VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERISTY TO STREAM PLAYOFF FOOTBALL ONLINE

U.S. Education TV will provide a free live webcast of the Division II playoffs

The NCAA Division II playoffs will be broadcast live online Saturday November 20, 2010 at 1:00pm as the Valdosta State Blazers (VSU) take on the North Alabama Lions. Fans of both teams are encouraged to check out the free, high definition live webcast at the Valdosta State athletic site (http://www.useducationtv.com/default.aspx?sid=286), a partner of the U.S. Education TV platform.

VSU students will facilitate on-site production, allowing fans to get an up-close view of the college football battle. The HD-featured event will be broadcast with zero commercial interruptions, offering all viewers an ideal football environment.

U.S. Education TV, a Georgia-based media company, delivers full-production internet broadcasting and production packages, enabling high schools and colleges to connect, interact, communicate, relate and experience local and regional events through the eyes of its students, staff and community. All events uploaded to the network are free to view, providing fans with a high-definition medium to watch their favorite teams play.

For more information, please contact Todd Woodruff 229-356-1375 or email at todd@useducationtv.com

www.useducationtv.com

SMOKED BOSTON BUTT, HAM, & TURKEY SALE!!!!

Don't forget to buy your BUTT, HAM, and or TURKEY before they're ordered next week. They will be delivered the day before Thanks Giving Break - November 23rd. Please contact Elaine Grice for Details at 229-686-6576 elain.douglas@berrien.k12.ga.us. This partnership with Rotary will help support CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Berrien County

Berrien County and the City of Nashville are thrilled to announce the beginning of construction on the new Berrien County Boys and Girls Club Building. This project is being funded through DCA's Community Development Block Grant with J. Glenn Gregory as architect and Eastern Corporation for primary contracting and construction. This beautiful new building will be used to facilitate Boys & Girls Clubs afterschool activites for the children and youth of Berrien County. Currently, the Berrien County Collaborative, Board of Education, and Boys & Girls Clubs conduct afterschool activities for students in grades Pre-K-12th grade. Constance Thomas, program coordinator stated, "The new building is truly a gift, and the success of this project is directly reflective of the great work being done for kids in Berrien County". The dedication of the County Commission, City of Nashville, Board of Education, and Berrien County Collaborative is a great example of putting others first, dropping personal agendas and working for the good of the community. This new building will be a source of pride for the citizens of Berrien County for years to come.

CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit receives support from District Attorney's Office.

CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit received over $8,000 from District Attorney's Office. Cathy Helms right(District Attorney) and Sarah Surratt middle (Victims Assistance Coordinator) presented a check to Elaine Grice left (CASA Director) on Thursday, October 8, 2010. Funds were part of the 5% allocation from collected fines and fees in Atkinson, Berrien, Clinch, Cook, and Lanier. This support will be used recruit and train volunteers for the over 60 children in need of a CASA in our judicial circuit.

CASA Receives Expansion Funding

The Promoting Safe and Stable Families grant under DHS has provided funds for expansion of CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit that serves Atkinson, Berrien, Clinch, Cook, and Lanier counties. These funds will be used to advocate for our abused and neglected children in fostercare. To put this in perspective, 4 out of the five counties in the Alapaha Judicial Circuit are in the top 16 counties for child abuse and neglect in the state.

CPPC 2009 Report

Lanier #1 2009

Berrien #9 2009

For more information on how you can advocate for our most precious asset, please contact Elaine Grice @ 229-686-6576.

Boys & Girls Clubs Groundbreaking Ceremony

Please Join us for a

Groundbreaking Ceremony

For the new

Boys and Girls Club Building

Wednesday, October 6th

11:00 am

Adjacent to the Y.E.S. Center

Please R.S.V.P. by October 4th

To Constance Thomas

229-686-6576

constance.thomas@berriencountycollaborative.org

CASA for CASA's

CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit is asking that the community join in our fundraiser to support the children of our communities. The Mission of CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit is to provide screened, trained, and supervised community volunteers to work with our children in foster care. CASA volunteers are appointed by Juvenile Court Judge Clay Tomlinson to advocate for the best interest of over 60 abused and neglected children in our service area.

