June 21 marked our first summer Book Bus trip! We had 193 children visit the bus and take home books. A HUGE SUCCESS for our first trip of the summer!
Thanks to the many volunteers who showed up to help including Karen Adams, Bob Argabright, Dan Nichols, Mary York, Ellen Reaves, and Linda Geho!
The weather was hot, but we had no rain. There were lots of students at each of the four stops – Hillside Court, Minefee/Gunn Streets, Afton Apartments, and Jefferson Trace. Each student who borrowed books received a blue drawstring backpack with the Oak Grove READ logo.
The popular title books that Trinity provided this year through the Suhor Graham Grant were a big hit! There were no Captain Underpants, Diary of a Whimpy Kid, Dork Diary, Fancy Nancy, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Henry & Mudge, Squish, or Harry Potter books left at the end of the day.
Dan helped children pick out appropriate books – a hot job on the bus with no air conditioning running! Bob helped the new CIS staff member working on growing parental involvement make contacts in the neighborhoods.
Teachers scoured the streets around each bus stop encouraging students to join the fun.
There were freeze pops, water bottles, gold fish and apples for snacks – and plenty of hugs as students and teachers reunited (after just a few days apart).
Thanks to Trinity United Methodist for purchasing copies of many of our popular title books and to River Road Church, Baptist for purchasing the snacks and water for our outings! We really appreciate the continued support of our Micah church partners.
The R.E.A.D. summer book bus runs on Tuesday nights from 4-7 PM. If you would like to sign up to help one week, please follow the link below & remember to sign up under volunteers: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d4da9a92ba2f94-summer1/ The weekly Tuesday Book Bus welcomes volunteers who contact CIS Site Coordinator Mary Valenza Mvalenza@cisofrichmond.org.
The following was sent in an email from Mary Valenza, Site Coordinator, Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School, Communities In Schools of Richmond
Good evening dedicated Volunteers & Partners! I had the opportunity to spend a few hours at school today! I was greeted by the always positive Bob Argabright who has been doing a wonderful job managing food distribution this week, engaging families and students who visit and keeping order. Thank you, BOB for always going above and beyond to support the OGB community!!!
Today over 460 meals were distributed. Yesterday the total was over 630 and over 550 on Tuesday. Volunteers have been working hard and they come from all over- from our faith partners, from community partners, and from the school.
Distributions are also taking place in two of our school neighborhoods, Hillside Court and James River Villas. I feel confident that most of our families will be able to get what they need from one of the 3 local sites. My understanding is that Trinity UMC is collecting baby supplies which will be really helpful to our families! Today, RPS dropped off grade level packets for families to take home- they contain a bunch of great learning activities for students to keep busy.
Ms. Thomas and Ms. Kohler from our Kindergarten Team helped with food bags today! I loved hearing they ways they (and others) have connected with students and families while we are apart. I hope to share more on that soon!
There is still time to sign up to help with food distribution at OGBES or another school site- sign up here Thank you for what you are doing for our community and others. Be safe,
Mary Valenza Site Coordinator, Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary SchoolCommunities In Schools of Richmond www.cisofrichmond.org
What a great Surf Shack Vacation Bible School!! It was a fantastic week of Bible Stories, sharing God’s love, singing, playing, creating, building and learning!
VBS At A Glance:
# of VBS participants (children): 176
# of VBS volunteers (adults/teens): 105
# of items collected: too many to count! Enormous amounts of:
*composition notebooks and glue sticks for children at Oakgrove/Bellemeade schools
*canned food and nonperishable foods (in good condition, unopened & appropriately dated) for Sherbourne UMC Food Pantry
*eye glasses & cases (used), reading glasses (+1 & +3), sunglasses (men’s/unisex), & flip flops for Honduras
*Milkbones, Nylabones, peanut butter, Kongs, cat treats, cat toys, fleece cat beds/crate liners, for Richmond Animal League
Amount of money raised: over $800 in cash for mission and ministries
It was a fantastic week of ministry, service, and FUN! Our 4th & 5th graders also built and delivered Blue Bird Houses to Oak Grove Elementary.
We’ve put together a video recap because pictures often tell the story better than words:
If you see a VBS participant, be sure to ask him or her about the week. And if you see a VBS volunteer, be sure to thank him or her for a great week!
Thanks to all the children and volunteers who participated! And thanks to Dianne Moore for the photos and this video.
