Stories from the Children and Families of Communities In Schools

We would like to take the opportunity to share these true stories of Central Texas children and families that have been touched by our services and programs. Some names have been changed in order to protect the privacy of the students.

"I was in Hurricane Katrina"

Kevin was 11 when he and his family waded out of their home in the Katrina floods, and never went back. Relocated to Austin, this strong, loving family experienced challenges they never expected. Communities In Schools was there to help then, and Kevin continues to benefit from a crucial relationship with his CIS Program Manager, Amy Ashorn. Click here to see Kevin's story (video may take a few moments to load).

Multicultural and International Services

Danny had always been a very quiet child in school until one day he exploded in anger and frustration in his second grade classroom and threw a chair at a classmate. His teacher, surprised and concerned, called CIS for help.

CIS staff met with the family and discovered that the family home had burned a few years before, all of the children in the family were undocumented residents, and the mother needed employment. Their multiple needs included counseling, access to resources, advocacy, parental support, employment services, and educational support. Danny's reaction in school that day had been slowly building under the surface as he witnessed his family's frustrations and stresses, until he could take no more. Danny had no place to express his feelings until his teacher and CIS became aware of his burden.

The family had strengths to build upon. Both parents were living in the home. The father was a legal resident and the mother and children were yearning to become US residents. The mother desired stable employment, but she needed permission to work legally.

Danny's mother was missing crucial documents from a few years of her life and one of those years was when the family home burned. CIS staff visited with her to determine ways to replace the pieces of her missing puzzle. As they discussed using correspondence with postmarks, or anything to document her life in the United States, the mother had a recollection. There was a newspaper article picturing herself holding her baby Danny outside of her destroyed home on the day of the fire. The article was just the proof she needed!

CIS helped Danny's mother investigate by researching the newspaper and visiting the Austin History Center. The newspaper article turned out to be a vital piece of proof for Danny's family. CIS helped the family to obtain documentation and the entire household became US residents. The parents learned to become involved in education and goal setting for their children. The mother and her teenage children were able to get employment; the oldest son graduated and is also successfully employed. CIS offers feeder pattern teamwork and endeavors to follow the children's needs from elementary through high school. All the children have remained in school. Danny's family life improved!

A Safe Place to Grow and Learn

The attendance clerk at an Austin middle school referred a seventh grader named Michael to Communities In Schools. His name had caught her attention, as he quickly accrued ten full days of unexcused absences in addition to periodic absences throughout the day.

During Michael's first four months working with Communities In Schools staff, he and his family utilized a number of services. Through weekly individual sessions with Michael, the CIS caseworker was able to address a number of problem areas: sleeping during classes, not carrying a backpack or school supplies, lack of an alarm clock at home, and tendency to skip classes.

Michael hesitantly accepted in-class and out-of-class tutoring from a CIS AmeriCorps tutor. He regularly attended lunchtime mentoring sessions with several friends. Michael's family participated in family guidance sessions with Communities In Schools. There they addressed various issues that had been interfering with Michael's success at school, such as his mother's unhappiness working night shifts, his older sisters having many friends at the house until morning hours on week nights, and an upcoming court case involving multiple family members with Michael caught in the middle.

After several months of work with Communities In Schools staff, Michael and his family began to make progress. Through a CIS referral and follow up, Michaels family received counseling from SafePlace. Additionally, Michael's oldest sister, a high school dropout, enrolled in a vocational training/ G.E.D. program. Michael finally began to experience academic success in school due to consistent attendance. The individualized, caring relationships formed between student, family, and the Communities In Schools staff have allowed Michael to get back on track with learning and focus on his future.

War and Peace

Katie, a freshman, and Tamara, a junior, requested that their school allow them to meet in the CIS office in hopes of working out a conflict in a private, safe environment. Katie and Tamara had been suspended from school previously because of fighting with each other. Their disputes had gained notice from the principal as profane language drifted through the cafeteria and the sounds of a new conflict emerged. The principal immediately suspended the girls from school for three days and informed them that a meeting with their parents would be scheduled to discuss expulsion.

Neither Katie nor Tamara wanted to be suspended and especially not expelled, so both of the girls asked to meet in the CIS office, desiring to talk things out and solve the problems between themselves.

In the quiet and privacy of their meeting, they realized the root of their conflicts. They began to recognize the emotions that arose from being a freshman and an upperclassman. Through this process, Katie and Tamara achieved empathy for others and discovered the value of putting oneself in another person's shoes.

Thanks to Katie and Tamara's wishes to resolve their conflicts and to the CIS environment of safety and guidance, the school postponed the parental meeting. The girls said they appreciated the opportunity to solve the problem themselves. A milestone in adolescence!

It Was Worth It

Trevor, a 5th grade boy in the CIS program, was an unhappy student and was struggling because of poor social skills. The CIS social worker working with Trevor played games with him, and although Trevor was quiet at first, a relationship gradually began to grow between them.

One day, Trevor disclosed to the CIS social worker that he had been physically abused. When CIS reported the situation to the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (as required by law), Trevor became angry and the relationship that had been so carefully built seemed damaged.

The CIS social worker worked steadily to rebuild her fragile relationship with Trevor, and in time, the relationship progressed once more. Trevor grew to see that while his disclosure had been difficult, it was worthwhile.

At the end of that school year, Trevor wrote a letter to the CIS staff person stating that he had learned a lot and that the experience meant very much to him. A case follow-up three years later showed that Trevor is still doing well. He is on the honor roll and is accepted socially in his school. His progress and accomplishments are followed through the CIS school feeder pattern team.

