Alicia Devine is in the 11^th grade at Ribault High School where she participates on the Softball Team. She is also taking an extra step towards college by completing college level classes at FSCJ after her day is complete at Ribault. Michelle Cunningham, site coordinator at Ribault High, describes Alicia as a “phenomenal student”.

Ms. Cunningham has watched graduating senior, Sherman Bentley, make a complete turn around throughout the year as a Reading Mentor. Sherman is completing AP classes while preparing to attend Florida A&M University this fall after receiving multiple scholarships. “The children were instantly drawn to him,” says Ms. Cunningham who saw something different in Sherman, “He took mentoring by storm.”

The Teen Trend Setters Reading Mentors program at Ribault High pairs the CIS students with second graders at Rufus E. Payne Elementary. The teens provide one on one reading attention, one hour a week throughout the entire school year. The Principal at Rufus E. Payne, Ms. Weisha Day, has already seen the second graders reading scores improve by close to 25%.

I was set to join the TEAM-UP program. TEAM-UP is an after school program that gives k-8^th grade students a chance to better themselves, which I remember from my own experience growing up. I appreciated when I had the opportunity to study with my friends and talk to different mentors about everyday drama at school and home. Now it was my turn to be that shoulder to cry on, give an ear to listen, and reach my hands out and teach.

I was placed at Mayport Middle School to start my new adventure. Mrs. Skipper and Mr. Demps (co-workers at Mayport Middle School) commissioned me to be with the 8^th Grade class for grade recovery. When I first started, I left the school feeling as if I wasn’t accomplishing anything. After talking with Ms. Cowman and a teacher at TEAM-UP, I felt rejuvenated. They both said in their own way that I have to let the students know the reason I’m there.  I did, and immediately after I finished my grand speech, I noticed hands rise for help with homework. That day I became a tutor.

I went to Mayport Middle School with the intentions to teach and tutor students. Who would have thought I would gain so much more? When I was sick with the flu, all I could think about was getting back to work. I missed the kids and my co-workers. A bond was formed with each and every individual at work.

Professionalism in an office and school setting, communication skills with students, and teamwork with my fellow cliques are some of the skills I’ve learned so far. The skills I obtained at CIS will not only help me in my career but in any life endeavors I may come across. I would recommend anyone to volunteer; it’s always an enriching learning experience.

- Lalonnie Dames, Intern

During the first two days, pilots of the NAS Jax VP-5 Squadron gave an overview on their everyday duties and hard work as pilots, giving students the opportunity to ask any questions they may have on what it takes to be a fighter pilot. Most of the students had plans to enter the military following graduation from high school.

After the full conclusion of the film on April 25^th, Veterans Coordinator, Adam Bagby introduced Tuskegee Airmen historian, Emerson Mungin. Mr. Mungin has dedicated his time in collecting artifacts and learning further about the legacy of the airmen. He is also a personal friend to many of the 200 Tuskegee Airmen who are still alive today, which fascinated many of the students.

Mr. Mungin explained the comparison of the film to actual facts and events that occurred during World War II, such as the reason the tails on the planes were painted red to the segregation the men witnessed when they returned home from being overseas.  Following his presentation, students were able to view a variety of artifacts Mr. Mungin brought to share, including a rare G.I. Joe doll and a 1942 Life Magazine which was one of the few publications recorded of the Tuskegee Airmen.  Mr. Mungin encouraged the TEAM UP students to continue their education and to, “Start your own legacy, just as the Tuskegee Airmen did. “

The abundance of support was overflowing at Jax Beach Elementary and the PTA did not know where to direct the spill-over. Ms. Tutt was familiar with the work of Communities In Schools and called Bill Hodges, the Director of the Student Enrichment Program  to discuss a possible partnership.

They came to an agreement to partner with St. Clair Evans Academy. “I was very excited because I know what this means for our children here,” exclaimed Teneshia Durham, CIS Site Coordinator at St. Clair Evans . Ms. Durham has been working at St. Clair Evans for the past five years, serving 100 students each year with individual and family work by reducing barriers to reach achievement in school. The biggest challenge the school is facing is that students are coming to school unprepared to learn. The PTA at St. Clair Evans Academy faces similar challenges to other schools in low-income communities: lack of parent involvement.

