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ALIGNMENT ROCKFORD NEWS 
APRIL 2016
 
Alignment Rockford and RPS 205  
Awarded $400K Grant  
The Joyce Foundation has chosen Rockford as one of four communities for a new regional partnership aimed at expanding high quality college and career pathways. Rockford will become
 
part of the Great Lakes College and Career Pathways Initiative. Alignment Rockford and Rockford Public Schools will be awarded $400,000 over two years. 
 
 
The four communities were chosen due to their proven leadership within college and career readiness initiatives, as well as their strong partnerships among educational systems that support college and career readiness. The grant will be used to expand this work within the chosen communities.
 
The partnership communities gathered on March 28th and 29th in Hoffman Estates to begin their collaborative work. Here communities laid out the path that has brought each community to where they are in present day. Rockford's historic depiction is pictured below. 
 
    

2016 ACADEMY EXPO: SAVE THE DATE 
Thursday, September 29th, 2016 

The Alignment Rockford Academy Expo team has been busy at work planning this year's career exploration event!  Look for information coming soon to sign up as a Hospitality Ambassador (event volunteer) or Industry Expert (booth host).  

We look forward to working with you again for another successful Academy Expo! 




VOTE FOR EAST AND JEFFERSON!
East and Jefferson High School need your votes! Each school has submitted a video proposal of a project involving an unmet need within the community that addresses building a sustainable community. Based on your votes, Ford Motor Company will award (2) winners a $10,000 grant to support the implementation of their projects.
 
You can vote every day! Voting ends April 12th at 5pm EST. You must register to vote. 

 
 
East HS One Plant at a Time
 
Jefferson HS Fitness Trail 
Jefferson HS Fitness Trail

FIRST Annual RPS 205 
FIRST Robotics Fundraiser!
Giovanni's Restaurant &
Convention Center
  Thursday, April 21st
5:30-8:00 p.m. 

Please join us for a great evening of FIRST Robotics demonstrations, heavy hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, silent auction, and tons of fun! *Children 12 and under free!

A team from this year's Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Rockford class is hosting this fundraiser to help the Rockford Public Schools with its goal to bring an after school FIRST Robotics team to every school within the Rockford Public Schools in the next 5 years. 

National studies show that students involved in FIRST Robotics are significantly more likely to attend college, major in science or engineering, and be outstanding future employees and citizens. This is especially important in the Rock River Valley where there is a great need of future manufacturing professionals.
*Please select the "Donations" link and then choose Stiles Elementary as the School from the drop-down menu for payment purposes only. Tickets are $40, please enter this amount in the donation field.
Your sponsorship is a tax deductible investment in the futures of our students.   Click here  for the sponsorship letter and levels.
Rockford Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Rockford
and RPS 205 FIRST Robotics
779-774-4389 x11 | firstroboticslr@gmail.com
FACES OF ALIGNMENT ROCKFORD
Each month we feature one of our Alignment Team members in our series, Faces of Alignment Rockford
Chet Parker
Northeast Zone Coordinator, Rockford Park District
Pathways A-Team Member

Chet has a passion for working with non-profit organizations spending 10 years working with the YMCA before joining the team at the Rockford Park District in 2008.  He began his career with the Rockford Park District working in Therapeutic Recreation and Community Recreation before starting full time in 2010 in the Environmental Recreation and Education Department at the Atwood Center.  It was there that he was introduced to Alignment Rockford. Currently he oversees park maintenance for the Rockford Park District.  He has participated in every year of the Academy Expo.     

Click here to learn more about Chet and his involvement within Alignment Rockford. 
" A solid education should not be something that is taken for granted and should be a right of all children in this community... Our school district can be great, but it is the responsibility of the residents of the community to take ownership and make it that way."  -Chet Parker
ACADEMY NEEDS:  

Want an easy way to support the Academies? Check out the list of Academy Needs below to see if you or someone you know might be able to help out! 

Click on the need to see a detailed description.  





Informational materials related to Health Sciences Careers
Materials for building raised gardens and a bench for the atrium
Nook replacements (10) for Deaf and Hard of Hearing classes
Vectric software experts (VCarve and Aspire)
Car kits for a Pinewood Derby project
Health Sciences Professionals (Veterinarian, RN, chiropractic, sports med)
 Engineering and civil engineering Industry Experts 
Performing Arts Theater and Performance Production (music and/or theater) Professionals
 Snow Sculpting Materials
Industrial Trades and Manufacturing experts
Professional who can provide TPRS training
 Studio Art Professionals 

Don't have time to join a team but want an easy way to help out?
ACADEMY SUCCESSES  

Thank you to our our community partners investing in our schools and students!


