November news & updates
November Newsletter
Guilford County Schools Reopening Information!

More elementary school students will start in-person learning, according to a new schedule approved by the Board of Education on November 10, 2020.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy #GivingTuesday!

This year, we are #proud to announce we will participate in #GivingTuesday for the second time on December 1st! Our goal is to RAISE $25,000! Please consider helping us out, so that we can help kids #achieve. All donations are appreciated!
Dudley High School Unifying Community!

On October 30, 2020, members of the Dudley High School Community Outreach Committee partnered with community representatives to connect with parents and students in the Ray Warren Apartment community. They distributed “comfort bags” filled with candy for Halloween, masks, sanitizer, curriculum and attendance information, and other material relevant to their success during remote learning.

Ms. Cheryl Donahue-Wright, Communities In Schools site coordinator at Dudley, joined members of the Dudley Community Outreach Committee composed of teachers, staff members and alumni, to distribute 250 “comfort” bags to parents and students in the Ray Warren community. The outreach event generated critical parent/teacher/student engagement during a time when it is difficult for students and parents to remain dedicated to the remote learning process.

Ms. Donahue-Wright commented that “This was a really nice and neat opportunity to bring teachers closer to the community.” She added that at this time attendance is “super important” as many students are not logging in regularly for a variety of reasons, including lack of internet and/or devices. “Students may easily fall behind if they do not log on regularly for instruction.”

If you have a gently used computer that you wish to donate, or are willing to fund internet access, please contact Ms. Cheryl Donahue Wright at donahuc@gcsnc.com.
Year-End Campaign!
As the saying goes, “No money, no mission!” Led by Rebecca Buffington, chair, Fundraising Committee of the Board of Directors, we are in the process of launching our year-end campaign to express sincere gratitude to our donors for their past support, tell them of what they achieved through their earlier gift, and inspire and directly ask for continued support. Our goal is to raise $45,450 this year to provide services to about 222 students at Dudley, Smith, and the AAMI program at Wiley, Jackson Middle and Smith High School. Support includes the recruitment, training and placement of mentors and tutors; case management services that feature grade, behavior and attendance monitoring; connection to food, clothing and housing resources; home visits, etc. A major new need is laptop and internet access for vulnerable students who are without and who are falling further behind in school work.
Donor Spotlight!

We are pleased to highlight Ms. Traci Poole this month for her reassuring and consistent support of our work. Joining the footsteps of her legendary mother, Ms. Mildred Poole, Traci served on the CIS Board of Directors from 2009-2012 and presently serves on its Advisory Council. When asked why she supports the work of CIS, Traci states: "A community helped to raise me. I want to be part of the community that helps our children thrive. The people who work and volunteer with CIS grab the battered souls of our young people, nurture them back to health, and encourage them to dream again. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?"
New Social Media Volunteer Spotlight!
Elena Schmidt is a recent graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was taught the importance of giving back to the community from a young age, helping with the resettlement of refugees in Greensboro, volunteering at a local soup kitchen, and doing various charity runs. These experiences motivated her to join the student council at UNC where she made a difference as a Community Service Committee member. 

Elena wants everyone to be able to have the same opportunities that she had, which is why she is excited to join CISGG as a social media volunteer, where she will expand the awareness of our cause and mission to help students stay in school and succeed in life.
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF GREATER GREENSBORO | [CISGG]