Jax Beach Elementary is providing support to get parents more involved, such as making name badges for PTA members, donating clothing for a family in need, helping review finances, providing a Fall Feast for teachers, and connecting the school with resources of Jax Beach PTA parents who own businesses. Ms. Durham lives by the saying “It takes a village to raise a child” and knows that’s what it will take for schools to make gains.

Parents are an important part of the equation determining student success. CIS takes that a step deeper. Not only is it important to have parent engagement at the school level, but also to have one-on-one relationships with caring adults whether it is a teacher, guidance counselor, grandparent, athletics coach, pastor, or an outside mentor. Partnering with a CIS site provides an onsite liaison, structure, and ability to really utilize resources not just at PTA meetings but throughout the year.

-Lauren Cowman,  Mentor Recruiter

The event kicked off with a proclamation by Mayor Brown declaring April 9, 2013 as the Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service followed by a tree planting and volunteer roundup.

Historic Durkeville’s James P. Small Park, known for the baseball stadium built in 1937, was the center target for the National Service event because of the parks historical significance in Jacksonville.

Communities In Schools was represented by 25 AmeriCorps members and CIS employees who joined in helping spruce up and beautify the park, painting the aged dugouts and cleaning up the surrounding area of the stadium.

AmeriCorps member Corey Carson recalled the event as “an empowering and positive experience. It not only felt great to be recognized by the Mayor for the volunteer service that we provide every day to students and our community, I consider it a privilege and honor to be a part of the beautification project.”

The morning kicked off with the talented drumline of S.A. Hull Elementary battling against the drumline of EWC in a face to face stand-off to get the crowd ready.  The elementary school dance teams started the competition which included the team from Pinedale Elementary in poodle skirts dancing on the tables of a 50s diner while Sadie T. Tillis Elementary put their own twist on a popular TV dance show and created TEAM UP’s Best Dance Crew which even featured judges and a host.

The Ft. Caroline Middle School Step Team put fear into the audience during the second half of the competition with their Zombie themed makeup and costumes. Mayport Middle was caught red handed during their cop and robbers step routine followed by the attack of the nerds from both Mathew Gilbert and Ribault Middle. The Ribault Middle Step Team won first place in their category after blowing away both the audience and judges with their perfectly timed and fast paced routine.

The judges for the competition ranged from EWC Cheerleaders to Step professionals. The performances throughout the day made their job a tough decision but the Extravaganza was a great success in showing the talent our TEAM UP students!

The results are as follows,

Elementary Step:
First Place: Sallye B. Mathis   Second Place: Woodland Acres
Third Place: S.A. Hull & Sadie Tillis

Elementary Dance:
First Place: Sallye B. Mathis
Second Place: Pinedale
Third Place: Lake Forest

Middle Dance:
First Place: Highlands
Second Place: Jeff Davis
Third Place: Ribault

Middle Step:
First Place: Ribault
Second Place: Mayport
Third Place: Lake Shore

Burney is a Raines High School graduate, holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University. In November 2004, she joined the Duval County School Board and held the distinction of serving as a two time Board Chairman (2006 and 2011) and a two-time Vice Chairman (2005 and 2010).

Burney currently serves as a consultant for the Center for Reform of School Systems where she works with school boards and superintendents to provide technical assistance on governance strategies and practices designed to impact student achievement and to narrow the academic achievement gap.  Earlier this year, Burney was asked by management of the WCGL radio station to serve as a community service radio talk show host; The Betty Burney Empowerment Hour is a live radio talk show that empowers the community with information.

Her nationally-recognized book, “If These Chains Could Talk”, is based around Juvenile inmates, ages 13-18, who offer “off the chain” advice through a series of letters intended for parents, students, teachers, the faith community and community at large.

Burney is married to Calvin Burney, Sr. and they have two sons, Calvin, Jr. and Craig who are successful graduates of the Duval County Public School system. Calvin Burney, Jr., is currently a site coordinator with CIS at Ed White High School.