Tickets are currently being sold for $5.00 each to raffle off a hand crafted playhouse (6ft x 8ft) on December 2, 2010. The raffle is being held in order to raise awareness for the Court Appointed Special Advocate program as well as funds to support the many children in our area.

Contact: Elaine Grice (229)686-6576

Or

Amy Burton (229)482-3476 Lanier County Family Connection

Donated & Built by: Kirby Sapp, Lanier County Contractor

Raffle Ticket $5.00 each

Playhouse will be raffled off December 2, 2010

Teen Maze Coverage

Click on the link below for Teen Maze coverage on WALB.

http://www.walb.com/global/Category.asp?C=195954&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5141046&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Waiting for Superman

This is a must see for educators. It will be featured in Oprah today!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFN0nf6Hqk0&feature=player_embedded

Communities In Schools featured in TIME Magazine

Check out Communities In Schools, featured in TIME Magazine.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/communities-in-schools-recognized-by-time-magazine-102898534.html

Join me in signing this petition!

I've just signed a petition calling on President Obama to take the lead in supporting the Global Fund, which is saving millions of lives around the developing world. Please sign this petition, too:

http://one.org/us/actnow/globalfund2010/index.html?rc=globalfund2010paste

Together as ONE we can make a difference.

Thanks!

General Collaborative Meeting

Greetings All,

Please plan on attending our General Collaborative meeting being held at the Perry Memorial Library on Thursday, September 16th @ 12pm. This meeting is held each quarter with several of other agencies from the area. It's a good time to network and develop support for our initiatives.

See you there!

UPCOMING EVENTS!!!!

CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit 1st Thursday

CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit with Evelyn Fox, Deborah Raines, and Berrien High AP Art Class painting faces on children during Nashville's 1st Thursday.

Health At School: A Hidden Health Care System Emerges From The Shadows

A vast array of child health professionals—99,000 counselors; 56,000 nurses; 30,000 school psychologists; 15,000 social workers; and smaller numbers of dental hygienists, dentists, physicians, and substance abuse counselors—provide care to children and adolescents at school. However, most thought leaders in child health know little about this "hidden" system of careor are skeptical about its capacity to contribute to children’s well-being. Increased interest in prevention and chronic disease management, powered by escalating concern about childhood overweight, might end the isolation of school health programs and link them more effectively to community-based prevention programs and health care services.

Full Article: http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/26/2/409

Flatlanders Fall Frolic

Lanier County Family Connection will be featuring CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit at the annual Flatlanders Fall
Frolic on Saturday, September 4th, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m at the Lakeland Threate Center.

CASA will be recruiting volunteers, selling raffle tickets for the playhouse, and Lanier 4-H will be painting faces on the children. The 6 x 8 ft Playhouse was built and donated by Kirby Sapp of Lakeland and will be on display at the Lanier County Courthouse. The raffle tickets are $5.00 each and we will raffle the playhouse on December 2nd, at the Christmas Parade in Lakeland.

If you would like to help at the Flatlanders Fall Frolic and/or help with raffle tickets, please let me know. We would love to have your support for our CASA program.

We are also taking orders for CASA T-shirts at this time. The T-shirts are $12.00 each. Please let Elaine Dounglas Grice know if you would like to purchase a T-shirt by Thursday, September 2nd. elaine.douglas@berrien.k12.ga.us (P) 229-686-6576.

Berrien County Even Start Update

The Berrien County Even Start Family Literacy program has completed the opening of its center and is now serving more than twenty families with over sixty participants benefiting from the literacy programs. The impact of this program has already changed the lives of seven high school and GED participants that graduated this spring and summer. This program offers promise for help in breaking the cycle of poverty and low literacy to the parents and children of Berrien County. The opening of Wiregrass Technical College's campus this fall will expand the program's impact by being directly linked to the Even Start Center on the Berrien County Board of Education campus in Nashville.

Even Start is funded by a year-to-year grant that provides funding to support local family literacy projects that integrate early childhood education, adult literacy (adult basic and secondary-level education and instruction for English language learners), parenting education, and interactive parent and child literacy activities for low-income families with parents who are eligible for services under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act and their children from birth through age 7. Teen parents and their children from birth through age 7 also are eligible. All participating families must be those most in need of program services.

