A P R I L

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Young Mens Leadership Academy South Hi Mount ES 2 1

2 0 1 4

Young Men's Leadership Academy Students are Giving Back!

Jean McClung MS

Rosemont 6th

4-5

Sam Rosen ES

oung Mens Leadership Academy is very committed to serving the community in which they are a part. In fact, Principal Rodney White has included mandatory community service as part of the schools curriculum. All students must complete 40 hours of community service each school year. YMLA has a variety of programs in place for students to earn their hours. Habitat for Humanity is one of the programs offered. Habitat is a program which provides opportunities for young people to invest directly in their communities via community service projects. Four YMLA staff and fifteen students volunteered their time to revitalize a house in the area. FWAS consistently supports the schools commitment to the community, and the program provided snacks for all who participated in Saturdays fun event. Special thanks to Ms. Brister and Mr. Hooper for coordinating the days program. It was a great success, and the workout provided tremendous health benefits!

Sagamore Hills ES

T.A. Simms ES

Clifford Davis ES

Forest Oak MS

Sunrise-McMillan ES

YWLA

10

Morningside ES

11

Meadowbrook MS

11

Only a life lived for others Is a life worthwhile.

Albert Einstein

APRIL 2014

South Hi Mount Elementary School Students Want a Change for Peace!

students i m a g i na t i o n sprang into action with ideas to stop bullying and spread peace all over the world. It happened as a result of our new collaboration with the Thank You Darlin (TYD) Foundation, a nonprofit organizat ion t hat gives students a chance to practice thinking outside the box through the study of poetry. Promoting strong literacy, freeing imaginations and illuminating the voices of young students are the main goals of TYD. Each year, they produce a publication of poetry written by 3 rd- 12th grade students. This years book entitled Up & Away with Words for Change was inspired by the creative thinking of one of South Hi Mounts third grade students. During a dialogue in class about an acrostic poem called Peace, he suggested contacting a famous athlete to ask if they could supply a blimp, so the class could fly across nations dropping out copies of the poem. Then he said, When people catch and read the poem, they will know peace. Many of our students will also be featured in TYDs region-wide youth poetry slam on Saturday, April 19th at the Central Library in downtown Fort Worth. Come hear our poetry team express their thoughts and ideas about change, the theme for this year. You can take a sneak peak by reading this acrostic poem, which was written by one of our fifth grade students.

Change
Caring for people and animals Having fun doing it A world without Bullies No one hurting one another Giving love and peace Everyone living in harmony

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APRIL 2014

A Testimonial from PFC: Robyne Henry Jean McClung Middle School

he Junior Cadet Corps Program, along with the Fort Worth After School Program at Jean McClung Middle School, has helped me immensely in my middle school and everyday life. When I started JCC back in 2012 at McClean Middle School, I can definitely tell you I would have never imagined the opportunities it would provide. Being ranked and a COC, I know the value of the program. Before JCC, I saw myself as ordinary, meaning I did not see any difference between myself and other students my age. However, I can assuredly claim that the JCC program has been life-changing. It has the power to mold you into a productive student, giving you the leadership skills needed to be an effective leader. Although, the After School Program and the JCC club is a first year program, I never expected it to be easy, but I was surprised by the challenges. There were times when I just wanted to give up, but being in a leadership role, I learned that you must make tough decisions. I could not leave behind fifty-plus cadets. Each situation revealed a new aspect of leadership. In many situations I had to learn to keep my composure because if they see me in a negative mood, the cadets would soon feed off of my energy. Overall, the JCC program has taught me that while being an effective leader you shouldnt focus on being so demanding, but rather its better to be compassionate so that your plans can be executed correctly. From 2012-2014, I have grown mentally into a strong and effective leader. Though 2013 -2014 was a challenging year, I made it. I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to become the first COC at Jean McClung Middle School. I am also grateful for all the wonderful opportunities the Fort Worth After School Program and the JCC club have given me and I look forward to using my newly acquired skills to continue bettering my future. Without these two programs, my growth for this year would be minimal.