While our Trinity Children’s summer activities are drawing to a close, don’t miss all the great stuff we have planned for this fall! Trinity’s Children’s Ministry is active and awesome! Learn more: trinityumc.net/children
As we begin our 13th year partnering with Oak Grove Bellemeade Elementary School, we want to thank all of you who helped make 2015-16 a great year and who have already contributed to a wonderful start for the 2016-17 school year.
Thank you to the many of you who served as classroom aides and as Literacy Team Mentors for kindergarten and first grade students. Thanks to all of you who donated men’s ties for Ties On Tuesdays and who donated dresses for fifth grade girls for their Moving-On Ceremony. Thanks also for assisting in providing music for the Ceremony and gift bags for all 90+ fifth graders. Thanks for photographing the fifth graders so their parents would have a picture to remember the close of their child’s elementary school years and for creating a display of the portraits for all to see.
Thanks to those of you who walked with students on Walk or Bike to School days. Thanks to those who participated in Field Day and the Celebrate Fathers & Families Festival. Thanks to those who supported our partnership with From the Heart Ministry that targets male youth from 12 to 20 providing breakfast, lessons on what it means to be a man, and fellowship through basketball. Thanks to those who supported our Saturday Scholar Academy that is in its fourth year. This partnership with Collegiate Schools focuses on ESL academics and enrichment and meets every Saturday morning from October through May.
Thanks to all who participated in providing food to our many students and families in need. We were able to provide Thanksgiving baskets, extra food for Spring Break, and snacks for many activities and events. Thanks for all who helped celebrate birthdays for students with cards and small gifts and those who helped with the monthly Celebrate RVA birthday parties led by Julia Warren.
Thanks for the many donated books that went to new teachers needing to build classroom libraries and to the Summer Book Bus. Through your generosity we were able to provide 100+ popular titles for the Book Bus. It was great to see the enthusiasm of the 150 or more students each week who were able to check out Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries, Harry Potter, Fancy Nancy Captain and many other favorites. Thanks to all who rode on the bus and provided snacks, prizes, and encouragement for the students.
Thanks for writing birthday cards and notes of encouragement for teachers and staff. Thanks for providing breakfast and lunches for teachers and holidays treats for all staff. Thanks for providing much appreciated gift baskets for monthly staff meetings.
Thanks to those who participated in Career Day and went along on field trips. Thanks to the many who read to students on Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss Day. Thanks especially to Bill Pike and Nell Chesley who read their own wonderful Christmas story and donated copies to all third graders.
Thanks to those who provided transportation to Westview and Collegiate summer camps. Thanks to those who participated in All God’s Children Camp. Thanks to all who provided meals and support to the programs at Central United Methodist Church that serves much of the Oak Grove community. Thanks to the Dream Team leaders who provide support for athletics for Hillside Court children. These children make up about 150 of our 650-student population.
Thanks to those who provided food and hospitality for last year’s and this year’s Back to School Luncheon for teachers and staff. These Luncheons provide a great opportunity for staff to get together with volunteers and receive our prayers and offers of support for the coming school year.
Thanks to the many, many of you who donated Apple Angel Tree school supplies both last year and this year to get all the teachers off to a good start. Special thanks to Vacation Bible School students who both last year and this year contributed lots of pencils, notebooks, composition books, and glue sticks. Our 4th & 5th grade VBS students created 20 Bluebird Houses and delivered them during a van trip to the school in July. Make sure to check out the bulletin board outside Judy’s office to see the faces of some of the recipients of your generosity.
We have been serving at Oak Grove long enough to see our graduates move through middle and high school and were able to celebrate high school graduations and college acceptances this year. What a thrill to see the fine young adults these students have become. Comparing these confident young people to the scared young immigrant or the troubled first or second grader we first met is a testament to the effectiveness of your continued support of our Oak Grove ministry.
We look forward to working with you this year and hope to highlight for you each month one of our programs or partnerships. There are many exciting things happening. Please join us!
As students in Richmond head back to school this week, many have shiny new school supplies thanks to the generous donations of people at Trinity.
The Oak Grove Apple Angel Tree is part of our ongoing partnership with Oak Grove/Bellemeade Elementary School. This summer we put up a bulletin board featuring 79 “apples” asking for donations of specific teacher-requested school supplies. We are pleased to announce that every apple was taken and returned.
The group who delivered the supplies to Oak Grove/Bellemeade took a moment to speak with us and offer a heartfelt Thank You to Trinity last week:
