Heads Up Headlines

October 2007

Dear Friend,

The days are getting shorter, Heads Up’s fall program has begun, and the summer program seems like a distant memory. And memorable it was — Heads Up’s “Summer of Learning” was an incredibly successful, high-quality experience that culminated in a Project Fair that showcased our students’ talents and hard work. Our after-school program has now begun and we’re looking forward to a year filled with learning and fun.

Beginning in October, Heads Up has the exciting opportunity to serve middle school students at Hart Middle School in Southeast, D.C. Working with Project My Time, Heads Up tutors will help students complete their homework, gain confidence, and serve their communities.

As the holiday season approaches, I hope you’ll include Heads Up in your giving plans. Learn more below.

Thanks for all you do to support Heads Up!

Warmly,

Robin Minter
Interim Executive Director

Report Card

• Heads Up students reached reading proficiency at twice the rate of other students in the same schools.
• Schools with the Heads Up program increased reading proficiency at double the rate of other elementary schools in D.C., despite the fact that they started at a significantly lower point.

Features

Heads Up’s “Summer of Learning” Brings out Students’ Talents

Heads Up’s “Summer of Learning” ended on an exciting note when students, tutors, and parents gathered at THEARC in Southeast, D.C. for the annual project fair on August 2. Display boards lined the floor of the gymnasium, showing off the students’ hard work during the six-week summer program.

Led by their passionate and energetic college student tutors, the students developed projects with the aim of benefiting their community in some way. Projects included “Kids Causing Change,” where children learned about war-torn Darfur and raised money for survivors in the region of Sudan. There were 29 display boards in all, and each exhibited the work put in by all of the students during the summer.

After the students completed a scavenger hunt to learn about each other’s projects, groups of children performed dances, poetry, and other skits for the audience. A group of students put on a fashion show modeling what they wanted to be when they grew up — dressed as fire fighters, safari adventurers, and gardeners, the children beamed with ambition.

Heads Up’s interim executive director, Robin Minter, told students, “I want you to remember everything you’ve learned this summer.” She also urged them to work hard in school this fall, to graduate from high school and to make a contribution to the world so their “lights can shine.”

The creativity and devotion to community improvement displayed at the project fair made it clear that Heads Up students are always learning different ways to let their lights shine.

To read about Heads Up’s Project Fair in The Washington Informer, go to this link!  

Heads Up Welcomes Four New Site Directors

Four new site directors have recently joined Heads Up’s staff: Daquanna Harrison, site director of Birney Elementary, Cara Cupolo, site director of Raymond Elementary, Joan Lee, site director of Amidon Elementary, and Kenneth Carroll, site director for Hart Middle School.

	Daquanna Harrison comes to Heads Up from the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, where she worked as a lifelong learning coach to teach adults basic education at the Department of Employment Services. Daquanna says she loves working with the Anacostia community, especially the kids, and added, “My AmeriCorps members are great! I couldn’t imagine Heads Up without them.”
	Cara Cupolo joined Heads Up after working for two and a half years as the education director at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington FBR Branch at THEARC in Southeast D.C. Cara says the best part of working at Heads Up is the children we serve.
	Joan Lee recently moved to Washington, D.C., from Gallup, New Mexico, where she was a sixth grade teacher of language arts and literature for Teach for America. Joan says she is very excited about working at a community-oriented organization.
	Kenneth Carroll is an icon in D.C.’s literacy and education community. He joins Heads Up after serving fourteen years as the founding executive director of D.C. Writers Corps. A D.C. native, Kenneth will be returning to the Hart-Congress Heights community of his youth to head our middle school program at Hart.

What We're Reading

The Way I Feel By Janan Cain Second-grade students at Heads Up’s Garfield Elementary School site are learning about emotions with the book The Way I Feel. Written and illustrated by Janan Cain, this colorful book uses rhymes and drawings of children to describe a wide spectrum of moods — from silly to sad. After reading the book, students take turns acting out emotions while their classmates try to name them. The kids love to demonstrate what they’ve learned from the book by both performing and watching each other act out emotions.

Learners and Leaders

Twin Success Story
By Sarah Murphy

Devon and Lisa, twins I tutored for two years, were both challenging second-graders in their own ways.  Devon suffered from an extreme lack of confidence because he was behind his grade level in reading.  He hung his head and didn’t look people in the eye when he spoke.  Lisa, also not a very strong reader, wore the hardened face of a much older woman and fought too often with the other students.One day, Devon and Lisa came late to the Heads Up after-school program.  Students were already reading in pairs.  I handed the twins their books and asked them to begin reading. 

I watched — at first nervously — as the twins took their seats and opened their books. The two began helping each other sound out the longer, more difficult words in the book. I was truly moved as I watched them work with each other to read the book. Lisa’s slow but beautiful smile spread across her face as she realized that she could, with patience and effort, read fluidly.  Devon’s confidence was starting to soar as he shed his embarrassment of reading aloud. 

When literature circle was over, I asked for volunteers to summarize the story.  Lisa raised her hand cautiously and Devon’s eyes flashed in panic.  “Come on,” she said to her twin brother.  They went to the front of the classroom and gave a detailed presentation together, smiling with pride.  I saw Lisa relax, her eyes softening, and Devon looked out into his audience and spoke loudly and clearly.  During snack, I congratulated the twins on their reading and presentation.  “Yeah, we did good, didn’t we?” Devon ventured.  The twins smiled.

Thanks to Sarah for sharing her success story. Tutors can share their classroom tales by emailing Elizabeth Gutting at egutting@headsup-dc.org.

How You Can Help

This holiday season, share the gift of learning by giving to Heads Up in the name of a friend of family member. We’ll send a card decorated by a Heads Up student letting your friend or family member know that the gift in their name is helping a child in D.C. learn how to read. Your gift is tax-deductible and will give more children in D.C. the chance to receive tutoring and literacy coaching in a fun, safe environment after school. If you have questions or would like to request additional information, contact Sara Brandspigel at sbrandspigel@headsup-dc.org or (202) 544-4468, ext. 11.

To learn about other ways to support Heads up, visit http://headsup-dc.org/support/index.php.

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.