Fall for All
September Recap
at The Refugee Center and Community School
STAFF SPOTLIGHT:
Welcome, Taylor Ward- Rafael
Taylor is the newest Cultural Navigator at the Refugee Center and Community School, with much of her work focused on the Career Pathways for English Learners program. Many of her clients are Cuban entrants in medical professions, along with others in careers such as law and geoinformatics - all of whom she is assisting to become re-credentialed here in the U.S. For the last year, Taylor has been serving as an eAdviser, with College Advising Corps – sharing financial aid resources with low-income, first-generation & underrepresented students across the country and aiding them in developing self-advocacy skills beyond the college application process. This passion began as a student at Gettysburg College, studying Psychology & Spanish while growing support systems and pride for fellow first-generation students on campus, as well as volunteering as an Adult ESL tutor, and raising funds for local refugees & immigrants on the Refugee Action Committee. Taylor views Buenos Aires, Argentina as her second home, after studying abroad, interning with a women’s rights organization, and meeting her husband there. Her favorite part of living in Lancaster is the sense of community, but Taylor is always looking for new places to travel, with a particular interest in sampling local food and scuba diving.
Career Pathways for English Learners (CPEL):
We are very pleased to share that our Career Pathways for English Learners (CPEL) is off to a fantastic start. We've served 61 clients to date, with 56 enrolled in different career development activities. These activities include ESL classes, training programs at CareerLink and Tec Centro, employment, and post-secondary education. We are excited to be able to share this program with clients from many different countries, including Congo, Nepal, and Cuba. CPEL clients come from many different employment backgrounds. Some are nurses, lawyers, teachers, and government officials. We look forward to continuing to serve newcomers and the community with the CPEL program for the coming years!
We are very excited to share that the Refugee Center and Community School has been highlighted in a national publication. Switchboard is a national online technical assistance resource for organizations working with refugees and immigrants. RCCSR was recently featured in their publication titled Partnering with Schools to Provide Safe and Inclusive Learning Environments for Refugee Students. You’ll find RCCSR highlighted on page 3 of the report.
Read it Here!
Community School News:
Upcoming PTO Meetings:
PTO meetings will be held every third Wednesday of the month in the Reynolds Middle School Cafeteria from 5:45-7:00 pm. Dinner is provided!
- October 16th
- November 20th
- December 18th
- January 15th
- February 19th
- March 18th
- April 15th
- May 20th
October Early Dismissal Dates:
October 9th, Dismissal Time at 12:00
North Bay:
North Bay will run from November 11th- November 15th this year. This is an awesome experience for our 6th grade students to enjoy everything nature has to offer, fellowship with students from other schools within the School District of Lancaster and students from other walks of life, and ultimately do all things while learning.
Applications for North Bay due by: October 18th, 2019
Power Packs:
Power packs distribution begins Thursday, September 26th. Power packs will be distributed to students in the Cafeteria. If you are in need of a power packs application, please contact Jalilah Yacoub at 717-947-1489
Volunteer Opportunities
Interested in volunteering at Reynolds Middle School?
Please Contact our Community School Director, Cate Gorham at 717-947-1660 to learn more about volunteer opportunities!
Looking for donations!
To ensure that every 6th grade student attending North Bay has what they need to spend a week away from home, we are asking for donations. Items that are needed include bars of soap, women’s and men’s crew socks, scarves, gloves, hats, washcloths, hand towels, and bath towels. Please contact Cate Gorham at 717-947-1660 to learn more about how you can help!
Shelby Miller, Community Education Newsletter Editor
