Carmen Wrote and Recorded a Song Decades Ago Called “In

MOMENTUM A newsletter for friends of Children & Family Urban Movement FALL 2014 GENESIS IS A DESIGNING YOUNG My Fashion.” The song is something of a declaration woman. A senior at North High School, of who the songwriter is and how he has chosen to this is Genesis’ second year in the Fashion move through his life. At the core of the mission of Design and Merchandising program at CFUM—to create a community to support the Central Campus. Her interest in fashion potential of children, youth, and families through design began in middle school sewing educational success, healthy living, and community class. She says of that early experience, engagement—is the notion of individual potential. Each “It was challenging—I wanted to quit.” one of us lives life in our fashion; each one has within But she kept at it and found a passion for design— them a unique way of being, of meeting the world and experimenting these days with “…how different fabrics creating one’s place in her fashion, in his fashion. work and how they work together.” Genesis began to attend the Whyld Girls gender specific program at One recent afternoon when it was time to share “good” Children and Family Urban Movement (CFUM) when and “poopy” to begin the Backyard Boyz (a daily she was in the seventh grade. Beginning with fine inner activity to assess the day so far, aptly named for a boys assets, she has developed into a steady, confident group…), twelve-year-old Madison was excited to share leader in the Whyld Girls—expanding the Product with that the “good” in his day was learning about poetry at Purpose business line to include hair accessories and school—the different forms, how to write it. And indeed, macramé jewelry; performing and offering peer trainings he had written his own poem which he had already as a part of the Future Campaign, the teen pregnancy memorized. It went like this. Do you want to know my prevention campaign originated by the Whyld Girls hopes and goals in life/It doesn’t involve killing, guns or and Backyard Boys high school students; working as a knifes/I want to be successful and have a great job/not high school mentor in the middle school Whyld Girls live off my parents and be a slob/and I know it will be a program; showing up with intention, speaking out for strife. Madison is finding his way of meeting the world what matters, dreaming those wild dreams that Whyld and creating his place in it—in his fashion. Girls dream for themselves, for their community, and for their world. She plans to attend the Des Moines Area At CFUM we are privileged to witness daily, season by Community College, followed by further education season, year after year children and youth and families at Iowa State University—all steps toward the goal of becoming who they are in the world—in their fashion. developing her own business. Four of Genesis’ designs In that work a community must also be fashioned—to will be featured at the Catwalk for College event next envision, to support, to applaud the varied designs of month—a fundraiser that benefits the educational fund our lives and our life together. May we fashion together for the Whyld Girls (see page #)—modeled by Whyld a broad and deep community designed for vision, Girls! Genesis has come to meet the world and create support, and applause! her place in it—in her fashion. Classic folk singer and songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot, Carmen wrote and recorded a song decades ago called “In Creating a community that supports the potential of children, youth, and families through educational success, healthy living, and community engagement. “Happy” in Breakfast Club Fashion! THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE BREAKFAST CLUB, THE December participants will be invited to enter the Happy before school program at CFUM, to begin the day—for DAP (Dance Art Poetry) Contest—putting happy in children and adults alike! In its fashion the Breakfast motion, in artistry, in words! Club provides one of the best breakfasts in town, gives kids a great start to the learning day, just makes Fifteen reading mentors make fifteen young readers happy happy happen! Well over 100 children, grades K-5, are every Wednesday at the Power Breakfast. More reading enrolled in the Breakfast Club this year—with an average mentors are needed. On Power Breakfast Wednesdays the attendance of 88 (the high so far this school year is 97, 4th and 5th graders are planning their own world travels to on a couple of days!). places like Argentina, China, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Turkey. They are doing research on countries that interest them Breakfast Club staff named Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” in the encyclopedia and on the internet. We would like to the theme song for the program this semester (check schedule conversations with experienced world travelers. out