Parents who have not completed high school and would like to pursue a GED should contact Kristin Evan or Dianne Fuller at 229-686-6247. The Even Start Family Literacy Center is located at 810 South Dogwood and currently open for services. We are fortunate here in Berrien County to have this opportunity. If you would like to make a referral or visit our center, please call or email us at kristin.evans@berriencountycollaborative.org or dianne.fuller@berriencountycollaborative.org.

Invest in your community!

If you are interested in investing in the future of Berrien County, please go to the Collaborative's Blog and click on the Donate link on the top right hand side of the page. You may indicate where you would like your investment to go. If you would like a list of initiatives and programs, please go to www.berriencountycollaborative.com and click on the Initiatives link or contact Matt Jansen at 229-686-6576 or matt.jansen@berriencountycollaborative.org.

CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit CJCC Approval

CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit has been approved as a Local Victims Assistance program by Georgia's Criminal Justice Coordinator Council for Atkinson, Berrien, Clinch, Cook, and Lanier counties and is eligible for 5% funding.

What does 5% Certification mean for CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit?

Certification Program Overview

The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council is responsible for promulgating rules governing the approval of victim assistance programs in Georgia. Those rules are designed to encourage local innovations in development of victim assistance, and provide the minimum standards necessary for certification of these programs. Certification permits local victim assistance programs to request funding through their County Board of Commissioners from a fund derived from a five percent penalty added to fines in all criminal and criminal ordinance cases, specifically to fund victim assistance programs. Where the County Commission does not participate in victim assistance, the five percent penalty must be paid over to the District Attorney to fund victim assistance in that Judicial Circuit. For more info, please go to: http://cjcc.ga.gov/

New Georgia Child Abuse and Neglect Rankings

Click the following link for newly released child abuse and neglect state rankings for Georgia.

Rankings 2005 - 2008

After School Status of Achievement of Goals and Objectives

I want to share with you the great pride in after school and impact it is having on our students. The hard work and determination that goes into making sure our children succeed in life is highly prevalent in the data below.

Berrien Primary and Elementary School Updates

Performance Goal #1: Increased academic achievement in reading, language arts, and math.

- 48% of the participating students improved their reading grade during the 2009-2010 school year. Forty-eight (48) of these students improved by at least one letter grade and 19 students raised a failing grade to at least a “C”.

- 53% of the participating students improved their language arts grade during the 2009-2010 school year. Twenty-seven (27) of these students improved by at least one letter grade and 8 students raised a failing grade to at least a “C”.

- 47% of the participating students improved their math grade during the 2009-2010 school year. Fifty-seven (57) of these students improved by at least one letter grade and 15students raised a failing grade to at least a “C”.

- The percentage of participating students not meeting the state standard on the reading section of the CRCT decreased from 30.8% in Spring 2009 to 9.9% in Spring 2010.

- The percentage of participating students not meeting the state standard on the math section of the CRCT decreased from 40.7% in Spring 2009 to 27.5% in Spring 2010.

Goal #2: Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs and activities, such as youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, counseling programs; art, music and recreation programs, technology education programs and character education programs that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students; encourage effective integration and operation of programs in concert with all designated partners.

- During the year, the local centers emphasized programming in the core content areas of reading, language arts and math for 100% of its participating students.

- During the year, the local centers offered academic enrichment and support activities for 100% of its participating students.

- During the year, the local centers offered academic enrichment, support activities and programming to support learning outside of core academic content areas and technology for 100% of its participating students.

Goal #3: Improve student attendance, homework completion and class participation.

- During the 2009-2010 school year, 93% of the participating students were absent for 15 days or less from school.

- During the 2009-2010 school year, 90% of the participating students demonstrated improvement in homework completion

- During the 2009-2010 school year, 84% of the participating students demonstrated improvement in class participation.

- During the 2009-2010 school year, 90% of the participating students demonstrated improvement in homework completion and 84% of the participating students demonstrated improvement in class participation.

