Our Mission: Communities In Schools of Central Texas surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
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- Austin Community College Equity Summit
- Cyberbullying Resources
- Amplify Austin - March 1 & 2
- Scholarship Opportunity
- Leave Recaps
- Photos of the Week
- and more!
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- SO to Lili C for reminding me to do things that should be done for and with the infants while caring for her own class during sub-time!!!
- Shout out to Priscila Herrera for holding our team together in the face of illnesses and staff shortages!
- Thank you Kiki Lewis for your awesome Communication RJ Circle ideas, the girls loved the cup stacking activity!
- Shout out to Veronica G. for being an incredibly helpful and supportive PM and an all-around wonderful person. Decker is lucky to have her!
- To Jacqueline at Dailey for hosting both a Teacher Appreciation event and her first Family Night on the same day - you are rocking this!
- ASPIRE shout out that Cami Warren is a superstar. Thank you for lending your support to the team during a rough patch.
- Thanks to the AWESOME CIS-ters Julie Adams, Aldo Gardea, Alicia Jones, Eric Metcalf, & Lauren Sellers for making our photo shoot a success!!
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Use the easy online form to recognize a CISter & say thank you for a job well done!
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CIS is excited to welcome
Michele Mulryan
as the new Program Coordinator for Integrated Student Services (PC-ISS). She comes to us with extensive experience with other non-profits and has already started visiting CIS campuses. Welcome, Michele!
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Leave Recaps Return!
Happy news! Leave Recaps are updated and posted in Members Only. Your posted recap reflects the end of the last full month reported (Dec) just like before with the “old” timesheet format. Instructions about how to access your leave recap are
here
. And a “refresher” about how to read the boxes on your recap and bullet points about accruing and using Personal, Sick, and Annual leave are
here
. Questions? Contact Tonnyna
[email protected]
.
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Viana Vallejo
has shared that she’ll be leaving CIS at Ann Richards this month for a clinically-focused professional opportunity. We appreciate her dedication and skill in serving CIS students and families across Central Texas for so many years and are happy to know she’ll continue to bring her clinical expertise to her work with youth. Her last day with CIS will be 2/23.
Please join the high school team in celebrating the contributions that
Christina Hurtado, Mandy Stalcup, Maribel Montiel, and Viana Vallejo
have brought to CIS at a happy hour on Tuesday, February 13
th
, at the Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company (ABGB) 130 W. Oltorf St. beginning at 4PM. We would need a LOT of fingers and toes to add up the collective time in which they have served CIS and the youth in community.
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Communities In Schools of Central Texas Now Hiring for the Following Positions:
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AMPLIFY AUSTIN March 1-2
CIS is again participating in the city-wide Amplify Austin event this year, less than a month away! Starting at
6pm on Thursday, March 1
st
and going through 6pm on Friday March 2
nd
, Amplify Austin is a 24-hour opportunity for Central Texas to highlight the amazing work done by local nonprofits.
CIS has an ambitious goal for Amplify this year - $60,000! This support will help provide important summer enrichment programming on our campuses.
CIS-ters can help in the following ways:
- Please “like” and “SHARE” Amplify posts on Facebook and Twitter you’re your network.
- Consider setting up your own Amplify page to benefit CIS. Visit www.ciscentraltexas.org/amplify; then click on “CREATE CAMPAIGN PAGE”
- Email Cynthia for help and more details
*** Prizes are available to the CIS-ter with the most $$ raised, or the greatest # of gifts to CIS on their page***
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CYBERBULLYING RESOURCES
Shared by Kris Downing, Clinical and Professional Development Coordinator
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Request for assistance
Hilda Rivas
is looking for bunk beds, twin/full size beds, toddler beds, a double stroller, crib, kiddie chairs/tables in good condition for a family with 7 children/1 parent. Three of the kids are sleeping on 1 twin size mattress and 2 of the other kids are sleeping on the couch. The other 2 kiddos are sleeping with mom on a king size mattress…all of the mattresses are on the floor with no base and are pretty worn. Mom is also currently expecting another boy in March. She could use any boys clothing, a crib, double stroller and kiddie chairs/tables for the kids to eat and do arts/crafts on.
If you have any of these items to donate, contact Hilda at 512-563-7241
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Communities In Schools is hosting a free kite-making workshop this Saturday, February 10 from 1-3 p.m. at the Gus Garcia Recreation Center at 1201 E Rundberg Ln, Austin, TX 78753. Rain or shine!
Thank you to all the AmeriCorps members who volunteered to help. All CISters are welcome to attend or come by to help!
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The ABC Kite Fest benefiting Communities In Schools will be on
March 4, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
CIS staff
, if you would like to volunteer to represent CIS at the event,
please email Debra
with your preferred time of day (morning, mid-day, afternoon) and t-shirt size (you'll get a CIS kite fest shirt!) Sorry AmeriCorps members, because this is a fundraiser, you will not be able to earn hours at the kite festival event.
Thank you to those of you who have already volunteered!
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The Wellness Committee Values Your Feedback
The Wellness Committee wants to know more about your personal wellness and how the Wellness Committee has been doing serving our agency. Your feedback is highly valued and will be taken into consideration when creating wellness initiatives and activities that YOU can benefit from!
A drawing will be held for
five $10.00 Target Gift Cards
at the completion of
this short survey
. To be entered, please e-mail the Wellness Committee (
[email protected]
) with a short note stating you completed the survey. The survey and drawing are open to regular employed staff only. The deadline for completing the survey is Wednesday, February 28.