the BET Video of the Year at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM). Between October 20 and Happy happens at the Breakfast Club so learning can November 20 kids will make weekly Happy Lists (Top 10 happen at school! The great hope is that learning at Happy Things to Do; 10 Ways to Make Someone Else school will result in children feeling like what Pharrell Happy; What Makes Me Happy at School, at Home, at William calls in the “Happy” refrain, “a room without a the Breakfast Club; The Happiest People I Know). In roof”—like their lives can be lived in limitless possibility! Achievement is the Go CFUM Cubbies! Fashion at The Haven Baseball in Grand Fashion At the end of the 2013-2014 school year, CFUM received There is a lot more to be learned from baseball than the the good news that 88% of the 65 students in The Haven fundamentals of hitting, fielding, and batting! There is after school program at CFUM (and its companion persistence, teamwork, self-encouragement, overcoming school break program, Awesome Days) were on or above challenges, self-confidence. For the third year running grade level in reading! That is something to celebrate! former major leaguer Byron Browne provided a baseball And something to motivate! Sixty-five K-5 students clinic and more for CFUM participants. Fifteen ballplayers began the school year with The Haven (nine of them took the field in August at various levels of experience new kindergarteners, and an additional ten first year and ability. Assisting Byron were CFUM Baseball Patron, participants). Seventy students are on a waiting list. Sunnie Richer; CFUM volunteers, Craig Avant and Gary Lewis; CFUM participants turned volunteers Thomas One on one or small group reading with reading mentors Avant, Imajai Lee, Cristiano Holt, Diamonique Hargrove, has great impact upon student reading achievement. So and Hunter Lang. At the end of the sixteen sessions, does reading aloud to and with children. Read to Me Time every ball-player had improved in some capacity. A on Wednesdays connects volunteers to grade level groups highlight of the clinic this fall was a trip to Kansas City for read alouds or book clubs. to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and attend a Kansas City Royals game. A skill The challenge lies ahead—continue to create a community exhibition (because weather did not to support that high level of educational achievement for permit an actual game) for parents and another community of children in this school year. It takes families, and a pizza party and award quality staff, committed volunteers, and engaged children ceremony culminated the clinic. and parents—it’s all happening at The Haven! Moving and Motivation in Awesome Fall Days Fashion THE THEME For 2014 AWESOME FALL DAYS started out as “Trains, Planes, and Automobiles,” but ended up, “Trains, Planes, Automobiles, Busses, and Boats!” There is always room for expansion—of the mind, of experience, of community! Experiences with transportation included a visit to the train museum in Boone, at tour of the Ankeny Airport, a visit from a hybrid car, an extensive experience of the DART bus operation, and a river boat ride in Iowa Falls! Workouts at the Grubb YMCA with old favorites—tininkling sticks, jump ropes, and fitness ladders; visits to the Forest Avenue Library; a fall visit to Jester Park to get that nature connection; a trip to Central College; and a grand finale including bowling and a picnic lunch on the field at Drake Stadium rounded out a phenomenal three week program. In and around all the moving was the motivation to read and journal Summer Days had maintained or increased their reading and think and create and laugh and play. It is a powerful levels over the summer break. That is the intention of combination with powerful results. all the moving and motivation that happens during the Awesome Days school break programs—to stem learning At the beginning of the school year teachers from loss over school breaks. Creating a culture of reading and Moulton Extended Learning Center (MELC) reported reflection, connecting learning outside the classroom, over and over again to CFUM staff that all the students crafting a community among 65 program participants in their classes who had been involved with Awesome makes it happen. 5th Grade Crew and Wonder Girlz Prepare to Transition in Their Fashion BILLY COLLINS’ poeM, “ON TURNING Ten” support for the critical areas of personal empowerment, begins, The whole idea of it makes me feel/like I’m resilience, leadership, and connectedness to one coming down with something,/something worse than any another and the larger community. The Wonder Girlz stomach ache/or the headaches I get from reading in bad began the year by creating Trees of Life—at the roots light—/a kind of measles of the spirit,/a mumps of the naming people and places in their lives that had formed psyche,/a disfiguring chicken pox of the soul.

Load more