American Province Ministry Connections January 2023

Hope Partnership for Education    Virgil Sheppard - President and CEO http://www.hopepartnershipforeducation.org/

Ready, Set, Go! That’s how Hope Partnership School came out of the gates in September. The summer months were busy with detailed planning and hiring enthusiastic staff members making for a quick, successful transition back to “hitting the books.”   Since September, several new processes have been put in place. A monthly community meeting was established by the Head of School, Mr. Taylor Harris. The meeting is an opportunity for students and faculty to gather in the “Hope Room” to recognize students for perfect attendance, progress in the classroom, and personal strides. Over the past few months, students have been motivated by the recognition leading to improvements in both Reading and Math scores.           Along with implementing monthly community meeting, students have been participating in private music lessons, staying engaged with several new after-school enrichment activities, and taking incredible field trips - including one to a horse farm! In November, classmates elected student council representatives who have been active in welcoming guests and telling the story of Hope Partnership for Education.    In the spring, Hope students will partner with the “World Affairs Council,” which will provide the expertise they need to understand how global issues impact the local community. Community service will resume as faculty and staff head to the local park for an extensive clean-up, and 8th graders will prepare for graduation as they select high schools that fit their academic and career goals.

Washington School for Girls (WSG)   Dr. Beth Reaves - Head of School http://www.washingtonschoolforgirls.org/

Many students make it through middle school without learning public speaking, persuasive writing, and the etiquette of professional interactions. And yet, students are expected to put these skills into practice as they apply to high schools. Because the vast majority of our students apply to Catholic or other faith-based independent schools for high school, it is important that they know how to present themselves authentically.   We make sure students can develop these skills in low-stakes environments before it “counts.” Recently, our 8th graders worked with volunteers to strengthen their personal essays and practice their interviewing skills. By working with volunteers, including non-teaching staff, Board members, and other community members, students had experiences that were more reflective of real-life scenarios than practicing with their peers and teachers who already know them so well.

Each student shared her essay with a volunteer, who offered insights as to what he/she learned about the student from the essay. They then worked together to emphasize the student’s strengths and how the student could contribute to the particular high school to which she was applying. In a later session, each student was paired with a different volunteer for a mock interview modeled after a high school interview. The outcome? Students learned to receive constructive feedback and how to write compellingly about themselves and developed confidence talking to professional adults before they jumped into the application process.

Sponsored Ministries of the Society of Holy Child Jesus  Casa Cornelia Law Center * Providence Center Co-Sponsored Ministries of the Society of Holy Child Jesus South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project (LAMP) *  Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep * Hope Partnership for Education *  Cristo Rey New York High School * Washington School for Girls    ~ ~ ~   Ministry Connections is a monthly publication highlighting ministries sponsored or co-sponsored by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.