Greater Central Texas Newsletter
Winter 2017
What a way to wrap up 2016! The support received from so many throughout our community has left us at a loss for words...REALLY.
“Thank you” doesn’t feel like enough. From the locations who partnered with CIS to be drop-ff sites for our annual Shoe Drive to the
phone calls about sponsoring families for the holidays-It’s all been amazing. We appreciate all of our supporters more than they’ll ever
know and look forward to what this quarter will bring!
Community Support
We would like to extend a special “thank you” to the following individuals for their immense support of our
program this past quarter:
Inside this issue:
Donor Spotlight
2
Campus Happenings 2
Budget Bites
2
Q & A with...
3
New Staff Welcome
3
Our Mission
4
About CIS
4
Upcoming Events
4
WishBox
4















Mr. Joshua Sharon, Co-Founder of P.O.W.E.R - Sponsored 30 CIS students for Christmas
Kiwanis Club of Killeen – Sponsored 30 CIS students for Christmas
Altrusa International of Copperas Cove - Walmart Gift Cards, Socks, Undergarments
Fort Hood Area Association of Realtors– Shoes & Socks
Pro-Fit Event Services - Shoe Drive Donor
Ms. L. Leslie - Shoe Drive Donor
Ms. Sue Van Zanten - Shoe Drive Donor
Mrs. Carol Davis - Shoe Drive Donor
Ms. Gladys Driver - Shoe Drive Donor
First National Bank Texas - Shoe Drive Drop-off Site
Union State Bank - Shoe Drive Drop-off Site
Schlotzsky’s Deli - Shoe Drive Drop-off Site
Central Texas College - Shoe Drive Drop-off Site
Texas A&M Central Texas - Shoe Drive Drop-off Site
Jazzercise - Free passes for Campus Staff
4520 East Central Texas Expressway, Ste. 106 - Killeen, Texas 76543 Office: (254) 554-2132 Fax: (254) 554-2723
CIS Matters
Donor Spotlight
The CDBG program is a flexible program that
provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. Beginning in 1974, the
CDBG program is one of the longest continuously run programs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program is authorized under Title 1 of the Housing
and Community Development Act of 1974,
Public Law 93-383, as amended; 42
U.S.C.5301 et seq.
sion and retention of businesses. For over 40
years, the CDBG program has made a difference in the lives of millions of people and their
communities across the Nation principally by
assisting to low- and moderate-income persons
and families.
CDBG is an important tool for helping local
governments tackle serious challenges facing
their communities. The CDBG program works
to ensure decent affordable housing, to provide
services to the most vulnerable in our communities, and to create jobs through the expan-
Thank you
Killeen CDBG!
Communities In Schools has been receiving
funding from the Community Development
Block Grant for over 15 years. We are so grateful!
Campus Happenings - Florence Elementary School
Painting allows children to express their creativity and have fun. Developing a skill like painting provides the stimulus children need to be successful in all aspects of life. Children who paint learn to think with an open mind, to look at situations creatively. They develop critical-thinking skills and
must make decisions about what works and what doesn’t on their own. Painting not only fosters creativity, but builds a strong sense of self esteem
in many students. Because there is no right way in the arts, children who paint can be proud to be unique and to express their artistic style.
On November 18, 2016, Ms. Amorin Nuñez, Site Coordinator at Florence Elementary
School, helped teach a Pre-K class how to paint turkeys. “The students did an amazing job
in painting their turkeys and all of them got creative with the colors,” said Ms. Nuñez. You
would think with the children being so young, there would be a mess, but they followed instructions and cleaned up after themselves just fine. Overall, we’d say it was a successful
event. The best part: They were able to take their paintings home to show off to their families!
GREAT JOB!
“Budget Bites”
INGREDIENTS
 6 large eggs
 ¼ cup milk
 1 cup salsa
 ½ cup shredded cheddar
cheese
 5 oz. thick tortilla strips
 ¼ bunch cilantro, chopped
 1 Tbsp butter
 3 chopped green onions
 Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Sauté green onions in 1
Tbsp of butter over medium heat until soft (2-3
minutes).
2. While the onions are
cooking, whisk together
eggs and milk.
3. Once onions are soft,
pour egg mixture over top
and let it cook (without
stirring) until edges are
“set”
4. Once edges are set, use
your spatula to pull the
5.
6.
7.
8.
edges in toward the cenup with pellet like scramter of the pan
bled eggs).
Let the unset/liquid egg
9. Add the tortilla strips and
flow back onto the surface
gently fold in. The tortilla
of the pan.
strips will soften and reRepeat this process until
duce in volume as they
almost all of the egg mixare mixed in so don’t
ture is set/cooked.
worry if your pan seems to
Move on to next step
be over flowing at first!
when the egg mixture is
10. Sprinkle the top of your
still moist and glistening
migas with shredded
but is mostly cooked.
cheese and freshly
Pour salsa on eggs and
chopped cilantro.
gently fold in (be careful
11. Serve while it is still hot
not to over stir, you’ll end
and moist!