What an awesome testimonial! Thank you for sharing your success with us, Robyne.

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APRIL 2014

Rosemont 6th Grade Students Are Baking, Beautifying and Behaving!

osemont 6th Grades FWAS Program has been making a mark this 2013-2014 school year with new and creative classes, incentive trips and parent engagement events. Our most recent class project was our Cake Boss Challenge Competition that was held in March. Our Cake Boss Class, taught by our art teacher, Jackie Falcon, brought in creative and eager minds ready to learn the craft of cake baking, decorating, and presentation. Our students were assigned jobs as Executive Chefs, Sous-Chefs, Chefs de Partie, Food Managers and Tools Managers to properly run their kitchen as they learned the techniques of cake baking. Over a months time, our kids learned how to make cake pops, cakes, frosting from scratch and fondant. They also mastered the skills on how to cut fondant into shapes, numbers, animals, objects and letters. After much preparation, our students were ready for our 1st Annual Cake Boss Challenge Competition. Two teams competed and tested their skills in perfecting their cakes. I, as the Site Supervisor, was happy to be the judge! After much deliberation, our winners of this competition were announced. Alyssa Steward, Irene Silva DeLaRosa and Alondra Montemayor were crowned the The Next Great Bakers. This was one of our most successful classes yet! We are looking forward to continuing this class next semester. Along with new and exciting classes, we are also giving back to our community with our Campus Beautification Spring Garden Club. Now that Spring has arrived, our Junior Gardeners are ready to get back in action and make our campus and community look beautiful. Our Junior Gardeners started last Fall laying down the ground work for our Beautification Plan. We were lucky enough to have the Botanical Gardens of Fort Worth Team up with the FWAS Program, who donated plants and vegetables to keep our students busy. We have, since then, planted tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, melons, zucchini and a variety of herbs. Our plants and trees have survived the winter and our goal is to plant even more this Spring. Our students have truly taken pride in taking responsibility for our garden and campus. They have learned the proper tools to use, which seasonal plants/flowers to use and they have mastered how to maintain the life of these plants and vegetables.

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APRIL 2014

Rosemont 6th Grade Continues.

ur students in the FWAS Program work hard during the day in class and they continue their efforts after school as well. We expect our kids to do their best and nothing less. We hold them accountable for their grades, for turning in missing assignments and, most importantly, we want our students to best represent Rosemont 6th Grade. Our FWAS Program has planned very special incentive trips for those students who have passing grades, have attended our program for 30 days or more, and also for kids who have continued to show incredible behavior. After much hard work, it was time to reward our kids! We took the students to their first Dallas Stars Hockey game. They were more than excited, to say the least. We had 45 deserving students attend this memorable event, none of whom had ever been to a hockey game before, so this trip was extra special. The week prior to the game, our Academic Liaison/ Coach explained the game of hockey, helping the students understand how the game is played, so they could appreciate the sport as well as their environment. It was an exciting, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of game. Our students and FWAS teachers had a wonderful time and created lifelong memories together. Go Stars! (And Go Rosemont 6th Students)!

Whatever you are, Be a good one.

Abraham Lincoln

Doing your best means Never stop trying.

Benjamin Franklin

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APRIL 2014

Sam Rosen Elementary Schools Spring Picnic Parent Event

n March 20, 2014, Sam Rosen Elementary held their Spring Picnic parent event. The occasion was filled with all kinds of fun picnic-themed races.

The two that stood out the most were the pie eating contest and the shaving cream beard race. The first contest involved eating a jello and whipped cream pie, which was won by our very own David and Daniel Balleza. The second contest was for the parents, who had 45 seconds to make the best shaving cream beard on their childs face. Ozzy Guerrero and Marisa Garcia won this contest. The lively evening, although a little messy, was a lot of fun! (For a moment, I thought it was Christmas! That is one great Santa Claus beard)!

Parent involvement boosts student achievement.