Kristian and Seantian, both 5^th graders at Sadie Tillis Elementary, won 4^th Place for their project, “ Does stretchy bubblegum blow better bubbles?”  Their favorite part of the experiment was being able to blow as many bubbles as they needed to receive the best results.  They both favored the Double Bubble brand which also proved their hypothesis correct by stretching the farthest.

 Communities In Schools of Jacksonville staff were also in attendance to witness the young scientists hard work and enjoy the interactive presentation given by Christina Wilson of Miracles of Science, a school science assembly program. Christina interacted with the TEAM UP audience by mixing different chemicals together to form bubbly explosions or solidify colorful liquids. Leon Baxton, COO at Communities In Schools, was chosen as an audience member to participate on stage in making his very own green slime along with another student.

Sadie Tillis Elementary walked away winning 4^th, 3^rd and even 1^st Place with the “Which paper towel is the strongest?” project won by 5^th graders, Mathew Beavis, Ivonte Brow, and De’ondre Fountain.  2^nd Place winners from Sallye B. Mathis Elementary won with their project, “How fast will it roll?” while their team also stood out the most for their official, purple scientist cloaks.

The event was a great success while showcasing the smart and creative minds of TEAM UP students, some of which we may see winning prestigious scientific awards in the future.

The 2012-13 school year, marked a positive transition in Darian’s life with the introduction of Communities In Schools of Jacksonville (CIS) to the Edward H. White High School community.  At the conclusion of the 1^st quarter Darian’s grades were less than stellar. Communities In Schools presence on the campus of Edward H. White High School led to a positive transformation in Mr. Hills social and classroom etiquette, and scholastic pursuits. At the conclusion of the 2^nd quarter grading period Darian achieved A-B Honor Roll. Darian’s academic success inspired faculty, staff, and students to continue to strive for excellence.

Darian Hills stands proud with his father Samuel Hills and site coordinator Calvin Burney.

Communities In Schools understood the importance of success. More importantly, CIS as an organization did not relegate itself to understanding the importance of success; they were proactive in creating an opportunity to celebrate academic success. Darian’s celebration fueled his desire to further his academic pursuits and attain all A’s. Darian attributed his positive transformation to CIS presence at Edward H. White High School.

The USS Underwood, a soon to be decommissioned ship, connected with Communities In Schools and coordinated for 10 active military volunteers to visit Finegan Elementary School, which has a 93% student military dependency rate, to speak to students about how what they learn in school will be important in future aspirations.

Special military guests included the Cook, CS1 Tarrell Brown, and fitness experts EM1 Samuel Clay and ET2 James Blocker, who spoke on nutrition and a healthy lifestyle; MAC William Tredick, who spoke to the students about the need of good reading skills in order to make reports about protecting the ship from pirates; OS1 Adan Gancerez and OS1 Leron Parish, who spoke about the importance of math and science in relation to calculating the heading of the ship when moving in the open ocean; Engineer Christopher Farrow, who spoke of how math is key when repairing the ship and maintaining the daily operations; Navigator Lt. Dustin Shultz, who showed a map and discussed how hard moving the ship is without the knowledge in math, reading and science; and finally, the ships Commander, Michael Brasseur, who taught about leadership.

The next event took place at Mayport Middle School and honored the veterans of the Tuskegee Airmen who fought in WWII. In honor of Black History Month, students were able to learn about how these warriors overcame adversity, inequality, racism, and yet they became one of the most highly honored pilots to fight in the war. Over the three day event, the students watched the movie RedTails as well as heard from two local pilots and a resident historian of the Tuskegee airmen.

Pilot Lieutenant Rod Smith and Pilot Lieutenant David Hanson, who currently work on a new a prototype aircraft, talked about a pilot’s ability to understand reading, math and science and how these skills have helped put them in the top 1% of Navy pilots. They shared examples of how pilots need them to figure out a heading, altitude, speed and other information to keep the plane in flight. Reading is also important for they have to read reports that give the pilots pertinent information for finding, reporting and sinking any hostile naval contacts.

On the final day, resident historian of the Tuskegee airmen, Emerson Mungin, shared a message from one of the remaining Tuskegee airmen: “no matter what adversity you come across, you must stay in school, continue your education until you achieve your dream.” He then continued to share the history of the airmen based off of over ten years of research and personal connections to three of the pilots.