Heads Up Headlines
February 2008
Dear Friend,
The new year has arrived and with it comes many exciting changes at Heads Up. We extended our weeks of learning this year around the holidays, and Heads Up students had the opportunity to engage in exciting service projects during this time. I hope you will enjoy our news flashes about how Heads Up’s students at Hart Middle School performed original poetry for an audience of 100 people in downtown D.C. and about how our college students tutors make a difference every day!
Also, as many of you already know, Heads Up’s board of directors offered me the position of executive director in December 2007. I feel honored by this opportunity to work with Heads Up’s wonderful board, staff, and community partners to continue advancing our mission.
Warmly,
Robin Minter
Executive Director
Report Card
Over half of Heads Up’s tutors say that their experience with Heads Up has made them more inclined to become a teacher or public servant.
Heads Up AmeriCorps member and tutor Rachel Rosenthal with Adrian Fenty at Serve DC’s “Make a Difference Day”
Features
Heads Up Board Names Robin Minter as Executive Director
The Heads Up board of directors has named Robin Minter as the new executive director of Heads Up.
Robin has served as interim executive director since June 2007, when co-founder Darin McKeever assumed a new role as board president. She has over 20 years of nonprofit management experience and has played a vital leadership role both before and during the transition period. Prior to June, she served as deputy executive director and director of finance and administration.
“Robin has the right skills to lead Heads Up into the future,” said Fred Bollerer, vice president of the board of directors. “Her dedication to education and service is unmatched,” he added.
Before relocating to Washington, D.C. in 2004, Robin ran a successful consulting practice providing financial management and strategic planning services to a broad range of nonprofit organizations. In addition, she served for seven years as senior manager at the San Francisco Education Fund. Robin is a parent, an activist for the rights of children, and a passionate advocate for Heads Up’s mission.
“I am excited to advance Heads Up’s mission and goals from the organization’s helm,” said Robin. “We will build on our success providing educational programs for kids and service opportunities for college students in the D.C. area.”
In early 2007, Heads Up co-founder Darin McKeever announced he would be stepping down from his position as executive director and championing the organization’s work as board president. “I have worked closely with Robin for several years,” said Darin, “and I have seen how she labors tirelessly on behalf of children and families in D.C. She will provide the strong leadership the organization needs to move forward.”
Under her capable leadership in 2008, Heads Up will build on a decade of success providing educational programs for children and service opportunities for college students in the D.C. area. Robin is supported by Heads Up’s outstanding staff, a large corps of committed undergraduate tutors, and many parents, teachers and principals in the community.
Heads Up’s Young Poets at Hart Middle School
 On January 18, students participating in Heads Up’s new program at Hart Middle School performed their original poetry at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Library in downtown D.C. Eleven students and one Heads Up AmeriCorps member read their poems for an audience of nearly 100 people who gathered in the grand lobby of the library.
The students spent December and January preparing for the reading with the help of their tutors. Two of these college student tutors are former Hart students — exemplifying Heads Up’s twofold mission of service and learning. Students and tutors worked together to research poetry topics, practice public speaking, and prepare for the performance.
The young poets were also accompanied by youth drummers from another after-school program at Hart. Seventh grader Tiffany Adams played the role of master of ceremonies at the reading. This was her first experience hosting an event.
Kenneth Carroll, site director for Hart, said that he was, “thrilled with the students’ hard work and devotion. It was an impressive sight to watch them perform their own poetry for such a big crowd of supporters, especially after all their preparation. And it was a rewarding experience not just for the kids, but for their tutors, who worked with them every step of the way.”
Hart Middle School is located in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Southeast D.C. In conjunction with Project My Time, an initiative of the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, Heads Up has been providing academic support and leadership opportunities to teenagers since fall 2007.
The following poem was written by Ishmael Perkins, a 6th grader at Hart Middle School, for the event.