John H. Wherry, Ed.D., President The Parent Institute

Sagamore Hills Elementary School Students Get Ready for Boat Regatta

he Mustang Machine is under construction and the crew is getting ready to race at the upcoming Boat Regatta, to take place on April 26th at Hurricane Harbor, Arlington.

The Mustangs Captain is Mr. Julio Martinez, and the Co Captain is Ralph Wade Jr. The crew said they are not going down without a fight! So other schools should be ready to race! They are currently practicing their rowing skills and turning the boat.

Good Luck Kids!

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APRIL 2014

T. A. Sims Students Getting Fired Up About Career Day!

o, there was not a fire at the elementary school just a demonstration for our students by the Fort Worth Fire Department (FWFD) who joined us for our Annual Career Day Activities. The FWFD was just one of many representatives on hand for the event held at T.A. Sims. I want to become a Fireman, exclaimed FWAS student, Tarrence Sanders, after meeting one of the Firefighters. This will go down in history as one of the best Career Day Activities we have had, stated Mrs. Beesley, career day organizer. Other career day presenters who took the time to visit our students included a meteorologist, boxers, representatives from Jungle Jims Wild Encounters, a professional clown, a code enforcement officer, and a realtor. Annette Sykes, the Site Supervisor for Clayton Yes!, helped to organize the day. It was such a success, we are really looking forward to next year.

A Student at L. Clifford Davis ES Expresses What Moves Her

s the After School Program prepares for this years Expressions That Move You art contest, we spoke to one of last years finalists, Cung Sang, to see how she felt about it all. We asked Cung what the last contest was about, and her response was, It was about bus that make city safe. Asked how she came up with her drawing idea, she said she used ideas from The Little Mermaid. We wondered how she felt when she won, and she told us she was confused and happy at the same time. When asked what she got when she won, she said she received the copy of her picture along with a trophy. She also added that she is very excited to enter this years contest.

Good Luck, Cung!

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APRIL 2014

Forest Oak Middle School Students Are On The Move!

Kudos to Coach Nelson and Ms. D! he one thing I have learned through working with our students is that it is hard to get them to move. At the beginning of the year it was so hard to get our students to engage in physical activity. All they wanted to do was computer lab and sit and talk, but we couldnt do that!

Enter Coach Nelson and Ms. D.! With their enthusiastic personalities, they decided to get the students more involved by creating a fun, physical and motivational environment. Coach Nelson is over our Sports Conditioning class, where students work on mastering skills for whatever sport season is coming next. Coach explained that at the beginning of the semester it was like pulling teeth to get the boys to warm up, which consists of laps on the track and stretches. That changed after some encouraging words and creating a more structured class. Students cannot participate in sporting activities or events without first going through proper warmups. In the beginning, the students could only do 2 or 3 laps on the track, but today is a different story, as they knock out 3 to 4 miles (12 to 16 laps) with each run. Ms. D. decided it was time to get the girls moving, too, because Sport Conditioning only appealed to the boys. Ms. D. has been just as successful with the girls, despite the fact that it was tough getting them to participate. Ms. D. got right in there with the girls, participating in the workouts, and now these young ladies are much more excited about exercise! The biggest thing for the girls was seeing the change in their bodies, and I quote, Getting summer-time fine!

Coach Nelson and Ms. D. are two wonderful people who take pride in working with the after school students at Forest Oak Middle School. Their hard work is greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Coach Nelson and Ms D.!

(Time to put on my tennies and go for a run!)

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APRIL 2014

Sunrise-McMillan Elementary School Going for the Big Leagues

On Saturday, April 5, 2014, a select group of SunriseMcMillan Elementary after school students participated in the 2014 NCAA Division 1 Coca Cola Youth Basketball Clinic at Texas Christian University Recreation Center. It was a three-hour clinic which targeted third through sixth grade students, with nearly two hundred students in attendance. This event was one of the many activities the NCAA hosted during the Mens Road to the Final Four Championship. (SunriseMcMillan is one of the few FWISD schools selected to participate in the Clinic). Clinic activities included offensive and defensive drills, fitness, conditioning, dribbling, and shooting drills. Students were coached by members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, including local Division 1, II, and III coaches. Students also received basketball tips and mentorship with the Texas Christian University mens and womens basketball teams. There was also an educational session for parents to discuss collegiate athletic recruitment, eligibility, nutrition, and the importance of physical fitness. Students received signed posters from the TCU Mens and Womens Basketball teams, took pictures, and received a goodie bag filled with Power Ade and Coca Cola products.