Quick Migas
Winter 2017
Q & A with ... Catherine Smith, CIS Site Coordinator
Welcome to our Winter 2017 “Q & A”! This quarter’s guest
is Catherine Smith, Site Coordinator at Lamar Middle School in
Temple. We asked Catherine a few questions to help us get to
know her a little better. Here is what she had to say:
Q: When did you first become involved with Communities In
Schools?
A: I became involved with CIS when I was hired in 2001. I had
been a stay-at-home mom for 8 years before that.
Q: What three traits define you?
A: I believe I am compassionate, honest, and loyal, but I don’t
think three define me. I think that all people should have bits of
all the character traits to be a good person and a good citizen.
Q: Where is your favorite place to be?
A: There is no better place than to be anywhere with my husband
and children, which is especially true now that our children are
adults.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do?
A: Other than spending time with my family, I have hobbies I
really enjoy: Researching and writing about local history, cooking
and crafts, and that includes repurposing old wood and branding
it!
Q: What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?
A: I would own a restaurant or make crafts to sell.
Q: What advice do you have for kids who are struggling in
school?
A: I say to always ask for help and rely on those that you trust
and have wisdom to offer. School is much more than academics. It is learning to solve problems in and out of school.
Q: What is the greatest challenge you
have had to overcome in your life thus far?
A: When I was younger, I had a childhood
that many of our students have: Divorce,
poverty, abuse-and somehow made it
through.
Q: What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?
A: Oh my goodness. It would take days to talk to my 13-year-old
self, but I would say not to worry about having a boyfriend! I
would say not to be jealous of other girls that may have the expensive clothes or hang with the popular crowd. Age is the great
equalizer. Eventually, we all get old and fat, and none of the
drama or trivial concerns matter.
Q: If you were to tell one person "Thank You" for helping me become the person I am today, who would it be and what did they
do?
A: I have many to thank, but my teachers in school had a great
impact on my education, and a couple that owned a business
where I worked in high school were like second parents to
me. They kept me on the straight and narrow.
Q: What kind of impact do you want to have on people?
A: I want children that I’ve had in school to graduate, grow up
and come back to tell me that I helped them more than any adult
in school, and that I was the one that listened and guided them in
the right direction.
Q: What is your favorite thing about working at Communities In
Schools?
A: There are numerous reasons I enjoy my job, but I love talking
to the kids and teaching them life skills and common sense, and I
love that the Lamar staff is supportive of me and we are like a
family.
New Staff Welcome
Please join us in welcoming our newest Site Coordinators and Case Managers! We are happy to have them on board and look forward to continuing to achieve success with their help.
Cindy Ventura, Site Coordinator-H.P. Garcia EL (TISD)
Dinette Dormeus, Case Manager-Harker Heights HS (KISD)
Katura Hart, Case Manager-Shoemaker High School (KISD)
Kenneth Patterson, Site Coordinator-Audie Murphy MS (KISD)
Kenya Heggs, Site Coordinator-Nolan MS (KISD)
LaToya McDonald, Site Coordinator-Pathways Academic Campus (KISD)
Mary Altum-Pouncy, Site Coordinator-S.C. Lee Jr. High (CCISD)
Page 3
Michael Vinet, Case Manager-Temple HS (TISD)
Reginald Berry, Site Coordinator-Early College HS (KISD)
Russell Jenkins, Site Coordinator-Fairview/Jewell EL (CCISD)
Starelett Williams, Site Coordinator-Williams/Ledger EL (CCISD)
Tanya Kendall, Case Manager-Lake Belton MS (BISD)
Yajaira Velez, Case Manager-Ellison HS (KISD)
Greater Central Texas Newsletter
Our Mission
The mission of Communities In Schools in Schools of Greater Central Texas (CIS) is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
About Communities In Schools
For nearly 40 years, Communities In Schools has been helping
students achieve in school, graduate and go on to bright futures.
Since 1979, Communities In Schools of Texas has been the largest
and most successful dropout prevention program in the state. In
1992, Communities In Schools of Greater Central Texas became
one of 27 CIS affiliates located across the state. We are a local,
private, non-profit organization serving Bell, Coryell, Milam, and
Williamson counties.
both the student and the family. We partner with local businesses, social service agencies, health care providers and volunteers. Whether it’s food, school supplies, health care, counseling, academic assistance or a positive role model, Communities In Schools is there to help. This in turn, allows the student
to focus on learning, achieve in school, and graduate, thereby
improving their chances for success in life.
Since our inception, CIS has grown to serve campuses across 7
school districts: Temple, Belton, Killeen, Copperas Cove, Salado,
Cameron, and Florence. Communities In Schools (CIS) is the nation’s largest and most effective dropout prevention organization
because we do whatever it takes to keep kids in school and on the
path to graduation. CIS is a school-based K-12 program that partners with educators, students, and parents to identify students who
are in need of assistance and at-risk of dropping out of school. Our
unique model positions Site Coordinators inside schools to assess
students’ needs and provide resources to meet those needs, for
Upcoming Events
WishBox













Page 4
New underwear
Lice treatment
Body wash
Body lotion
Baby wipes
Band-aids
Chapstick
Hand sanitizer
Combs
Wash cloths
Winter gloves
Hats
1-gallon Ziploc bags
www.facebook.com/CISGCT
Website: www.cis-tx.org