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COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT HBA Adopt-A-School Committee By Jennifer M. Palmer The Houston Bar Association is currently in its 16th year of partnership with B.C. Elmore Middle School in the North Forest Independent School District. The HBA chose to have a longstanding relationship with this middle school because of the overwhelming need among the students and faculty. The students of B.C. Elmore come from lower income homes, many of which lack parental involvement. After realizing this need, the HBA created the Adopt-A-School Committee to supply the school with enrichment activities that will guide the students through their middle school curriculum and provide them with positive role models. The Adopt-A-School committee has implemented many programs that run throughout the school year. Eighth grade students participate in the HBA’s Juvenile Justice Mock Trial Program, while sixth grade students participate in the IDEA program, which educates children about substance abuse. In August, the committee conducted a school supply drive. The committee solicited money and supplies from local businesses, attorneys and individuals, resulting in an abundance of school supplies and $4,000 in cash to purchase additional supplies for the school. One of the Adopt-A-School committee’s most important projects is the tutoring program, held every Wednesday at noon at the school. B.C. Elmore teachers identify students in need of extra assistance in math and reading, and have the students meet with volunteer tutors from the Adopt-A-School Committee and the Lawyers for Literacy Committee. The Adopt-A-School committee is in dire need of additional volunteers for its tutoring program, and tutors do not have to be attorneys. Currently, the program helps around 20 students each week. The committee’s goal is to provide one-on-one assistance for any B.C. Elmore student who needs additional help, and more volunteers are needed to achieve this goal. Another program of the Adopt-A-School committee is the Reading Incentive Parties, held three or four times during the school year. The students are asked to read a certain number of books at a certain reading level, and then they are required to take a mini-test on each of the books to determine their understanding. All of the students who read the books and pass the tests are rewarded with a pizza party, where committee members and volunteers share lunch with the students while encouraging them to read and excel in their school work. Fields trips for students are another activity sponsored by the HBA. This year, each grade level will choose a different exhibit or program from the Museum of Natural Science. The sixth grade will see “Saturn: The Ring World”; seventh grade will see “Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia”; while eighth grade students will see “Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia.” The Adopt-A-School committee also is involved in recruiting speakers, including professionals, artists and athletes, to speak to B.C. Elmore students throughout the year. In addition, the committee has instituted a beautification program for the grounds of B.C. Elmore. The committee is currently soliciting donations and sponsorships to provide the school with much-needed shrubbery and other beautification contributions. The committee consists of 12 members, including three co-chairs: Nathelie Ashby, Laura Kemp and Joseph Callier. Ashby says she got involved in the Adopt-A-School committee because the committee provides “a great opportunity to make a difference for kids and to provide professional role models for the kids.” She enjoys “acting as a sounding board for many children who do not have parents who take an active role in their lives.” Ashby believes that it means the world to the kids to have someone support them and their education. The committee meets approximately three to four times a semester at the HBA office, depending on the committee members’ schedules. The committee is in constant need of supplies and volunteers, especially for the tutoring program. Anyone interested in joining this committee or volunteering for programs at B.C. Elmore is invited to contact Rusty Bienvenue, the director of Committees, Events and Programs for the Houston Bar Association, at 713-759-1133. Jennifer M. Palmer is an associate attorney with the family law firm of Short-Jenkins-Kamin, LLP. |