- During the 2009-2010 school year, 59% of the participating students demonstrated improvement in behavior.

- At the end of the 2009-2010 school year, 94% of the participating students were promoted to the next grade level.

- During the 2009-2010 school year, the local centers provided a total of nine opportunities for literacy and related education development. Our Reading Around the Campfire event had 142 adults and 158 students participate. Our Duathlon event had 40 students and 48 adults attending. Our four movie nights were also well attended. Furthermore, our rodeo event had over 2,000 participants.The majority of these participants are not enrolled in our after school program, although our families were invited to attend.

- During the 2008-2009 school year, the Reading Around the Campfire event had 142 adults and 158 students participate. Our Duathlon event had 40 students and 48 adults attending. Our four movie nights were also well attended. Furthermore, our rodeo event had over 3,000 participants.The majority of these participants are not enrolled in our after school program, although our families were invited to attend.

______________________________________________________________

Berrien High and Academy Programs

Performance Goal #1: Increased academic achievement in reading, language arts, and math.

- 63% of the participating students improved their language arts grade during the 2009-2010 school year.

- 61% of the participating students improved their math grade during the 2009-2010 school year. Thirty-seven (37) of these students improved by at least one letter grade and six students raised a failing grade to at least a “C”.

Goal #2: Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs and activities, such as youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, counseling programs; art, music and recreation programs, technology education programs and character education programs that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students; encourage effective integration and operation of programs in concert with all designated partners.

- During the year, the local centers emphasized programming in the core content areas of reading, language arts and math for 100% of its participating students.

- During the year, the local centers offered academic enrichment and support activities for 100% of its participating students.

- During the year, the local centers offered academic enrichment, support activities and programming to support learning outside of core academic content areas and technology for 100% of its participating students.

Goal #3: Improve student attendance, homework completion and class participation.

- During the 2009-2010 school year, 93% of the participating students were absent from school for 15 days or less.

- During the 2009-2010 school year, 40% of the participating students demonstrated improvement in homework completion

- During the 2009-2010 school year, 35% of the participating students demonstrated improvement in class participation.

- During the 2009-2010 school year, 40% of the participating students demonstrated improvement in homework completion and 35% of the participating students demonstrated improvement in class participation.

- During the 2009-2010 school year, 26% of the participating students demonstrated improvement in behavior.

- At the end of the 2009-2010 school year, 94% of the participating students were promoted to the next grade level.

Goal #4: Offer families of students who are served by the local community learning center the opportunities for literacy and related educational development.

- During the 2009-2010 school year, the local centers provided a total of nine opportunities for literacy and related education development. Our Reading Around the Campfire event had 142 adults and 158 students participate. Our Duathlon event had 40 students and 48 adults attending. Our four movie nights were also well attended. Furthermore, our rodeo event had over 3,000 participants. The majority of these participants are not enrolled in our after school program, although our families were invited to attend.

Institute of Medicine 2009 Report

This is an Intense report full of great systemic ideas for implementing an effective system of care. - Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities.

http://www.whyy.org/news/sci20090302Mentalprepub.pdf

School-Based Mental Health Models

Great white paper on school-based mental health models.This encompasses the ISSC (Integrated Student System of Care) model used to develop the MED (School-Based Collaborative HeathCare) initative at Berrien Elementary School.

Using Coordinated School Health to Promote Mental Health for All Students

Meeting to address Lanier’s high child abuse rate

Dawn Castro

The Valdosta Daily Times

LAKELAND — Inadequate income and substance abuse play major roles in Lanier County topping the state in child abuse and neglect cases.

The county currently ranks No. 1 in neglect and No. 2 in physical abuse, the highest per capita rate in Georgia, according to the state Department of Family and Children Services.

To address this ranking, an organization committed to understanding and lowering these numbers hosts a meeting this week.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12, the Community Partnership for Protecting Children (CPPC) holds a community meeting at the Oak Grove Freewill Baptist Church to discuss ending child abuse.

“From this meeting, we hope to come up with some sort of resolution or positive steps towards resolving the issues facing our community,” Amy Burton, the Lanier County Family Connection coordinator, said.