MLK Day
When I look into the ghettos
Inside our nation
I see Black people
posted at a bus station
Dr. King and Rosa Parks
worked on our racial relations
They worked for the fulfillment
of the Emancipation Proclamation
People say the KKK
kill our black sisters and brothers
But we can't be talkin'
Cause we still killing each other
And when you look into this subject
You'll see something is strange
It's that the attitude of Black people
Have really changed.
What We're Reading
 |
Kindergarten and first grade students at Amidon Elementary School are reading “When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry…” by Molly Bang. In the story, a young girl named Sophie loves to play with her toys. When her turn is over and she’s asked to share with her sister, Sophie becomes angry. Her anger grows and grows until she decides to run. While she’s running outside, Sophie starts to cry. But then she climbs trees, listens to birds, and looks at ferns – and gradually her anger cools. The students enjoyed reading this book and the accompanying activity of creating collages depicting things that comfort them and calm them down when they are upset. |
Learners and Leaders
A Success Story Straight From the Classroom
 Heads Up tutor Antajuan Scott recently shared his experience working with students at LaSalle Elementary School. His essay is featured below and on the “Tutor Tales” page of Heads Up’s website. Tutor Tales are stories submitted by Heads Up tutors about the life-changing and compelling experiences they have had since joining our program.
When I first began tutoring, it wasn’t always easy to convince my students to participate in “popcorn reading” (this is when students pick each other to read pages out of a book) during literature circle. As time progressed, the students actually began to look forward to the popcorn reading segment of the day. But there was one student, Sarah, who was still uneasy about reading in front of her classmates.
Sarah’s first language is Spanish and she told me one day that students in her class during the school day would make fun of her for stumbling over words. I decided to spend extra time helping her. After a month of working steadily with Sarah, her reading was showing a lot of improvement. Then one day, something amazing happened. During literature circle, I asked who wanted to start the book off and the first hand in the air was Sarah’s. Words couldn’t describe the magnitude of joy that I felt. Although she stumbled over some words, it showed a vast improvement in her confidence and her overall reading ability.
If you are a Heads Up tutor and have an inspiring story about your experience that you’d like to share, visit www.headsup-dc.org/stories.htm.
Heads Up Student Essay Contest
Students who attend Heads Up’s program at Garfield Elementary School in Southeast, D.C. recently participated in their own essay contest. The winning essay comes from a third grader who wrote about why she likes being a part of Heads Up. Her essay is featured below!
Why I like Heads Up…
I like Heads Up because the tutors are nice and because we have indoor and outdoor recess. I like indoor recess more because there are more activities when we are indoors. I love Heads Up because I learn more and because my tutors help with my homework when I need help. And if you do something good, you get rewarded.
Another reason why I like Heads Up is because Heads Up helps you learn better. So when you grow up and people say, “Why are you so smart?” then you can say, “Well, I was in this program when I was little. The program was called Heads Up. In the program you could learn a lot and get respected. I loved that program. I had a lot of friends at Heads Up, and I remember all the tutors.”
How You Can
Help
Be a Friend of Heads Up
 Are you on Facebook? Heads Up is! One of the fastest growing internet social utility networks, Facebook allows users to keep up with their friends and upload unlimited photos – as well as join charitable causes. To join the Heads Up cause on Facebook, just do a user search for Heads Up. By joining, you will help Heads Up increase visibility – and you can donate through our Facebook page, and encourage your friends to support us, too!
Heads Up’s Wish List
Heads Up is seeking a donation of five flat-panel monitors! Please contact Sara Brandspigel at (202) 544-4468, ext. 11. Check out Heads Up’s full wish list to make an in-kind donation today. We really appreciate your support!
About Heads
Up
Heads Up provides rigorous after-school and summer
programs to help children in underserved neighborhoods
gain the skills they need to succeed in school. By enlisting
college students as classroom tutors, we inspire a new
generation of leaders to strengthen their communities.
Heads Up relies on individuals to achieve our goals:
providing children with a quality education and giving
college students life-changing opportunities to serve
their community.
Special
thanks to our generous funders. |