You Believed in Us

Recently in an elementary school first grade classroom, a teacher walked out on her students in the middle of her class and resigned. She was overwhelmed and felt that the class had been too challenging for her.

This left the young students feeling confused, abandoned, and angry. The CIS social worker stepped in and worked with the class during this crisis and difficult transition. Several substitute teachers came in and out until the beginning of the second semester when the school was finally able to hire a permanent teacher.

CIS continued to work with the kids and by the end of the year, the students wanted to come to school, enjoyed their new teacher, and were positive towards others.

During the year-end good-bye party, one student raised her hand and said to the CIS social worker, "thank you for believing in me!" sharing her belief that CIS is very important. CIS helps young children cope when times are rough and CIS does believe in the children.

Self Advocacy and Empowerment

Mrs. Garcia was a single mom from Guatemala who had been living in the United States for four years. She lived in a very rough neighborhood with her four year-old son, Joseph. One day at Joseph's school, a teacher began screaming at Mrs. Garcia, claiming to be frustrated with his behavior. In fact, the teacher had been so frustrated that she had refused lunch to Joseph earlier that day. Mrs. Garcia was devastated by the punishment her son had received.

The CIS staff member on campus stepped in and asked for counseling but discovered that it was not available in Spanish at that time. Joseph's teacher had never addressed any issues to Mrs. Garcia about Joseph, and Mrs. Garcia did not know how to communicate with the teacher.

CIS began providing support to Mrs. Garcia. She came out of her shell and gained the courage to address the issue with the teacher. She called a conference with Joseph's school and scheduled a doctor's appointment to have Joseph tested. The medical tests revealed that Joseph was hearing impaired. CIS helped Mrs. Garcia gain the confidence to have a productive relationship with the school staff.

What Goes Around Comes Around

The year was 1987, and I was an master's-level intern from the University of Texas School of Social Work. During my internship with CIS, I provided intervention services at one of the high schools for a 9th grade student, Regina, and her 2-year-old child, Josh (who attended the on-campus nursery).

Ten years later, I was hired as a CIS social worker to coordinate the Peer Mentor Program on a middle school campus. Students who were considered "best of the best" in their classes were nominated to be peer mentors. Letters and consent forms for parental approval were sent home. I received a call from one mom who was resistant to allow her son to be involved with CIS because she believed that CIS worked with "bad kids." As our conversation progressed, I learned that the mom on the phone was Regina, the 9th grade student with whom I had worked in 1987. During our conversation, Regina remembered her positive experience with CIS and became eager for her son to participate in the program.

Since 1987, Regina had graduated from high school and continued into college. Regina is married and raising other children as well. Their family is doing very well, as indicated by Josh's nomination from his teachers as one on the "Best of the Best" and his recommendation to be a peer mentor.

Josh is an excellent peer mentor!

Laura

Many of the students who receive CIS services have conditions that greatly interfere with their learning. Examples of these issues are sexual abuse, abandonment, homelessness, repeated foster care placements, unmet health needs, and emotional problems, to name only a few. Laura, a student who received CIS services for over a year, stopped by the CIS office. When Laura began talking about committing suicide, the CIS social worker became quite concerned and talked with her; expressing care and concern. Laura got angry and stormed out of the room.

Later that day, Laura wrote a note to the CIS social worker saying that no one had ever really cared about her before, nor had anyone ever said that they cared about her. She stated that she had a difficult time expressing her feelings but that the CIS social worker really meant a lot to her. Laura went on to say that she was appreciative of her help and her genuine concern.

Laura continues to receive services from CIS. What a pleasant surprise to read Laura's recent letter to the editor of the school paper saying how great CIS is and urging more students and administration to utilize the services of CIS.

I Will Survive

One local high school went through a period of very high turnover of principals and staff. There seemed to be a lack of trust for newcomers. CIS was relatively new on the campus, relationships had not yet been established and, therefore, they were met with the same misgivings.

Recognizing the needs at the school, CIS staff worked hard to educate the teachers about the counseling and academic support services that CIS provides on campus that helps teachers educate children. Though in the beginning there was a lack of support and referrals from the faculty, CIS staff continued to recruit students, promote CIS activities, and deliver CIS services. At end of the school year during an Awards Ceremony, CIS was honored with an "I Survived the Year" Award from the faculty. The teachers commented on how much they appreciated all of the CIS efforts with the students. At the beginning of the following school year, there were almost 50 referrals of student waiting to receive CIS services.

Perseverance paid off for CIS, and ultimately, for the teachers and students!

Car Talk

While working with an elementary student, CIS learned that the family needed some intervention. However, the family was hesitant to attend counseling sessions. The child's mother appeared to be distrustful and ashamed of her situation. Eventually, a six-week series of family counseling started in the CIS staff member's vehicle.

After a while, CIS was able to get the counseling moved from the car to the front porch of the home, making progress and building trust little by little. Then luckily, a rainy day necessitated a move from the porch to the inside of a crowded, ill-kept home shared by three families. It had been four months since counseling had started in the car.

One day, the family dog was badly injured, and the family called the CIS social worker in a panic. The CIS social worker went to the home and found the animal in very bad shape. CIS called approximately twenty veterinarians until one generously agreed to donate his services.

Through counseling and hard work, the family was able to move into their own home. One year later the mother called to check in with her "good friend" at CIS. The family and child continue to prosper with CIS services.

And...the dog survived.