Joyce Johnson, CPPC area coordinator, said the meeting will be an open forum for the people.

“We want to hear from the residents,” she said. “We looked at the data for the area where the most problems occur and found that Oak Ridge subdivision ranks the highest.”

Johnson noted the top three types of child maltreatment that will be discussed at the meeting are neglect, which includes inadequate supervision, food and medical care; physical abuse; and domestic violence, which usually includes emotional abuse.

The main focus for the meeting will be educating the residents about the problem. The questions posed will be: Why do the residents think Lanier County is No. 1 in abuse, and what should be done to reduce the number?

Johnson said when the data is collected, they look at the number of children under 18 years of age and how many were reportedly abused. They look at the families income, age of the parent(s), location (rural area vs. city), and number of children in the home. She also said it surprises people to know that the average age of the parents reported in these abuse and neglect cases is 35.

“People always assume it’s the younger parents being reported but that is not the case here,” she said. “Just because someone is older, does not mean they have it all together.”

The top three underlying causes in these situations are substance abuse; domestic violence; and mental health issues of the parent or child.

From Jan. 1, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009, the following Lanier County maltreatment data was collected by the Department of Family and Children Services office:

Neglect: 107 reported; 57 percent

Physical Abuse: 34 reported; 18 percent

Emotional Abuse: 29 reported; 15 percent

Sexual Abuse: 13 reported; 7 percent

No maltreatment but substantial abuse: 6 reported; 3 percent



Racial Composition of Reports:

African-American: 38

Caucasian: 123

Hispanic: 3



CPPC is a strategic plan represented by citizens, including DFACS workers, teachers, parents, faith-based leaders and members of the judicial system, etc.

The plan is to bring everyone together to develop creative ways to prevent or reduce the abuse and neglect in the county.

The CPPC is a nationally recognized plan but has just been organized in Lanier County January 2010. Its mission statement: “Keeping Children Safe is Everybody’s Business.”

Johnson said the plan is not to be confused with an agency or organized program. It only involves community participation. It is based on the understanding that DFACS cannot accomplish the prevention of child abuse alone.

The meeting will include a barbecue meal and door prizes. Childcare will also be provided.

At A Glance: Community Partnership for Protecting Children (CPPC) holds a community meeting to discuss ending child abuse, 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 12, Oak Grove Freewill Baptist Church. More information: Contact Amy Burton, Lanier County Family Connection coordinator, (229) 482-3476.

Collaborative Featured in Healthcare Georgia Foundation Listening Tour Report

Voices of the Community: Listening Tour 2010

While the national stage is focused on who has access to care and who is going to pay for it, we know that the more robust discussion–the depth and breadth of the issues impacting the health of our neighbors–is happening at the community level. As a Foundation with a commitment to understanding and working with communities, we sought to actively engage with leaders across the state in a discussion about the health of their communities, the health care issues facing their neighbors, and their community’s efforts and capacity to continue to make an impact.

The Foundation will use insights gained from this Tour to be deliberate and focused on providing community-based solutions that promote sustainability and the enhancement of the health of all Georgians.

To View or Download, click here

Recommended Citation: Voices of the Community: Listening Tour 2010, Porter Novelli, Healthcare Georgia Foundation, Publication #42, June 2010

How does Georgia measure up?

Among the states, Georgia gets these poor health rankings according to the “2008 Health Rankings: Georgia and Georgia’s Children”:

• 31st for the percentage of adults who do smoke.
• 37th for the percentage of adults who do not exercise regularly.
• 38th for the percentage of overweight high school students.
• 39th for the percentage of adults who are obese.
• 41st for the percentage of adults with diabetes.
• 40th for infant mortality.
• 41st for teen birth rate.
• 43rd for pre-term births.
• 45th for low birthweight babies.
• 47th for the prevalence of infectious diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis and AIDS.

Georgia’s most recent bad health grade came this summer in the 2010 “F as in Fat” report: Georgia trailed only Mississippi in the percentage of children between 10 and 17 who are obese. The report is produced by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

MED Project Launch

The MED Center is a comprehensive Pediatric Primary Care site located at Berrien Elementary School.

