Communities In Schools: Rocking Graduation Rates Since 2005 by Anna Martin
Kathy Jones Family Foundation, which also allowed for CIS to enter Jane Macon Middle School for the 2021-2022 school year. The other Glynn County schools CIS serves are Brunswick High, Glynn Academy, Glynn Middle, Needwood Middle, Altama Elementary, Burroughs-Molette Elementary, Goodyear Elementary, and Glynn Learning Center. McIntosh County Academy joined CIS for the 2020-2021 school year thanks to support from The Sapelo Foundation. CIS hires school site coordinators who work with administrators to determine which students need intervention. They meet with these students, their teachers, CIS staff, and in some cases parents and/or social workers to devise a plan to improve academics, behavior and/or attendance. CIS staff use a specific
For high school seniors, graduation is a ceremony that holds great meaning for each graduate and immense pride to those that have supported them.
C
training method with site coordinators, applying research-based language on a developmental framework of five levels. The first: just listen and be warm.
ommencement leads to the
students to ensure they remain in school, basic
Children have very individualized needs,
workforce, college, technical
needs are met, a caring adult supports them,
so each support plan varies. CIS gathers
school, or the military, and each
and they graduate on time.
resources to find solutions from providing eyeglasses to a child struggling to read,
student has worked hard to
earn their diplomas. The graduating seniors
CIS of Glynn prevents students from dropping
finding the right tutor for after-school help,
supported by Communities In Schools of
out of school by surrounding them with a
or more intensive approaches like providing
Glynn also hurdled adult-size problems like
community of support, empowering them to
therapy. By working with the school system,
hunger, homelessness, depression, suicidal
stay in school and achieve in life. Following
CIS case manages those students most
thoughts and more while working to get to that
this mission, CIS focuses on helping to
at-risk by tracking their academic, behavior
commencement ceremony. Great meaning
increase graduation rates by providing
and attendance data and providing the
is certainly carried in their hands when
services and support to enable students to
support needed to stay focused on the goal
receiving their diplomas as they symbolize a
overcome the challenges they face. Starting
of graduation and success in life. They
reward for the heavy loads they have carried
with the 2022-2023 school year, CIS of Glynn
believe that every child deserves the Five
throughout their developmental years. CIS
will enter its eleventh school at Glyndale
Basic Needs: a one-on-one relationship with
provides whatever is necessary to these
Elementary, made possible by the Wes and
a caring adult, a safe place to learn and grow, a healthy start and future, a marketable skill
ABOVE: Glynn Academy and CIS senior A’Zaria with her former teacher, Mrs. Chipp-Brown, at Burroughs-Molette Elementary School, reading to Kindergarten students. A’Zaria will graduate this May. 32
ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING
to use upon graduation, and a chance to give back to peers and the community.
