For high school seniors, graduation is a ceremony that holds great meaning for each graduate and immense pride to those that have supported them. Commencement leads to the workforce, college, technical school, or the military, and each student has worked hard to earn their diplomas. The graduating seniors supported by Communities In Schools of Glynn also hurdled adult-size problems like hunger, homelessness, depression, suicidal thoughts and more while working to get to that commencement ceremony. Great meaning is certainly carried in their hands when receiving their diplomas as they symbolize a reward for the heavy loads they have carried throughout their developmental years. CIS provides whatever is necessary to these students to ensure they remain in school, basic needs are met, a caring adult supports them, and they graduate on time.
CIS of Glynn prevents students from dropping out of school by surrounding them with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Following this mission, CIS focuses on helping to increase graduation rates by providing services and support to enable students to overcome the challenges they face. Starting with the 2022-2023 school year, CIS of Glynn will enter its eleventh school at Glyndale Elementary, made possible by the Wes and 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.
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 in May.
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 training method with site coordinators, applying research-based language on a developmental framework of five levels. The first: just listen and be warm.
Children have very individualized needs, so each support plan varies. CIS gathers resources to find solutions from providing eyeglasses to a child struggling to read, finding the right tutor for after-school help, or more intensive approaches like providing therapy. By working with the school system, CIS case manages those students most at-risk by tracking their academic, behavior and attendance data and providing the support needed to stay focused on the goal of graduation and success in life. They believe that every child deserves the Five Basic Needs: a one-on-one relationship with a caring adult, a safe place to learn and grow, a healthy start and future, a marketable skill to use upon graduation, and a chance to give back to peers and the community.
CIS High School Site Coordinators Courtney Lucas (BHS), Jazmin Ponce (GA) and Corey Adamson at a Thanksgiving lunch for parents hosted by BHS and GA PTAs.
This May, seventeen Brunswick High School seniors, twenty-two Glynn Academy seniors, and six McIntosh County Academy seniors will all graduate on time. Site coordinators at BHS and GA write of two seniors worth recognizing: Emma and Lisbel.
Brunswick High School site coordinator Courtney Lucas shares Emma’s story:
CIS senior Emma will graduate this May from Brunswick High School and attend Young Harris College
When I think of a recent student success story, Emma immediately comes to mind. Emma was always a sweet, outgoing student who maintained academic success and social engagement. Although not a CIS student, she would frequent my classroom to greet me. Then the unthinkable occurred. An automobile accident involving Emma’s younger brother, mother, and stepfather, resulted in the sudden death of her mother and stepfather. Emma was devastated. Having already built that foundation of rapport with her, she knew she had a support system in place through CIS. We were able to build on that by offering her clinical therapy with our LCSW Tonya Barbee, who was able to meet with her weekly to process it all. We offered Emma a safe space she could go throughout her day when feeling overwhelmed and provided basic resources to her and her brother.
CIS had the opportunity to walk with Emma through very hard times along with everything else brought on by the pandemic. Emma also suffered the death of her biological father, and her caretaker was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her resilience has been astounding. Through the many ups and downs, we have been able to share in rewarding moments like helping her get her first job, getting accepted into college, and sharing her story with others who are grieving the loss of their family members during the pandemic. We are very proud of Emma and how far she has come considering the storms she’s weathered. She is truly a beacon of light as well as an amazing story of hope and success.
Glynn Academy site coordinator Jazmin Ponce writes of Lisbel:
During the first semester of Lisbel’s sophomore year, her mother had a stroke which left her mentally unavailable. Her father had to find work overseas to help pay for medical bills, and her mother was laid off due to her inability to work. Lisbel became the only source of support for her younger brother, who was also greatly shaken by these events. As a fifteen-year-old navigating high school, Lisbel shouldered her responsibilities without complaint, but began to decline. She found refuge in CIS and passed all classes her sophomore and junior year, but the pandemic worsened her already-terrible situation.
Lisbel was depressed and failing multiple classes returning to school her senior year. She came to CIS, explaining that during quarantine she endured verbal and emotional abuse from her father, while managing a family that was falling apart. She had been crushed by the weight of her family’s problems and expectations for her own future. Lisbel’s greatest struggle was the acknowledgement and validation of her emotions. With CIS, she was able to receive weekly counseling to slowly crawl out of her battered shell. She became visibly happier, and her grades reflected this self-improvement. CIS also helped to alleviate some of her family’s financial struggles by replacing her broken glasses and providing information on programs available for low-income students. CIS also facilitated Lisbel’s ability to take the SAT and ACT.
Lisbel began to excel. She was awarded Golden Rule Student of the Month, eligibility for several scholarships, numerous awards for her poetry, and acceptance to College of Coastal Georgia where she plans to study computer science and remain close to home to continue to care for her family. Lisbel is a passionate writer and poet, and her dream is to eventually publish her writing.
Lisbel, a senior at Glynn Academy, will graduate this May to study computer science at CCGA
CIS’ seniors and underclassmen work diligently to overcome their circumstances. CIS staff and Board of Directors are immensely proud of these students and thankful to the Glynn and McIntosh County School Systems, business community, foundations, government entities and individual partners that dedicate their time, talents, and resources to their mission.
School of Rock Music Festival
CIS of Glynn invites you to its 9th annual fundraising event, School of Rock Music Festival! Come celebrate successes of seniors, students, and the CIS team at Mary Ross Waterfront Park on May 20th from 4:00-10:00pm. This event will be fun for the whole family, with back-to-back bands, food vendors, a cash raffle, and more. Bring your coolers, chairs, family, and friends to this rocking night for the kids!
Jacksonville’s Let’s Ride Brass Band will bring an energetic funky fusion to the line-up with original and well-known music. The Band Pressure, also from Jacksonville, will perform soulful sounds of jazz, pop and R&B. Also added to the line up: Let’s Ride Brass Band and Side Hustle The Band. Savannah’s Krazian food truck will be there serving an Asian fusion menu and Kona Ice will serve up shaved ice goodness. Stay tuned to CIS’s Facebook and Instagram pages for updates.
Tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased at cisofglynn.org or via Venmo @CIS-Glynn38. Sponsorships are also available with packages ranging in price and including tickets, advertising placements and recognition on CIS social media pages. Contact Casey Cate at ccate@cisglynn.org or 912.223.4641 to purchase tickets, reserve sponsorships, and other inquiries.
Unable to attend? Donations can made via Venmo, online at cisofglynn.org, or made payable to Communities In Schools of Glynn County and mailed to P.O. Box 2318, Brunswick, GA 31521. Items always in need include backpacks, general school supplies, non-perishable snacks, socks, undergarments, coats, and personal hygiene items. 100% of donations go directly toward student support and are 100% tax deductible. Contact Casey to arrange item drop-offs.
Follow CIS of Glynn on Facebook @cisofglynncounty and Instagram @cisofglynn to stay up to date on ways you can be a part of the CIS organization. Together we can ensure that all our Glynn and McIntosh County students are able to stay in school, graduate, and achieve in life. As Communities In Schools continues to expand, its impact grows and influences why Coastal Georgia is an incredible place to live, work and raise a family. Help CIS of Glynn to keep their mission alive for the betterment of our community.