Thanks to the work of two Academy Support Team members at Jefferson High School, Media Production students have had two project-based case learning experiences. Kathy Olson with Crusader Community Health wrote a grant to Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation to sponsor three public service announcements produced by students on oral and dental health.  Click to view.   

 
 
Ashley Burks with United Way of Rock River Valley commissioned Jefferson High School Media Production students to produce a documentary on the Midtown District as part of the Strong Neighborhoods Series.

 
Chet Parker with the Rockford Park District, and Alignment team member, provided supplies and designed and built raised garden beds for Roosevelt High School. The raised beds will be used in a school wide project across all Academies involving a farm to table theme.

Becky Costello with Rasmussen College, and an Academy Support Team member as well as a College & Career Readiness Council member helped to secure a donation from Rasmussen College to provide Roosevelt High School with 150 thumb-drives to assist students in saving pertinent information such as resume, cover letter, and student portfolio work. The staff at Rasmussen recorded inspirational quotes on each of the drives. Click here to see them. 

 
Home Depot has been a great partner to Guilford High School often donating additional supplies with their orders to support student projects and storing their lumber for them until they are ready to use it.

Habitat for Humanity in Rockford is working with Guilford High School's Orientation to Construction classes which are building the pre-fabricated walls for a home this year to be assembled for a Rockford family. They are working to arrange a partnership where next year's Construction class (3rd year), will go offsite to assemble a Habitat for Humanity home including, electrical, plumbing, etc. Click to read more



Rockford Fire Department worked with a Guilford High School student who designed banners for the Fire Department providing a work-based learning opportunity for the student as well as an addition to his resume.  Click to view the banners .

OPEN INVITATIONS TO PARTICIPATE (ITP)™

Kennedy Middle School Math Tutor Program

  "[My tutor] is awesome and I want him to be my tutor forever!"  -current student in the Kennedy Middle School Math Tutor Program
 
Alignment Rockford's College Readiness Team is seeking math tutors for 6th grade students at Kennedy Middle School. Tutors will work with students for one hour, one time per week during their regularly scheduled math class during the 2015-2016 school year. The school day takes place 8:45am to 3:45pm. Tutoring time of day will vary according to students' schedulesRead more... 

Interested in becoming a tutor ? We are always accepting new tutors. Click here or email Alignment Rockford's Community Engagement Coordinator for more information. 



Ready, Set, Kindergarten!
 
The Healthy Starts team has developed community-wide messaging for all families with students going into kindergarten.The Ready Set Kindergarten! materials are aimed to ensure parents have a common understanding of the skills children need to be successful in kindergarten.

Services Needed from the Community:
  • Place the provided brochures and posters in a waiting area or employee break room
  • Include the information in your company newsletter (digital information provided)
  • Include the provided information in your church bulletin
  • Have brochures available for interested families to pick up
  • Display the information on your digital billboard or monitor
  • Promote the information on your social media sites
  • Provide brochures to patients or clients with young children
  • Sponsor or donate printing services
To respond to this invitation to please
click here . You must be logged in to respond.
Microsoft Office Specialist Exams (MOS) for Students Survey 
The Rockford Public School District is considering implementing these exams into their information technology pathway. The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exams enable students to certify their skills in Office applications. All exams are interactive and test students ability to accomplish discrete tasks by performing those tasks in live applications. Currently the district is piloting this program in an 'Advanced Computer Applications' course where students spend about a quarter of instructional time on each of the following Microsoft programs: Word, Excel, Power Point, and Access.

Your input will help us determine whether or not we should expand this program to all of our high schools.


Our Elementary Schools Need Your Support Too!
Calling all military professionals, e lectricians, p lumbers, h air dressers, n urses, d entists or dental assistants, b akers, p ilots, and o ther professionals!

 
McIntosh Elementary needs your expertise for their April 28th Career Fair!

Click here if you can help
Needs for May 19th Ellis and Lewis Lemon Elementary Block Party:
  • 4-5 basketballs and 10-15 basketball themed items
  • Stuffed animals for kids who win bingo and various gift cards for adults who win
  • Other bingo prizes
Click here if you can help

SAVE THE DATE: April 30th Auburn High School Capstone Presentations
ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS INVITED!

The pilot Capstone course at Auburn High School invites all community members to review the student presentations of their individual projects!  Presentations are on Saturday, April 30th from 10am-noon, in room M300 at Auburn High School. Click here to view some of the project summaries. 





Support Alignment Rockford by shopping! When you shop with AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate to Alignment Rockford. Amazon supports us every time you shop. Click this link to begin shopping now:  Amazon Smile 


Alignment Rockford is a collective impact organization whose mission is to align community resources in support of public school strategies to raise student achievement, improve the health and happiness of our children, and advance the economic and social well-being of our community.