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ALIGNMENT ROCKFORD 
NOVEMBER NEWS
2016

OPEN INVITATIONS TO PARTICIPATE (ITP)™
2016-2017 Capstone Consultant

Alignment Rockford's Career Awareness team is seeking services from the community to assist in one or all (3)
levels of support for the Capstone consultant program:
  • Provide workshops.
  • Provide ongoing classroom support.
  • Partner with Alignment Rockford in operating the Capstone Pilot Program.
 For more information and to respond to this invitation 
  click here. You must be logged in to respond.

To request a login for Alignment Rockford's page email Zalihta.
Join the Excitement!
Click the image to the left to see your best fit in Alignment Rockford and Academy team involvement or click on the right to learn how you can work in our high schools supporting the College & Career Academies of Rockford!





It's real. It's working.
Alignment Rockford's initiatives are changing the trajectory of our public schools and improving the outlook for our community's future. Alignment Rockford teams explore and implement best practices to change the way we "do" public school in Rockford. AR teams are focused on aligning existing resources to improve student achievement and raise graduation rates. 

This collaborative, strategic process ensures we have the workforce to support our community's future needs. A stronger economy means a better quality of life for everyone. Rockford Public Schools and hundreds of community volunteers are  ALL IN  for success. Together, we're changing the future, and we need you.

Here's How You Can Help
  • Host students at your business or organization.
  • Work on a planning team, an advisory council or an Academy Support Team in a school.
  • Be a volunteer at a school.
  • Donate goods or services.


CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER

Please help us by forwarding on!
 
FACES OF ALIGNMENT ROCKFORD
Each month we feature one of our Alignment Rockford volunteers, staff or team members in our series, Faces of Alignment Rockford. This month we have a special face to introduce!
Welcome Anastasia Josephine Haun
 
Alignment Rockford's Katy Haun and her husband William welcomed their first child into the world on October 12, 2016. Anastasia Josephine was 7 pounds, 1 ounce when she was born. Both baby and mom are doing well, and are happy and healthy.

Alignment Rockford teams look forward to welcoming Katy back to her role as Community Engagement Coordinator in January. 

Congratulations Katy! 
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
 Studio Art Professionals 



Computer Coding and Hardware 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!
Auburn High School Capstone student, Brad Foster, presented to SwedishAmerican Foundation about his Capstone project which involved research into a new method for treating non-small cell lung cancer. To help him do the research, SwedishAmerican sponsored the purchase of a protein analyzer (silencing ribonucleic acid), which destroys all of a single protein in a cell. The product costs about $400 Click here to see them purchasing the protein analyzer. Click here to read more about Brad's project.


Deputy Chief Michael Dalke with the Rockford Police Department, and Alignment Rockford Operating Board member, answered a call for community assistance with an interdisciplinary crime scene project at Guilford High School during the first 2 weeks of April. Deputy Chief Dalke recruited detectives and investigators from the Rockford Police Department to spend several days walking students through real-world crime scene investigation techniques. Read more   from the RPS blog.   Check out this RPS video   showcasing the project.




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 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 .



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.
Seeking Financial Institution Partners

Rockford Public Schools and Alignment Rockford are seeking financial institutions to open a credit union branch in one or more of our high schools. The purpose of the financial institution branch location at the high schools is to provide students with a hands-on opportunity to work at a financial institution.  The flexibility of a branch in the high schools would give students an opportunity to experience the operating procedures of a financial institution and gain practical work experience at the same time.  In addition, it would serve as a model for financial responsibility for students and staff.

To learn more, click here


Alignment Rockford's 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.