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“Everybody Wins” Honored by the Madison County Board of Education
Based on the recommendation of teachers at the Waverly Yowell Elementary School, the MCEF “Everybody Wins” program was selected to receive recognition at the March 9, 2020, Madison County School Board meeting. Everybody Wins pairs community volunteers with 3rd, 4th and 5th graders who have requested inclusion in the program to read and chat together once a week during the students’ lunch break. Our goal is not to teach reading but to generate enthusiasm for reading.
Attending the ceremony were WYES teachers Rebecca Bader and Marty Ward; David Cooper, Chair and volunteer reader for Everybody Wins; Jeannine Leffel and Dera Cooper Everybody Wins volunteer readers, and several students who participate in the program. Mrs. Leffel was joined at the podium by the two young ladies who have been reading with her for the past two years to share their experiences in Everybody Wins. Each student in attendance was given an opportunity to speak about their favorite aspects of the program which included, spending time with the volunteers, meeting new people, reading, and being members of the group. Those who were in the program last year also mentioned their enthusiasm for the field trip to the Green Valley Book Fair and lunch at the Wood Grill Buffet in Harrisonburg.
Rebecca Bader makes her third-grade classroom available on Tuesdays. She is very involved in helping to manage the program and said that she sees the results of the program trickle into other aspects of learning as the children develop an enthusiasm for reading. School Board member and former MCEF Officer, Arthur Greene, Jr., indicated that he believes “Everybody Wins” is the most impactful of the MCEF programs. School Board Chairman, Barry Penn Hollar thanked MCEF and its volunteers for operating the program, saying “the whole community wins”.
The volunteers of Everybody Wins will be quick to tell you that they get as much out of the program as the children do. There are currently 28 volunteers reading to 34 students and there is a waiting list of students who hope to join the program. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to David Cooper at david.cooperbbr@gmail.com. An application is available at https://madisonedfoundation.org/what-we-do/everybody wins. We would love to have you!
Free Subscriptions to Help Get Through the School Closings
With schools closing across the nation, parents and educators are in bit of a panic as they try to figure out how kids can learn and obtain their education from home. If this sounds like you, stop stressing. This is going to be super helpful!
Each of these websites will allow you to sign-up for FREE and help your child along with their education. It is perfect for homeschooling which is something we are all needing to do right now.
https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/135609/list-of-education-companies-offering-free-subscriptions/
Waverly Yowell Book Fair Field Trip
In partnership with the wonderful teachers and administrators of Waverly Yowell Elementary School, the Madison County Education Foundation (MCEF) conducts a reading/mentoring program known as “Everybody Wins”. Students who choose to join the program enjoy their lunches while reading one-on-one with an assigned volunteer once a week during the academic year and Summer school. The program has grown from its pilot program in 2017 to 34 volunteers during the 2018/19 school year.
On Friday, May 17th we wrapped up our year with a celebration that included a field trip to the Green Valley Book Fair in Mt. Crawford and lunch at the Wood Grill Buffet in Harrisonburg. We travelled by school bus to the Book Fair where the students enjoyed stories in the “Adventure Tales” section of the Fair and shopping time to purchase a book, compliments of MCEF. The Green Valley Book Fair donated back packs and bookmarks to the students.
In addition to 10 volunteers from Everybody Wins the 32 students were chaperoned by 4 teachers from Waverly Yowell. When we returned to Waverly Yowell, the students were presented with a beautiful array of books and allowed to choose one to take home with them. These books were provided through the generosity of Jeannine Jensen who donated enough books to supply our Everybody Wins readers and donate to the school library. To say that everyone (including the chaperones) enjoyed the day would be an understatement. The students were extremely well-behaved and did Madison proud while having great fun!
S’cool Moves Have Come to Madison!
S’cool Moves Have Come to Madison!
Kids at Madison Primary School and Waverly Yowell Elementary School are energizing their brains by moving their bodies! Students from Pre-K to 5th grade are using S’cool Moves to calm down, focus, improve their reading and writing, and study everything from spelling words to history facts… and they are having fun doing it!
S’cool Moves is composed of research-based routines and strategies that are integrated with academic techniques to increase focus, improve academic stamina, elevate reading skills, and support regulation of the nervous system. S’cool Moves access the prefrontal cortex and increase retention of learned information and provide the means to teach students HOW to focus rather than just TELLING them to focus.
This past October, Rebecca Lewis (MPS) and Jes Henshaw (WYES) attended a two day conference October presented by Dr. Debra Em Wilson, the co-founder of S’cool Moves. Both teachers immediately began implementing the routines and strategies with their students and soon introduced them to the staff at both schools. The strategies and routines were well received since they filled a need to teach the WHOLE student and meet ALL needs, especially students with Tier 2 and 3 academic and behavior concerns.
Lewis and Henshaw are grateful to have receive a $1000 grant from MCEF to buy additional materials for students in MPS and WYES. The grant allowed both schools to have more Routine and Strategy posters and numerous tier 2 and 3 reading strategy materials. Dr. Wilson also helped the schools by donating an additional $600 of materials! And since these materials are all reuseable, these routines and strategies can continue to be implemented for years to come.
Below are some pictures of students using S’cool Moves. A S’cool Moves Bulletin Board in WYES entryway lets students and visitors know about the strategies and try out different ones!
MCEF Scholarships Making a Difference!
An MCEF Scholarship Helps Launch
An Amazing Journey of Self-Discovery
Read Jenny Zhang’s story—
April 22, 2018
Dear Friends of the Madison County Education Foundation,
How time has flown! Around this time last year, I was applying for this scholarship, eagerly hoping I could be a recipient. Now, almost a year later, I am finishing up classes and preparing for my finals. They say ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ and I cannot agree more. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year at the University of Virginia and am constantly amazed that I only have a few short weeks until this school year comes to an end.
This academic year hasn’t always been as smooth as I anticipated. Prior to starting my first semester at college, I naively thought everything would come easy as it did in high school. What I realized quickly was how much more challenging classes were than I initially thought, and I quickly realized I needed to adjust my study habits to accommodate to how college operated. During my first semester, I found myself stressing so much because of my lack of skill in managing my time wisely.
To me, that first semester served as a representation of growth and discovery. I learned so much about myself in those first few months, and I grew tremendously from improving and bettering myself. Those first few weeks in college, I had so much free time on my hands and I was not managing it wisely. I quickly learned to change my schedule to study and work on assignments more. Once I realized and adapted, college became a lot easier for me! Now that I have a better understanding of how college operates. I have a better strategy for studying and am performing the way I want. I truly enjoy all my classes—I have taken, and still am taking a large array of classes that are of interest to me! College has allowed me to have an opportunity to experiment and explore what my interests are and aren’t. Additionally, I have formed strong relationships with my professors and feel so much more comfortable speaking to them about things pertaining to their course, as well as other interesting topics!
Additionally, I have grown as a person by associating myself with people I have similar interests with. Immediately entering college, I found a group of wonderful friends who all have their passions, which they exude. I have also immersed myself in different clubs and organizations I’m passionate about, ranging from a club sport team at UVA to volunteering organizations. The friends I have met through these organizations have all have helped to shape me into a better person and I learn so much from them!
Thank you for believing in me and investing in my academic success with this scholarship! Receiving a great education at this wonderful university is an enormous privilege that I never take for granted, and little moments throughout my day remind me of how grateful I am! I am eager for what the future holds for me. I am excited to finish this semester and begin my second year in the fall!
Best,
Jenny Zhang
