experience for all, most especially the kids, many of which had their first experience with community service that day! The event was intended to not only beautify the elementary campus, but also to build a legacy of serving one’s community with the students. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing could compare to the sight of the students’ faces on the following Monday morning. The students were full of appreciation and joy for the new look of their blacktop and playground. Rosa Parks K-8 was now a place they could really call their ‘home’.

Bank of America Team at Rosa Parks K-8

Annual Newsletter

Bank of America Team at Rosa Parks K-8

Annual Newsletter

In This Edition !Hmong New Year……2 After-School.…..…….2 Black History Month..2 Twitter…………………2 Backpack Drive..……3 Interventions…………3 Part of Our Village….3 RP Sports…..…….…..4

FY14 EditionFY14 Edition

RP Data Wall !(# of students)

Attendance…………52 ELA…………………113 Math………………….47 Total………………..202 . !RP FY14 Results !(% of students improved)

Attendance….……53% ELA………………93% Math……………….51% .

City Year Sac Data Wall !

(# of students) Attendance…………76 Behavior…………….35 ELA…………………335 Math………………….53 Total………….…….499 .

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M a y 3 r d , 2 0 1 4 m a r k e d t h e culmination of many months of planning for the first ever City Year Community Day at Rosa Parks K-8. The day was influenced by the recent introduction of elementary students into the school which had previously been a 7th and 8th middle school. The school really wanted to give the new elementary students a space that would welcome them and feel like their own. Members of Rosa Parks and the Meadowview Community were invited to come help beautify the campus. Nearly 100 volunteers showed up on the warm and windy Saturday to give a day of service. The day long event was filled with projects that included the building of new planter boxes, setting up of a school community garden, and the painting of murals, four-squares, and hopscotch areas on the playground. It was an incredible time where Corps Members had the pleasure of working side by side with many of their students to improve their school. The day was filled with smiles as the students saw the transformation of their dull blacktop into a colorful place where they would spend the rest of their year. Not only would it be a place of enjoyment but a space to learn in an alternative way, as the four-square courts were themed off of the four seasons and the four stages of the water-cycle. I t was a very posit ive experience !!!

City Year Community Day

Rosa Parks’ 101st Birthday & Black History Month !

Our school is named after a very spec ia l lady, who wou ld have celebrated her 101st birthday on February 4th, Rosa Parks. We took the opportunity to celebrate her and educate our children on what exactly she did to help civil and human rights. During lunch time, City Years Corps members went around to classrooms to give short presentations (and give out delicious cookies!) about who she was and how her actions lead to more equality for all. !Rosa Parks’ birthday event was a kick start to our black history month celebrations. City Year corps members, collaborating with administration and teachers, were able to put on an event every Tuesday showcasing a different aspect of black history and culture. These events focused on African American entertainers, leaders, act iv is ts , inventors, communi ty members, fraternity members, and more. The month of February ended in a well attended Black History Night which celebrated ‘The Evolution of Rhythm and Poetry’. Performances .

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Dia de Los Muertos !Rosa Parks celebrated by setting up different enrichment stations to help our students understand the different cultural aspects of the day. These stations included an alter, a face painting station to represent the importance of the skull, a history of the day presentation, and an edible cookie

- Social Justice For All - Teamwork - Ubuntu --

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- Students First, Collaboration Always - Excellence -

City Year is on Twitter Follow our service on Twitter:

@CityYearSAC !You can also follow us nationally:

@CityYear #MakeBetterHappen

Hmong . New Year . !

Rosa Parks was ppppppppppppppproud to celebrate hhhhhhhhhhhhhhHmong New Year by iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinviting the whole school to an evening celebration. The event included a glimpse into the wonderfully rich culture of the Hmong immigrant population of the school. A talent show, where many of our students bravely sung, danced, and performed their hearts out was followed by a dinner of traditional Hmong foods. City Year's own Hmong member, Lao Lor, represented City Year with pride as he took the stage with his after school breakdancing crew.

decorating station. T h e s e w e r e a l l interactive stations which encouraged hands on student learning. The kids, grades 1st through 6th, left this day w i t h a g r e a t e r understanding of the importance and rituals of Dia de Los Muertos.

