Office Giving
First things first. Please tell us if you’re using your LLS Board-approved Day of Service by answering this two-question survey.
Last year around this time, we announced a meaningful investment in Hekima Place, Pittsburgh-native Kate Fletcher’s Kenyan school for girls. Last Tuesday, Hekima Hills Learning Center officially opened. Here’s a note of thanks Bob Clements received from Marianne McClain, President of Hekima Place U.S. Board of Directors:
“I just returned from visiting Hekima Place last week. Along with a few other board members, we attended the dedication of the new school that was held on October 18th and we were very pleased with the design and construction of the buildings. The goal is for the school to open in January for PreK, K, and grades 1, 2, 3 with grades 4-5-6 and 7-8-9 to follow. We had a chance to meet the founding principal and vice principal and we were very impressed with their wisdom, experience and love of teaching. It was a momentous day for Kate and for all of us who attended, and especially to share in the joy of providing a brighter future for our girls and all the other children in the surrounding community when they cross HHLC’s threshold on January 7, 2020. Again, on behalf of Kate and the Board of Directors, please accept our sincere appreciation for your role in Hekima Hills Learning Centre…”
BIG news
Working with Beaver County Big Brothers Big Sisters, we’re participating in the Beyond School Walls student mentoring program. The goal is to help local students explore future employment options, gain a better understanding of the jobs available in and around their communities, and receive the guidance and support of a mentor.
All of the “Bigs” went through a screening process and worked with program coordinator Teresa Popp to learn more about their “Littles” before meeting them earlier last month. Since the Bigs work in digital media and communications, the Littles got a taste for what it’s like to generate art, digital animation, interactive media, graphic design, and public relations.
MHY, MHY, MHY
Our ongoing partnership with MHY Family Services continues to blossom. Kim Gullo from Sales and Marketing explained that LLS donated access to our digital library, and teachers at MHY Longmore Academy are using it to personalize learning experiences for their students. This is an excellent example of combining philanthropy, employees’ days of service, and creative curriculum to enhance educational opportunity for these children.
Here are excerpts from a letter Kim shared with us from teacher Tara Toth:
“I have had the experience to incorporate Lincoln Learning’s digital library in my classroom since the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. I am currently a Special Education teacher at Longmore Academy. In addition to being the resource teacher, I teach 7th grade Reading and 11th grade Career Readiness.
“I use Lincoln Learning English Language Arts 7 pacing guide to help facilitate my daily lessons in Reading. I choose to print out all of the lessons rather than utilize them on the computers, because my students often become distracted by the computers. As far as lessons go, I utilize Read It, Show It and Assess It. This helps me assess the students’ academic levels and determine if I need to remediate any parts of the lesson.
“I am currently combining the Life Skills and Career Exploration courses to teach my 11th grade Career Readiness class. I recently had the students complete a portfolio, which they can take to job interviews. The portfolio included a sample job application, cover letter, and resume, all of which are Lincoln Learning. The digital courses have really helped me mold a curriculum for this class, as there is not a specific curriculum we are required to use at Longmore Academy.
“The last way I have been implementing Lincoln Learning at Longmore Academy is for students who are academically advanced. I have created student-specific folders for several high school students to utilize in place of the curriculum being taught to their peers in the same class. For example, one student is very advanced and has five specific courses on Lincoln Learning that she is participating in. These students log into their accounts during the corresponding class and work at their own pace to complete the lessons. I then track their progress and report their grades to the core subject teachers.
“Thus far, I have found Lincoln Learning’s digital library extremely beneficial. I utilize it daily and have had positive feedback from my students. My plan is to continue to utilize all of the Lincoln Learning resources available for us at Longmore Academy throughout the remainder of the school year!
Giving Evan-Moor
Evan-Moor employees participated in two different philanthropies to help children and families in Monterey County – the KSBW-TV “Share Your Holiday” event and the Food Bank food drive.
Evan-Moor employees donated new, unwrapped toys for local families in need for the KSBW “Share Your Holiday” event. One of them even set up a festive donation station in the office to collect the toys, which were delivered on December 6 to an event that was broadcast on the local news channel. Evan-Moor has partnered with the Salvation Army for 33 years to help Central Coast residents with toy donations, as well as blankets, clothing, and food during the holiday season.
Evan-Moor employees also participated in a food drive for the Food Bank for Monterey County, filling two barrels with non-perishable food items. The Food Bank of Monterey County serves 1 in 5 Monterey County residents; 50% of those residents are children.
Bradley Center Angels
Many thanks to everyone who took the time to make Christmas a little more magical for a Bradley Center child this season. Your generosity amounted to gifts for 138 children. To take our support even further, members the Academic Affairs Department used their Day of Service to wrap all of your gifts.