The MED uses an Integrated Student System of Care (ISSC) that incorporates a broad array of service integration, continuity of care, and data exchange strategies that include, but are not limited to: family-centered case management services; family/student health and wellness education services; academic support services; and school nursing services.

ISSC is an integrative medicine approach that provides team-based, collaborative care for students.

Berrien Academy Charter Renewed

Graduation rate up 25 percentage points since it opened

The Valdosta Daily Times

NASHVILLE — Opened in August of 2005, Berrien Academy Performance Learning Center was recently granted a second five-year charter.

Berrien County Collaborative Executive Director Matt Jansen said, “The overwhelming support we receive from the Berrien County Board of Education and community helped to move this school into a new charter for another five-year term. Over the past five years, we have assisted in raising the graduation rate from 49 percent in 2004 to 74 percent in 2010.”

Located inside the Youth Empowerment Services building at 1015 Exum Road in Nashville, Berrien Academy is a public charter school. It is operated in partnership between the Berrien County Board of Education and Berrien County Collaborative Inc.

Berrien Academy serves as many as 75 students in grades nine through 12.

It is SACS accredited and students completing the state requirements receive a high school diploma.

“We have continually offered dual enrollment courses through Wiregrass (Georgia) Technical College (formerly Valdosta Technical College) while increasing the number of tech prep and college prep diplomas and simultaneously decreasing the dropout rate below the state average,” Jansen added. “The partnerships that have developed over the past five years have led to over $2 million in additional resources being awarded to the school system to train our teachers and students in the areas of technology and cross curriculum project-based learning. The innovative course structure and educational environment is focused on business skills needed to succeed in a 21st Century job market.”

As for the future of Berrien Academy, Jansen said there are plans to develop a Career Academy.

“The Career Academy has become the model for the future of high school in our country,” he said. “By integrating high school and technical college courses, students will be given the opportunity to graduate high school with marketable skills and certified training.”

To learn more, visit www.berrien.k12.ga.us or call Matt Jansen at (229) 686-6576 or the Berrien County Board of Education at (229) 686-2081.

Student Public Service Announcements

Check out students projects that have been posted on US Education's website. These projects are part of our Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse and Production 1 classes at Berrien Academy and High Schools. http://useducationtv.com/default.aspx?sid=98.

2009 Annual Survey Reports Now Online

Results of the 2009 local and state annual surveys are now posted on
CASAforChildren.org. Highlights of 2009 findings are as follows:

- The number of children served nationwide was 237,095.
- The number of volunteers in service was 70,919.
- The number of new volunteers trained was 23,753.

Thank you to all CASA/GAL staff who took the time to respond to our annual
survey. The results can be helpful to all of our programs in our
fundraising and public awareness efforts.

http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5466423/k.16B4/Data_Collection_and_Evaluation.htm

Alapaha Judicial Circuit Justice for Children Summit – July 29, 2010

Your attendance is requested for the Alapaha Judicial Circuit Justice for Children Summit to be held on July 29, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Berrien County Extension Office (516A County Farm Road, Nashville, GA 31619, (229)686-5431). Continental Breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m.

This summit is sponsored by the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Committee on Justice for Children (J4C) in partnership with the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) and the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). Staff from the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Committee on Justice for Children will review and compare statistical information pertaining to our court and agency work on deprivation matters and help us to identify our strengths and challenges. All juvenile court stakeholders involved with issues of child abuse and neglect are needed to assist in identification of goals for our court and the development of action plans to achieve those goals.

Please RSVP to Ms. Regina Roberts by email at regina.roberts@gaaoc.us or by phone at 404-561-2724 no later than July 23, 2010 with the following information: name, e-mail address, phone number, and your role or job title. Breakfast, Lunch and snack items will be provided. If you have special dietary needs, please inform Ms. Roberts when confirming your attendance. I look forward to seeing you at the summit.