After-School !Rosa Parks K-8 has a partnership between Target Excellence and City Year in the after-school program that is designed to provide both enrichment and excitement for those who choose to partake in it. The program includes students from grades first through eighth as this maximizes the amount of people who can take part in the activities and get the extra support they need. Students are provided with daily help on their homework and a variety of activities including art, sports, and music. Middle school even has a program set up where students alternate between clubs: Film Club, .

were given by our talented K-8 school choir and 7th/8th grade individuals who entertained the crowd with their spoken words and songs.

Girl’s Club, Cooking Club, Science Club, etc. This gives them the chance to be exposed to a variety of n e w i n t e r e s t s a n d experiences.

Education Fairs ! City Year spearheaded three dddddiiiddidifferent education fairs for tttttttttttttttttthe students at Rosa Parks. sssssssiiiiiAll those in after-school were aaaaaaaiiiable to partake in a Science Fair, a History Fair, and a College and Career Fair. Each Corps Member took charge of a booth that engaged students in different experiments, excited them about new eras and cultures, and allowed them to explore new and exciting paths for their futures. “I loved all the City Years that dressed up like they lived in different times.”

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Belief in the Power of Young People - Starfish -- Th

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- Inclusivity - - Seven Generations - The Shoulders of Giants -

@cityyearsacramento

Backpack Drive !The backpack and school supply donation from Bank of America meant so much to the Rosa Parks community. The backpacks and school supplies provided Rosa Parks students with the tools and resources needed to successfully complete school and homework. Providing this valuable resource to students and families in need has helped Rosa Parks School build trusting relationships with students and families. Often times helping families with basic needs has opened the door to providing more intensive resources and assistance in times of difficulty or crisis. Frequently, our students carry heavy loads of books and papers, as schools have moved away from providing lockers. Students often times need more than one backpack a year, as straps and zippers break. With this generous donation we are able to keep students going. Rosa Parks is so grateful to have this wonderful resource to help our students academically achieve. !

Victoria Flores, Youth & Family Resource Center

Part of Our Village !The Rosa Parks Community feels extremely grateful to have had City Year on our campus for the past two years. They provide an invaluable service to our teachers and students by providing extra help, reinforcing lessons, and working one-on-one or in small groups with students in need. Additionally, students who attend the after school program have a Corps Member who knows what is happening in his or her classroom and

c a n g i v e assistance in homework or s tudy ing as needed. !B e y o n d t h e a c a d e m i c p i e c e , C i t y Year brings an enthusiasm to e v e r y t h i n g t h e y d o o n campus. They are there to e n c o u r a g e s t u d e n t s t o

succeed and have fun while at school. Wherever you look, you can see a City Year in yellow working, talking, or playing with a Rosa Parks student. Many activities that happen before school, at lunch, and after school are due to City Year’s commitment to our s tuden ts ’ pos i t i ve educa t i ona l experience. “It takes a village to raise a child,” and City Year has become an instrumental part of our village. I can’t imagine Rosa Parks without them and am grateful to have them serving at our school. !

Diana Curtaz Site Instruction Coordinator

Math Interventions !If you were to ask an average Rosa Parks Middle Schooler about his or her most hated subject, the result would likely be a resounding “MATH!” "Math is hard!” "I don't get this.” "I don't need to learn math, I want to be a singer.” Assuaging my students' math anxieties and convincing them that learning Pre-Algebra is a good use of their time has been a huge part of my job since I received my focus list (my small group of students who are off track in math); but the biggest obstacle I've had to face so far is my students' lack of f o u n d a t i o n a l ski l ls . I of ten f o u n d m y s e l f asking questions like "How do I teach this kid to w o r k w i t h fractions if he doesn't know his times tables?", "How do I work on addition and subtraction with a t e e n a g e r without making h e r f e e l s e l f - c o n s c i o u s o r inadequate?", and "Do I risk letting this student fall behind in class by using all my time with him to do basic skills practice?" Finding the time to keep my students caught up on their math homework and work with them on basic arithmetic all within a fifty minute period has been the most challenging aspect of math intervention; but w a t c h i n g t h e m a b s o r b t h o s e foundational skills and rise to the level of their peers has been the most rewarding. !

