March 3: A Celebration and Call to Action for City Schools

As you all have heard, the Governor has used federal stimulus money to reverse his proposed state funding cuts for Baltimore City Schools. The proposed cuts would have resulted in drastic cuts to schools.

Many Baltimoreans called and wrote the Governor and other elected leaders -- and that pressure served notice to our elected officials that there is a growing force of people who support City Schools.

Join us at a Celebration/Call to Action Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m. to thank elected leaders for reversing the cuts, but more importantly, to continue to build a large, powerful, movement to support Baltimore City Schools. This has already begun with the creation of the Baltimore Education Coalition, started with the efforts of many organizations and people who care about public schools.

Celebration/Call to Action to Support Baltimore City Schools
Tuesday, March 3, 6:30 p.m.
Fort Worthington Elementary St., 2701 E. Oliver St, 21213
(parking available behind school – access on Kenhill Ave)

We have a historic opportunity to build on recent school performance improvements citywide and on Dr. Alonso's positive changes in accountability and transparency. We can decide to orient the entire city - parents, neighborhoods, churches -- around supporting public education.

Wondering how to help? Join us March 3! For more information, contact Greater Homewood Public Schools Advocacy contact Karen DeCamp at 410-261-3505 or kdecamp@greaterhomewood.org.

"No One Is Greater than Greater Homewood!"

by Susan Lattimore, Teacher, Barclay Elementary/Middle School

Thus reads a slide in our "Books-2-Go"/Story Pals presentation, which has now been seen by more than 80 Barclay parents who've attended 3 workshops in the past month!

I'm writing to thank any and all of you who have been involved in supporting our Literacy Outreach efforts at Barclay, and to let you know that we attribute our great success to the presence and active planning and participation of our 12 Experience Corps volunteers, our Community Schools director, Kelly Oglesbee, and Katie Horn, our VISTA coordinator. What a supportive team! We issue special gratitude to Ms. Wood, Ms. Green, Ms. Wicks, Mr. McDonald, Kelly, and Katie for being participants (and I do mean ACTIVE!) on our Books-2-Go planning team.

I want you all to know that your Bookbags-to-Go is the vehicle that has led to our Paired Reading/Story Pals program. We're all very excited about the imminent arrival of these additions to our elementary classroom libraries. As you may know, we're developing a framework for supporting the reading of your donated books, with a schoolwide reading incentive program. We're keeping a binder of organizing tips, activities, forms, etc. which could be used by any other interested Greater Homewood schools who are receiving free books.

I'd like to invite you, and all Greater Homewood staff, to join us for our Read Across America Day on March 3rd, celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday: Come see Kelly Oglesbee dressed as the Cat in the Hat! Come and be a Celebrity Reader in one of our classrooms! Come to our Story Pals Open House (all day -- yummy refreshments!) or Story Pals Training (1:00). Come to celebrate our great E-Corps helpers and VISTA coordinator!

Come to see why we say... "No One is Greater than Greater Homewood!"

Adult Literacy Program Graduate Featured on Channel 2!

A student in GHCC's Adult Literacy and ESOL program

Channel 2 reporter Jenny Glick recently profiled a graduate of GHCC's Adult Literacy and ESOL program during her "Life Lessons" series on the television station. Glick interviewed Obed Dominguez, who graduated from the program in 2008 and is now enrolled in college.

Click here to see the video. To find out more about the Adult Literacy and ESOL program or to volunteer, please call 410-261-3524 or visit our website. And don't forget to join us for the Eighth Annual Scrabble Fundraiser for Literacy on March 28!

Experience Corps: A Great Experience!

by Muriel Williams, Experience Corps Member, William Pinderhughes Elementary School

My name is Muriel Williams, an Experience Corps school volunteer since February 2007.

After retiring from the Baltimore Times, I knew I had to do something...I couldn't sit home any longer. My work as a editor/reporter, however, never prepared me for what I'd signed on to do: volunteer at an inner-city elementary school.

The first year, I worked in the computer lab and had limited access to the children. This year? WOW!! I am assigned to a third-grade class -- the largest (30+) in the entire school.

There are three other adults in the classroom besides the teacher and we all have our work cut out for us...but not in ways you might think. The children work hard to learn, despite their problems. Additionally, they truly appreciate my presence.



Another Experience Corps member at Medfield Heights Elementary School. Photo by Matthew Ciseselski.

As a journalist, I lunched with celebrities; met presidents; traveled the country; even witnessed history in the making, but none of these experiences compare to my volunteering at Wm. Pinderhughes Elementary School. The children are unbelievable...even the ones who give you trouble, but they more than make up for it when they proudly show off a good grade, or are recognized for extra effort, or give you an unexpected hug.

I look foward to getting up in the morning, knowing I'm going to be part of these children's lives -- if only for a few hours a week.

Register Now! Eighth Annual Scrabble Fundraiser for Literacy

Having fun at the 2008 Scrabble Fundraiser for Literacy

One of GHCC's most popular events is back! Join us on Saturday, March 28 for the Eighth Annual Scrabble Fundraiser for Literacy from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at Calvert School. Play at either social or competitive levels, enjoy food and prizes, and help support GHCC's Adult Literacy and ESOL program.

Become eligible for Early Bird prizes when you register by March 13!

For more information, call Todd Elliott at 410-261-3524 or click on the registration form below.

Baltimore Sun Op-Ed on Proposed Education Cuts

Students at Guilford Elementary/Middle School

Click here to read an op-ed by Mark Fetting, chairman CEO of Legg Mason, and Tom Wilcox, president and CEO of the Baltimore Community Foundation, in the February 9 issue of the Baltimore Sun. The article responds to Governor O'Malley's proposed $23 million budget cut to Baltimore City Public Schools for the 2009-2010 school year -- at a time, the writers point out, when BCPSS school enrollments are on the rise.

Take a look, and let us know what you think by posting a comment.

Better Waverly Resident Featured in the Urbanite

Photo by Joe Stewart

The February 2009 issue of the Urbanite features a profile of Better Waverly resident Debra Evans, a neighborhood leader known for her dedication to the community-built playground at Stadium Place. The playground burned down in September 2008, but the reconstruction is scheduled for May 5-10, 2009.

Celebrate the NAACP's Centennial at JHU

On February 6-7, the Center for Africana Studies at Johns Hopkins University hosts "The Civil Rights Century: The NAACP at 100." This public history conference marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the NAACP. Events are free of charge and open to the public.

For more information, click on the poster below or visit the conference webpage here.

Story Pals Needed at Barclay Elementary/Middle School

by Katie Horn, Community Connections AmeriCorps VISTA, Barclay Elementary/Middle

There's a whole lot of reading going on!

Books-2-Go is coming to the Barclay School! This exciting new program will provide students with beautiful books to read at home with their families, thanks to the Greater Homewood Community Corporation, Experience Corps volunteers, and Project Early I.D. After reading at home, the children and parents can earn rewards and prizes at Barclay.

Story Pals are needed to read aloud and/or be read to, by a student. This would involve 20-45 minutes, ideally once a week or a few times a month. If you would like to learn more about being a Story Pal or a Book Scout (to gather and organize free books), please contact Barclay's Community Connections VISTA Katie Horn at 443-325-3918 or khorn@greaterhomewood.org.