Alapaha Judicial Circuit

Supreme Court of Georgia

Justice for Children Summit

July 29, 2010

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome Remarks by the Honorable Carol W. Hunstein,

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia; The Honorable P. Harris Hines, Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia; The Honorable Clayton Tomlinson, Judge of the Juvenile Court of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit

9:15 – 9:30 Introductions & Overview of Summit Curriculum

9:30 – 9:45 Video: “Multiple Transitions: A Young Child’s Point of View on Foster Care and Adoption”

9:45 – 10:30 Strengths and Challenges

10:30 – 10:45 Break

10:45 – 11:45 “The Path to Permanency” - presented by Ms. Melissa Carter, Esq. Director of the Georgia Office of the Child Advocate and Mr. Bobby Cagle, Georgia Division of Family and Children Services

11:45– 12:15 “Ground Truth: Using Data to Explore What is Really Happening at the Local Level” - presented by Mr. Christopher Church, Esq., Managing Attorney, Committee on Justice for Children

12:15 – 12:45 Lunch

12:45 – 1:40 “Ground Truth” – continued

1:40 – 2:10 “Through Our Eyes” – presented by Georgia EmpowerMEnt Group

2:10 – 2:25 Break

2:25 – 3:00 Action Planning

3:00 – 3:45 Group Discussion of Action Plans

3:45 – 4:00 Closing, Q & A, Next Steps

CHRISTMAS IN JULY AT DFCS

During the month of July, The Berrien County Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) will be sponsoring “Christmas in July” in support of the foster children of Berrien County. DFCS will be accepting donations which will be directed towards buying school supplies and school clothes for foster children. According to Director Mary Lynn Bracewell, there are approximately 20 children in foster care in Berrien County. Many of these children are school age. The State of Georgia does not provide any additional money for foster parents to buy school supplies and school clothes for the children they keep in their home.

There are many ways that the community can help. People can request specific sizes and ages of the foster children, and then purchase items themselves to bring to the DFCS office, or they can make a monetary donation which will be used to buy the needed items. For more information, contact Bracewell or Kayse Layfield at 686-5568.

Dear Community Leaders

This is a reminder about the Open House at the Berrien County Elementary School this Wednesday, June 30th, from 9:00 to 9:30 AM. If there are any questions please feel free to contact me through email or phone.

I'm looking forward to a great morning!

Thanks,
--
Constance P. Thomas

Berrien County Students Staying Active Throughout June

The Berrien County Board of Education, Berrien County Collaborative, Boys and Girls Club, and 21^st Century Community Learning Center have teamed up to create an activity filled summer program for children in grades Pre-K through 12. Primary and Elementary students are taking classes at the Elementary School while Middle and High School students are located at the high school. The program is offering a variety of classes some of which include driver’s education, video production, creative writing, and personal fitness. Nearly 400 Berrien County students are enrolled in all levels of the summer program. At the middle school level, boys are learning taekwondo, fitness, rocket building, and are spending time developing computer skills while the girls are being taught cooking, etiquette, and art in addition to taekwondo.

The Elementary and Primary students are also loaded with great activities throughout the month, with one of the most popular being their weekly swimming day at the Tifton YMCA. In addition to swimming, students are cooking, working with science kits, going on field trips around the community, giving presentations, and also working on computer skills. Due to small class sizes and an excellent staff, students have been very well behaved and focused on their daily tasks.

A few field trips and guest speakers have been scheduled throughout the month long summer program to keep the students interested and engaged. Florida State University football star and Valdosta native, Greg Reid recently visited the Elementary school to share his own story of the benefits of hard work and determination. Primary, Elementary, and Middle School students were also able to attend a BMX bike exhibit which encouraged character building and drug prevention. In addition to the great message, the stunt team included a number of different jumps and freestyle tricks leaving the crowd amazed.

Communities In Schools Announces 2010 Wal-Mart Scholars

ARLINGTON, Va., June 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Communities In Schools, the nation's largest dropout prevention organization, is pleased to announce that 13 new students have been selected as recipients of the 2010 Wal-Mart Foundation Communities In Schools Scholarship Program. The scholars, graduating seniors from Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, were awarded prizes ranging from $2,000 to $8,000 dollars to apply to pursuing a higher education. Recipients were chosen based on their financial need, academic performance, and demonstrated leadership abilities.

