ miles. Or about the other student who showed up an [...]

Madelon Brennan2020-03-08T14:21:26+00:00May 27th, 2016|0 Comments

Nursing Students Provide Nutritional Facts for Arlington Mill & Career Center Students

For 6 weeks, nursing students from the Chamberlain College of Nursing provided and displayed nutritional tips and information during the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) weekly food distribution at the Arlington Career Center. Every Wednesday during the AFAC weekly food distribution, 4 nursing students set up a table with a display on a topic that covered health-related facts that our students read, while also giving out free samples using some of the related foods. It was a unique and efficient way to promote healthy eating, while also introducing students to nutritious (and delicious!) food they can easily make at home. “This opportunity gave us a different experience than with [...]

Madelon Brennan2020-03-08T14:21:48+00:00May 10th, 2016|1 Comment

Arlington Teens on the Summer Job Hunt

As the temperatures rise and the calendar approaches June, the hunt for summer employment is in full swing across Arlington County. On Saturday, April 23rd, the Arlington Employment Center hosted the annual Teen Summer Expo at Wakefield High School. Over 75 employers filled the Wakefield cafeteria to discuss opportunities and make connections with hundreds of students from all over Arlington County. Prior to the Teen Summer Expo, Arlington Employment Center coordinator Nadia Conyers dropped by Wakefield to work with students involved with CIS of NOVA’s after-school program at the school. Ms. Conyers discussed students’ motivations for seeking summer jobs, previewed the event [...]

Madelon Brennan2020-03-08T14:22:15+00:00May 6th, 2016|0 Comments

Free Vision & Hearing Screening For 130 Arlington Mill and Career Center Students

On April 26 to 27, the Arlington South Lions Club brought their mobile van and equipment to provide 130 Arlington Mill High School and Arlington Career Center students with free vision and hearing screenings. Along with the Career Center’s clinic aide and volunteers from Communities In Schools, the two-day service allowed students to get free check-ups right at their school, learn valuable information about their health status, and receive referrals to affordable, local clinics. The annual vision and hearing screenings provide an opportunity for Arlington South Lions Club members to meet the needs of local schools and serve their community. They also [...]

Madelon Brennan2020-03-08T14:23:08+00:00May 2nd, 2016|0 Comments

A New Beginning: Partnership Debut with Barcroft Elementary

By Elizabeth LeRoy, Barcroft Elementary School CIS Site Coordinator Barcroft Elementary is the newest school partnership for Communities In Schools of NOVA, and the first elementary school for the CIS of NOVA network. We are thrilled to partner with Barcroft's students and families and to grow the connections between Barcroft and the surrounding community. As the Site Coordinator for Barcroft, it is a new beginning for me in Arlington, too. Starting out in the high-rise world of Crystal City, I learned the ropes of volunteer management in my first two jobs out of college, quickly growing to appreciate the way volunteerism fosters [...]

Madelon Brennan2020-03-08T14:23:36+00:00April 22nd, 2016|0 Comments

Shop for a Cause at Whole Foods Market TODAY!

We know first-hand the challenges that our students face, and we're grateful for the services from our volunteers and partners for all that they do to support CIS. Today, there are two additional opportunities where everyone is able to contribute, and in turn, help our students succeed. Whole Foods in both Arlington and Alexandria will be supporting CIS of NOVA with its 5% day. This means that Whole Foods will donate 5% of Wednesday’s total sales from both their Clarendon and Old Town stores to CIS of NOVA. Why not pick up some groceries mid-week and help CIS at the same time! Can’t make it to Whole [...]

Madelon Brennan2020-03-08T14:24:18+00:00April 20th, 2016|0 Comments

About Madelon Brennan