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APRIL 2014

YWLA Students Go Wild!

ur recent Wilderness Explorers class was a great success. The students learned how to recognize animal tracks, edible plants, and several different skills needed to live outdoors.

At first, the girls were hesitant about this class, as most of them had never been camping in their lives. Once they got to the campsite, however, all hesitation had vanished into thin (outdoorsy) air. Apprehension was replaced with excitement as we watched them thoroughly enjoy having to get down and dirty as they learned about outdoor life. During the final week of the class, students created a survival pack, were trained in the basics of first aid, and learned how to build a fire. They also prepared and cooked meals, set up tents, and learned where to establish a suitable camp site. They had a blast because they knew that they were going to be able to put all of these skills to use. In order to test their skills, we took them on an overnight camping trip to Fort Richardson State Park. Upon arriving Friday evening, the students took charge. For the first time, the instructors became the observers. The girls had to work as a team to find and establish the campsite in a timely manner because night was approaching. The students did so well, the instructors only had to step in a few times to help. Other than that, the students did it all on their own. The following day, the group explored the trails and got to see all different types of wildlife. One of the coolest parts of the trip was getting to explore the historical landmarks that were in the state park. Everyone on the trip absolutely loved it. In fact, one student said this trip was one of the highlights of her school year. Smores, anyone?.....

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
Mahatma Gandhi

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APRIL 2014

Morningside Elementary School Students Know About Endurance

t Morningside Elementary, we take pride in believing that all of our students can conquer anything! This is proven in Mr. Eds Endurance Champions class, in which all of our students put their math, spelling, and reading skills to the test in the form of exercise! Activities include variations of basketball, baseball, and a fun game of Turn off the Music. The students not only have fun with physical exercise, but also mental exercise, using both their minds and body. We caught up with a few of his youngest participants, to see what they thought of the class: Mr. Ed teaches basketball. Craig, Pre-K I like this class because you can be healthy. Audrey, 1st Grade

Meadowbrook Middle School Students Spring 2014 Drill Meet

n March 1, 2014, students from Meadowbrook Middle School participated in the annual competition held at Trimble Tech High School. Seventeen JCC programs participated in the event to face the Buffaloes, but Meadowbrook managed to stay focused and the countless hours of practice paid off in a big way. The cadets competed in Physical Fitness (male and female) categories, Armed and Un-armed Color Guard, Armed Drill Team, and Armed Exhibition. They also demonstrated their Buffalo Will by competing in Academic Challenge and Jeopardy Challenge. The Meadowbrook Buffaloes placed in the following categories: 3rd. Place in Overall Armed Drill Team Performance 3rd. Place Overall Armed Color Guard 3rd. Place in Physical Fitness Challenge 2nd. Place Overall Academic Challenge 2nd. Place Jeopardy 6th. Place in Armed Exhibition Performance Overall, we were very proud of their performance, and their willingness to represent Meadowbrook at a high level.

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Our Mission Statement: To provide quality before and after school programs in a safe environment that result in educational, physical, and social development for elementary, middle, and high school students. Vision: To provide a safe, enriching after school environment for each child in Fort Worth. Fort Worth After School operates at 88 Fort Worth Independent School District campuses. Fort Worth ISD, the City of Fort Worth and the Texas Education Agency 21st Century Community Learning Centers offer program support to the after school program.
FORT WORTH AFTER SCHOOL 2901 Shotts St.
Maureen Stolz Fort Worth After School Phone: (817) 871-3188 Fax: (817) 871-3162 Maureen.stolz@fwisd.org We are on the web! www.fwisd.org/fwas

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