This Month at the Refugee Center and Community School
Meet Cate Gorham!
Ms. Gorham is the new Reynolds Middle School Community School Director. Cate is from Lancaster County and recently graduated with her master's degree in Social Work. Prior to working as the Community School Director, Cate worked as a Site Director for a before and after school program. Her hobbies include swimming, playing with her dog, Sarge, and spending time with her family and friends.
What is the role of a Community School Director?
To facilitate the coordination and development of services in order to achieve positive educational, career, social, and personal outcomes for program participants and families.
What are Community Schools?
Community Schools are networks of support, opportunities and relationships where the school is the resource hub for the whole community serving to strengthen students, families and neighborhoods. Community Schools open their doors to community stakeholders and partners, creating improved conditions for both learning and teaching, giving each child a greater chance for success in school and in life.
Our Vision:
A peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
Our Mission:
A community School- with a focus on refugees & immigrants.
We engage community members in opportunities for education, cultural integration, and wellness, leading to self-sufficiency, career readiness, and enrichment.
Read more about Community Schools here!
Pennies for Patients
Reynolds Middle School students participated in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Pennies for Patients program from February 19th to March 1st, 2019.
During this program, students collected money to support LLS' Mission: Cure Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and Myeloma, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
Thank you for helping LLS to create a world without blood cancers!
Refugee Center Workshops
On Friday, February 1st, Jalilah Yacoub, IU13 Cultural Navigator and Anita Pilkerton-Plumb, licensed counselor, facilitated a workshop for newcomers at the Refugee Center about how to keep one’s native culture while integrating into life in the U.S. Facilitators and participants discussed several strategies, including telling stories, cooking food for neighbors, and speaking native language in the home.
Thank you, Jalilah and Anita for facilitating this important workshop!
Volunteer Opportunity
We need volunteers to help with Power Packs distribution. Distribution is on Thursday afternoons from 2:00 PM- 3:15PM.
Hygiene Program
Loice Byler, Refugee Center Cultural Navigator, facilitates hygiene workshops for students and families. During these workshops, she gives supplies such as new bath towels, deodorant, bath soap, washcloths, and new underwear for students.
If you would like to donate any items or volunteer for Power Packs, please contact Beth Boll at Beth_Boll@iu13.org.
Shelby Miller, Community Education Newsletter Editor