Rachel Jacobson Math Corps Member

!!Working with City Year has truly been a blessing in disguise. At the start of the year I was placed to serve in an English Language Arts classroom. Going in, I assumed it would be a regular English class; however, it turned out to be a class set up for English Language Learners. This gave me the rewarding and inspiring opportunity to work with students, like myself, who did not grow up with English as their primary Language. I was able to build quality intervention .

!time connecting, bonding, and learning with my students since I also struggled with English as a child. I am grateful to know that my students were able to improve by more than an entire grade level in ELA over the course of our year together. This chal lenging and rewarding experience has inspired me to work toward my teaching credential with Teach for America next year. !

Karina Ayala ELA Corps Member

ELA Interventions

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Tutors by Day,

Coaches by Night. RP Sports Highlights

Girls’ Soccer - Coach Kelly ! This year, Corps Member Kelly Besmer was …… able to work with the boys and girls soccer teams at ……. Rosa Parks. She worked them through conditioning, tryouts, practice, homework hour, and game days. “I have played soccer my entire life, but didn't realize how challenging and rewarding coaching could be until this year!” says Coach Kelly. Coach Kelly is especially proud of the progress made by her girls soccer team. She not only taught her novice team basic soccer drills, but showed them the importance of teamwork, perseverance, and sportsmanship! The team earned their first win with a score of 2-1 over TEAM NAME. This set them up for their phenomenal performance during their playoff games. “This year had a lot of ups and downs, but one of my favorite memories from this year would be the water fight our team had after a hot practice!” Looking back at their hard fought year, Coach Kelly could not be more proud of the immense progress made by her players.

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Tutors by Day,

Coaches by Night. RP Sports Highlights

“I am most proud of each of these ladies and what we accomplished

during this year.” - Coach Rashida

“Dance is not something we do, it is

who we are.” - Coach Lao

#MakeBetterHappen #MakeBetterHappen #MakeBetterHappen#MakeBetterHappen #MakeBetterHappen

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Girls’ Volleyball - Coach Kehau !

I had the opportunity to be an assistant coach to Rosa Parks’ K-8 very first volleyball team. Teaching basic technique and skills to a group of 6-8th graders who have never played before p resented i t s cha l l enges . Despite our 2-10 record, many of my girls gained skills that will be useful both on and off the court. # L a d y L i o n s V o l l e y b a l l #ProudCoach

Cheer Team - Coach Rashida !During basketball season at Rosa Parks a group of seven enthusiastic, confident, young ladies came together as the Rosa Parks Cheerleaders. These ladies were taught different dance and cheer routines which they performed at school rallies and half time shows. They also learned about team work and what it meant to be responsible members of a team. As the months passed by these young ladies became better equipped to work as a team, choreograph routines, and trust and respect one another. Their teamwork and hours of practice lead them to be able to captivate the entire gym of 7th and 8th grade students. I am most proud of each of these ladies and what we accomplished during this year.

Boys’ Basketball - Coach Joe . !While serving as the assistant basketball coach for . 6th-8th grade boys, I ran a study hall before practices . to ensure my players were getting the academic support . and help needed to be successful in the classroom. It was essential that my players understood the importance of being a student-athlete and the relationship between athletics and academics. Being the assistant basketball coach allowed me to mentor students by teaching them about sportsmanship, how to be leaders, and to understand that by working hard and doing what is right, good things will happen. I attribute the success of many of ourstudents to the City Year coaches who dedicated their time and effort for the purpose seeing positive improvement in their students.

Breakdancing - Coach Lao !Dance is not something we do, it is w h o w e a r e . C i t y Y e a r a n d Target Excellence partnered up to teach Rosa Parks' students that dance is filled with life lessons. Students were taught to keep an open mind to various influences around them, to be both student and teacher, and the confidence to present their creative ideas in front of the class. We integrate these lessons into their character and make dance a part of their identity. Our dancers were able to show off all of these skills not only at our school talent show and rallies, but were also featured artists at Sacramento’s MLK365 festivities at the Sacramento Convention Center.