Wellness Challenge
The Wellness Committee encourages you to keep your New Year’s resolution and wellness goals on track by participating in the
Wellness Challenge
!
Thanks to your feedback, the Wellness Committee has created a new and improved
digital tracking form
! Use this form to track 15 or more self-care activities, which can be anything from reading a book to hitting the gym, and submit your completed form by the end of the month to
[email protected]
for a chance to win a $25.00 VISA gift card!
Participants throughout the year will be eligible for a grand prize drawing of $100 in June.
Mindfulness Success Stories
Have you used the
Growing Mindful
Cards
in student sessions, supervision, or for self-care? The Wellness Committee wants to highlight your success stories in the Apple to encourage others to use them!
Share a short story
here
about how you’ve used them to be entered for a $20 Visa Gift Card prize at the end of every month.
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Silicon Labs Sunshine Run | Save the date
The Wellness Committee is excited to announce that it will sponsor staff to participate in Silicon Labs Sunshine Run (5K and 10K), scheduled for May 6
th
at 7:30AM! All funds raised at the run will benefit low-income youth of Central Texas by providing an opportunity for them to attend summer camp at Austin Sunshine Camp for no cost to their families.
Stay tuned for registration instructions and race-day details.
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News| Reports | Resources | Events | Community
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Scholarship opportunity through the Taco Bell Foundation for youth 16-24 years of age
Students are invited to submit a video describing what they are passionate about for the the opportunity to win anywhere from $5,000-$25,000 towards education! For more details and information click
here
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AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 2018 EQUITY SUMMIT
ENGAGING, EQUIPPING & EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES FOR EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
Registration is free for the community on Saturday - email
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Women's Resource Fair
For local homeless and low-income women and children
Free medical services, legal services, mental health services, education and employment counseling, debt and credit counseling, free clothing closet, free hair-cuts, free breakfast and lunch, childcare during the event, and over 60 social service providers set up booths during the fair. There are no qualification requirements.
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MENTAL HEALTH ART CONTEST
The Texas System of Care encourages children, youth and families served by CIS to enter the 2018 Children's and Adults' Mental Health Awareness Creative Arts Contest. This year's theme is "Why Mental Health Matters to Me" and the contest deadline is
March 15, 2018
.
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NEWS STORY
University of Texas adding food pantry, career closet
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High School Girls Find Their Cyber Talent and Passion with
Girls Go CyberStart Competition
The Girls Go CyberStart competition is a cybersecurity training pilot program for girls in 9th-12th grade. The top contestant in each state will win a paid trip with a parent to the Women in Cybersecurity conference in Chicago on March 23-24. Registration for Girls Go CyberStart is open through February 16. The competition runs from February 20-25.
Girls interested in Girls Go CyberStart, can head to its website and learn more. The game play begins at 9:00 a.m. on February 20 and stops at 11:59 p.m. on February 25. To learn more, visit
girlsgocyberstart.com/
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Above & Beyond Nomination
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Recognize a CISter for going above and beyond!
Winners receive:
- A $30 Target gift card
- An appreciation plaque
- Recognition during an All-Staff event
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CIS graduating senior Ishajanek and CIS Program Manager Viana Valleo
Ishajanek says that when she was at Overton Elementary, her CIS Program Manager Emily Demerath helped her apply to the Ann Richards School (and she got in!), and that CIS has been there to support her all the way to graduation!
Ishajanek will be attending Lamar University this fall.
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The CIS team at Martin Middle School welcoming incoming 6th graders at the school's showcase event
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Eric Metcalf, Chief of Program Strategy for Communities In Schools of Central Texas, was presented with the "Super Man" award by the Austin ISD Counseling Department for his excellent collaboration, advocacy for school counseling, dedication, integrity, and support.
Congratulations Eric!
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Manor Middle School Program Manager
Crystal Jones poses with her students at the
No Place for Hate Teen Summit at the University of Texas last week!
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Paredes Middle School Program Manager
Cisco Garcia with his students at the No Place for Hate Teen Summit!
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Last week at Santa Rita Courts, SmartKids Coordinator Miss Kathryn did some quick thinking and altered a Playdoh recipe for extra fun and got SmartKids excited to hear about groundhog forecasting abilities!
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Oak Springs Elementary PALS students assembling and putting up their No Place for Hate paper chain on campus!
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Immediate Need Request Form
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Immediate Need Request Form
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Thanks to donations from the community, Season for Caring funds, and holiday and school supply drives, some of the most often requested items needed by students are now stored at the CIS Central Office. We have also established a Client Emergency Fund for students and families. Please request what you need immediately to give to a specific student or family.
Click here to make a request now.
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The photo directory is located on
Members Only
in the Human Resources section. To add or change a photo, or update your information, please
request by email
.
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Share a program with your CIS colleagues! Use this
online form
to submit a program spotlight.
The purpose of Program Spotlights is to:
- Share information with other CIS staff members
- Stay connected to one another
- Inspire one another
- Share best practices
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You can find an archive of past editions of this newsletter on
Members Only
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CIS signs and banners are available for your campus/program.
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Communities In Schools Employee Assistance Program
Benefits include law access, HelpNet, Safe Ride, Work Life, Well Coach, and 1-6 Counseling Sessions. Benefits can be accessed by phone: 800-343-3822 or 512-328-1144, or TDD 800-448-1823.
Click here
to access and select Access Your Benefits. Registration Code: AWP-CISA- 198
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HOW TO GET THE CIS CENTRAL OFFICE WIRELESS PASSWORD
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