The scholarships were set up to promote non-traditional academic excellence and provide an opportunity for promising students who have experienced significant educational challenges and financial need to reach their highest potential. Students from across the Performance Learning Centers (PLC) Network were eligible for the scholarships. The money was made available through a two year grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation, totaling $120,000 dollars.

"Through this grant we are pleased to have the funds available to help these students pursue a higher education that otherwise may not have been available to them," said Joseph Santucci of the Communities In Schools Leadership Council. The scholarships help support the cost of higher education, reducing the financial barriers that students who maintain satisfactory academic progress often encounter. In addition, through the scholarship program a diverse group of future leaders will be identified who exemplify the core values of the Communities In Schools Mission.

The 2010 Wal-Mart Foundation Communities In Schools Scholars are:

• Emma Ayala (Marietta PLC)
• Erin Bowers (Candler County PLC)
• Haley Carroll (Berrien County PLC)
• Lynsey Farnsworth (Charlotte PLC)
• Taylor Goudy (Charlotte PLC)
• Erika Randolph (Hampton PLC)
• Rubi Romero (Marietta PLC)
• Cameron Stella (Mary Mosley PLC)
• Tania Tenery (Kent PLC)
• Devontay Vickers (Laurens County PLC)
• Shane Waddy (Marietta PLC)
• Ariana Walker (Marietta PLC)
• William Washington (ACDC PLC)

Communities In Schools surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Through a school-based coordinator, Communities In Schools connects students and their families to critical community resources tailored to local needs. Working in nearly 3,300 schools in the most challenged communities, in 26 states and theDistrict of Columbia, Communities In Schools serves more than 1.3 million young people and their families. It has become the nation's leading dropout prevention organization, and the only one proven to increase graduation rates and decrease dropout rates.

Visit our website at www.communitiesinschools.org.

Emory University's Urban Health Program funds MED project in Berrien County

The Berrien County Collaborative recently received support from Emory University's Urban Health program. This funding will assist in the start-up, public relations, and marketing of the MED. The MED is a school-based health clinic designed to bridge the gaps in health care services for students. This is a combined effort that uniquely links pediatricians, general practitioners, psychiatrists, nurses, and other health care professionals through onsite and telehealth delivered services.

State of Our Union

According to the 2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a national report on the well-being of America’s children by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Georgia ranks 42nd in the nation. Georgia ranks in the bottom 10 in five categories: high-school dropouts; teens not attending school and not working; low-birthweight babies; children in single-parent families; and infant mortality. Georgia has the second-highest percentage of high-school dropouts in the country. In addition, more than 300,000 of Georgia’s children are uninsured, and as a result do not have a medical home and have limited access to routine health care.

Goal of the Comprehensive School Based Health Clinic Program:

• To increase access to quality health care, improve the delivery of health services, and improve the health of Georgia’s children.
• To facilitate the expansion of school-based health clinics throughout the state from two to 12 over the next five years.
• To organize a state association for school-based health programs.

Through the expansion of school-based clinic services, children in Georgia will benefit from improved access to primary health care, improved health outcomes, and improved school attendance. The state will benefit from reduced costs to the Medicaid system through the reduction in inappropriate emergency room visits, hospitalizations for chronic illnesses
(i.e., asthma and diabetes), and transportation costs.

System of Care

The Berrien County Collaborative was one of the ten Community Strategy Grant Programs from the Governor’s
Office for Children and Families approved for funding! This program will assist in develop of the MED (School-Based Health Clinic) by providing specialized case management services. The MED was started a little over one year ago and through a lot of planning and development will start the pilot this fall at the Berrien Elementary School. The Human Services Specialist funded through the System of Care grant will manage the care needed for approximately 200 at-risk children at our elmentary school. Our hope will be to expand this program system-wide with a clinic and specialist in each school by 2012.

Tyler Carter Memorial Duathlon Registration Update

The Tyler Carter Memorial Duathlon is fast approaching. In order to secure your spot for the May 22nd race, please register online now. Pre-registration will save you $5 before May 20th. Registration on race day will be $30. It will also guarantee that you will receive a race package and T-Shirt. If you have questions, please call 229-686-6576.