Communities In Schools - Communities In Schools of NOVA

Science Fair Judges Needed for Gunston Middle School!

If you are passionate about helping students fulfill their potential and help them develop leadership skills, and you have time on January 12 and/or 13 from 2:30 to 4pm, the Gunston Middle School Science Fair needs your help! We need adults to judge the Science Fair - you will be evaluating four to six science fair projects by our 7th and 8th grade students in the course of one or two hours. You will be given a rubric on which to evaluate the students’ presentations. Gunston students started working on their projects in October, and finished recently by creating a presentation and [...]

Madelon Brennan2016-08-16T15:25:16+00:00January 6th, 2016|0 Comments

Free Vision Screenings and Eyeglasses for Arlington Students

77 Arlington Mill High School and Arlington Career Center students were able to receive a free vision exam during the second week of classes from a partnership between Communities In Schools of NOVA, VSP Global, and the Northern Virginia Optometric Society. Of these 77 students, 60 were identified to need prescription eyeglasses, and were provided a free pair. Held on September 14-16, day and evening students from both schools were given the opportunity to have their eyes examined by volunteer optometrists from the Northern Virginia Optometric Society and were even prescribed free eyeglasses by VSP Global. The Communities In Schools of NOVA [...]

Madelon Brennan2016-01-08T20:22:16+00:00September 21st, 2015|0 Comments

Partnerships In Service to Community: Abby Raphael & Arlington Public Schools

CIS of NOVA is a key partner with Arlington Public Schools in helping our students succeed. During the 2013–2014 school year, CIS of NOVA worked with more than a thousand students and family members, marshaling the Arlington community’s resources to provide tutoring, college and career counseling, and assistance with food, clothing, and health services. The results of these efforts are measured in students’ improved school attendance and academic performance. —Abby Raphael, School Board Member, Arlington Public Schools

Madelon Brennan2016-08-16T15:21:39+00:00June 5th, 2015|0 Comments

Partnerships In Service to Community: Gunston Middle School Site Coordinator Alessandra Domestici

I’m a listening ear that has the time. I know their teachers would love to be there for them, and want to be there for them. But sometimes their plates are full and they have too much to do. For me to be able to be in that school all week, all day, and be there and be like, “I’m going to listen to you. I’m sitting here, I’m ready, I’m waiting. Tell me everything." I think that’s what really opens up a whole new door to these kids. —Alessandra Domestici, Site Coordinator, Gunston Middle School

Madelon Brennan2016-08-16T15:21:22+00:00June 4th, 2015|0 Comments

Partnerships In Service to Community: Dr. Jean Milliken

From the beginning of Communities In Schools 37 years ago, I have had the opportunity to see CIS grow and benefit hundreds of thousands of children and teenagers. I am so pleased that CIS has begun to serve young people in Northern Virginia, beginning in Arlington, where I live. My experience of serving on the CIS of NOVA Board and volunteering in one of the high schools this past year has confirmed for me the value this organization brings to underserved youth in the community. I look forward to our expanding into other school districts throughout Northern Virginia so that more young [...]

Madelon Brennan2016-08-16T15:22:33+00:00June 3rd, 2015|0 Comments

Partnerships In Service to Community: Koube Ngaaje & AFAC

CIS of NOVA was truly instrumental in establishing the [Arlington] Career Center as the first AFAC distribution site within a school for students and families. This partnership not only introduced AFAC’s services to several families suffering from food insecurity in silence, but has also provided a strong incentive for students to pursue their education and helped establish CIS of NOVA as a resource to students and to the broader Arlington community. —Koube Ngaaje, Director of Operations, Arlington Food Assistance Center

Madelon Brennan2016-08-16T15:22:38+00:00June 2nd, 2015|0 Comments

After-School Success At Wakefield High School

The 2014-2015 school year saw many great additions to CIS of NOVA at Wakefield High School. One new program that was launched, with the support and assistance of the Wakefield staff and dedicated CIS of NOVA volunteers, was an after-school study hall. By combining the principals of Communities In Schools Five Basics, CIS of NOVA was able to facilitate a safe and positive environment for personal success and growth. Along with the focus on academic success, students also met with partner organizations and Wakefield staff members to work on resume writing, summer job searches and setting personal goals. The consistent and long [...]

Madelon Brennan2016-08-16T15:19:52+00:00May 22nd, 2015|0 Comments

Maverick Voices: Sharing the Stories of Arlington Mill Students

While many students are worried about their end-of-year prom, SAT scores, or passing their driver’s tests, other students are focusing on balancing their schoolwork, full-time jobs outside of school, and even about feeding their families and children. Arlington Mill High School students are composed of members from around the Arlington community and come from around the world. And while many students county-wide face struggles every day, Arlington Mill students face unique challenges that have gone unnoticed and untold. To bring their stories out to the community, CIS of NOVA is beginning their new campaign titled “I Am Arlington” as a way to highlight success stories [...]

Madelon Brennan2016-08-16T15:19:29+00:00May 18th, 2015|0 Comments

Arlington Officials Devise New Ways To Further Reduce Dropouts

Original article from Inside NOVA By Scott McCaffrey Several years ago, Arlington school officials couldn’t track down a student who had been AWOL from the classroom for days. They turned to School Board member Emma Violand-Sanchez, who knew the young man, was able to find him and get him back in class. A situation that could have ended as a statistic resulted in a student who graduated high school and now is in college. That type of story shows that Arlington educators “focus on each student,” Violand-Sanchez said during a May 7 presentation on efforts to further cut drop-out rates. The good news [...]

Madelon Brennan2016-08-16T15:19:17+00:00May 12th, 2015|0 Comments

Career Day 2015 at Wakefield

On Thursday, April 30th, 40 volunteers and 200 sophomore students gathered in the Wakefield High School cafeteria to discuss education and career paths for the Sophomore Career Day. The Sophomore Career Day is an annual event in which students are able to hear from professionals in the Northern Virginia area and ask questions about their careers. Students and volunteers heard from Bishop Garrison, the event’s keynote speaker, and then engaged in a “speed networking” activity. Each student heard from volunteer speakers about their education and career paths, career changes and strategies for making transitions between high school and college, and eventually entering [...]

Madelon Brennan2016-08-16T15:18:58+00:00May 4th, 2015|0 Comments