ALL IN FOR KIDS
Celebrating 40 years of Empowering Students
Our School Outreach Coordinator from Federal Way High School, Kaitlin Thomas, and her former student and FWHS Alumni Marshun, attended the Communities In Schools National Conference and 40th Anniversary Celebration in Los Angeles.
While they were there, they were featured in the new "All In For Kids" National Campaign launch. In the video, Marshun says to Kaitlin, "Communities In Schools is amazing, but you're the reason why
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"
Check out the video to hear how Kaitlin impacted Marshun's life, and how Site Coordinators all over the country are making a difference for students.
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| Marshun and Kaitlin |
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Kaitlin Thomas with CIS Founder Bill Milliken |
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
Saghalie Middle School
Delayna
Life is far from easy for Delayna, a seventh
grader at Saghalie Middle School. Her home and school life have been in constant turmoil. She has struggled with maintaining her grades, getting along with others, and taking ownership for her actions. Our School Outreach Coordinator, Darius, has been working with her to identify her goals and how she wants to be seen by others.
After an altercation she had with another student, Darius helped her see that s
he was at fault in the situation and that she was better than what her actions had showed. She didn't like what Darius had to say and was upset that he did not take her side, but Darius let her know that he was not going to lower his expectations and that he knew she was capable of so much more.
Later in the day, after reflecting on the situation, she asked Darius to call the other student down to his office. When the other student arrived, Delayna told her that she realized that what she had done was wrong. She apologized, promised it would not happen again, and asked the other student to forgive her. With everything she is dealing with outside of school, this was a huge step in her moving toward becoming the person she wants to be. To celebrate the achievement, Darius threw a pizza party for Delayna and 3 friends.
Keep working hard, Delayna! We are proud of you!
Michael 
In his 6th and 7th grade years Michael, now an 8th grader at Saghalie Middle School, did not seem to care much about school or his behavior. In October of this year, he was suspended and nearly expelled.
Our School Outreach Coordinator, Darius, was called in to meet with Michael and his father. While he had made a big mistake, Michael has always shown the potential to succeed in school. Instead
of focusing the conversation on the mistake Michael had made, his father and Darius talked about his hopes and expectations for his son.
In the conversation, Michael was able to accept his mistake and identify how he would use the experience to change his outlook on school and life. Since that occurrence in October, Michael has not had one discipline related referral and is respected as a leader among his peers.
Congratulations on your achievements, Michael!
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BUILDING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
Thomas Jefferson High School
Our School Outreach Coordinators at Thomas Jefferson High School, lead a Girls Empowerment Group. One of their recent topics of discussion was about healthy relationships and sexual health.
They discussed the signs of healthy vs unhealthy relationships, as well as how our sexuality is intertwined in our lives and how these young ladies are affected by things such as sexual orientation, gender roles, sexualization and intimacy.
They learned how to make responsible safe decisions and how communication with their families and significant others is vital.
Lakota Middle School
Our School Outreach Coordinator, Robert Daniel, at Lakota Middle School arranged for Federal Way
Coalition Against Trafficking
to come to Lakota to deliver an engaging presentation on phone and internet safety to the whole school during their Health classes.
As technology becomes more and more available to students, there are more opportunities for risky uses of it and more need for safety, education and awareness. FWCAT helped students to see that there are ways that they can be more safe with their online social media presence and with their uses of technology.
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ANNUAL FUNDRAISING BREAKFAST
Thank you to everyone who attended and donated to our 2017 Annual Fundraising Breakfast!
Together we raised a record $77,000 to support youth in Federal Way! We could not do this work without the support of the Federal Way Community. We truly appreciate everyone who gives their time, talent, and/or treasure to help provide a community of support for our students in need.
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FIELD TRIPS
At our Fundraising Breakfast in April we made a big ask of our donors. We asked you to not only make one donation to Communities In Schools, but to stretch yourselves and make a second donation as well. That second ask brought in nearly $4,500 to help fund the field trips that our School Outreach Coordinators take students on. Field trips are a critical part of the educational experience for our students,
designed not only to extend classroom learning and connect textbook concepts to real world examples, but to provide an opportunity for students to be exposed to experiences, industries, colleges, and professions they may have never considered or known to be an option for them.
We want to thank our donors for being open to the second fund-a-need ask, and for opening your hearts and wallets to support this need that is crucial for the growth of our students, but is often difficult to find funding for.
Here are a few examples of recent field trips our School Outreach Coordinators have taken students on:
Polynesian Day, University of Washington
Our School Outreach Coordinator, Kimberly Foster, at Sacajawea Middle School took 27 students to Polynesian Day at the University of Washington. The students participated in workshops and campus tours, and watched live performances by UW Polynesian students. The Sacajawea students said they could relate to the experiences of the UW students and their journey of getting to college, and that they were motivated to do their best so that they can attend a college like UW and help grow the Polynesian presence on college campuses.
WE Day, Key Arena
Our school Outreach Coordinators from Illahee, Sequoyah, and Saghalie Middle Schools all took students to the 5th Annual WE Day Celebration at Key Arena. WE is a movement that exists for one reason: to make the world a better place, with the belief that our lives take on a deeper, transformative meaning when we impact the lives of others. WE Day is a celebration of youth making a difference in their local and global communities. Students earn their ticket to WE Day through p
articipating in a yearlong program that nurtures compassion in young people and gives them the tools to create transformational social change.
This year's WE Day appearances included Russell Wilson, Washington Soul singer Allen Stone, and America's Got Talent winner, 13-year-old singer Grace VanderWaal. One student from Illahee even won a $250 scholarship from Allstate Insurance!
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AMERICORPS APPLICATIONS
We are now accepting AmeriCorps applications for the 2017-2018 school year. Join us in making a difference in the lives of young people while developing professional skills and making an impact through national service. AmeriCorps members assist School Outreach Coordinators in providing the necessary services and programs our vulnerable youth need in order to stay engaged in school and on-track to graduate.
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10 YEARS OF SERVICE
At our last Board Meeting, we honored Pete Gonzales, who will be stepping down as a Board Member after nearly 10 years of service to Communities In Schools of Federal Way. Pete has been a committed Board Member, and was one of our original 10 mentors when we started our mentoring program in 2007. Pete has been with one of his mentees, Brian, for the past seven years. Brian joined us in presenting Pete with a plaque.
Thank you, Pete for your dedication to CIS!
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Communities In Schools of Federal Way
1825 S. 316th St. #101
Federal Way, WA 98003
253-529-7440
Surrounding students with a community of support,
empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
Connect. Donate. Volunteer.
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