Strengths

The Meadow Homes Elementary School CARES is a well established program with strong support from our community partners as well as from our school site and administration. This support stems from a history of excellent programming, coordination, and strong program leadership. Financially we are supported by grants from both state and city initiatives. We pride ourselves not only in our strong academic and enrichment programs, but also in our many activities open to families, the school, and the community, such as talent shows, family nights, socials, and holiday celebrations.

Challenges

In order to maintain high quality services being offered to our students and families, additional funding sources are continually being pursued. There is an ongoing need to maintain high quality training and mentorship for CARES staff to ensure qualified staff are serving our students. Additionally, safety continues to be a concern, as Meadow Homes is an open campus and there are frequently teenagers and adults coming onto campus and the adjacent park during program hours.

Programs for Youth and Families

Homework Help, Academic Intervention Program, ASPIRE Intervention Program, Nutrition Education and Cooking, Music, Arts and Crafts, Gardening, Reading Club, Junior Achievement, Reading Club, a Cultural & Current Events Program, and Safety Patrol, and academic programs in Reading, Language Arts, an Mathematics

Daily nutritional snack provided in partnership with Food Services Department and the USDA.

• School day teachers instruct the Intervention portion of CARES.
• Representative of CARES (TL or LRS) attend faculty, Leadership, and grade level meetings.
• Informal and formal means of communication in place to facilitate discussion between CARES staff and school day teachers.
• CARES staff complete and share Bi-monthly Student Progress reports with classroom teachers.
• After School Safety Patrol modeled after the Safety Patrol from regular school day.

• Homework Help: 1 hour homework assistance, including sustained silent reading (reading club). 4th & 5th graders who have completed all their homework and reading may go tutor in lower grade classrooms.
• Intervention Program: 1 hour of academic Intervention with a Credentialed teacher in either English/Language Arts or Mathematics. Student to teacher ratio is 17:1. This program has eligibility requirements, inquire within.
• ASPIRE Program: 1 hour of academic Intervention with a Credentialed teacher in either English/Language Arts or Mathematic. Student to teacher ratio is 6:1. This program has eligibility requirements, inquire within.

• General Enrichment & Recreation opportunities: 1 1/2 hours structured enrichment and recreation. Programming includes arts and crafts, athletics, leadership and team building games, and drama, as well as various language arts, math, science and social studies activities. Programming focuses on the youth development model.
• Cultural & Current Events Class: A former ASP instructor returns twice a week to teach a class focusing on cultural awareness & current events. Projects have included Christmas Around the World, Martin Luther King & Black History Month Activities, and the Meadow Homes Olympics. All grades participate.
• Nutrition Education: 7 hours a week of nutrition education and physical activity promotion. Students participate in nutrition lessons, cooking classes and field trips to the Garden. They also participate in SPARKS (sports, play, and active recreation for kids) and fitness, as well as having free time outdoors.
• CARES Gardens: Meadow Homes' students are bused to the Bay Point Garden to participate in gardening activities & games that integrate nutrition, youth development and community development.
• Reading Club: Students of all grades read to themselves, read to others, or are read to by their teacher for the first 15-20 minutes of homework everyday.
• Junior Achievement: Kids learn all about money and how banks work, as well as their role in the community in this 6 lesson program. All grades participate.
• CARES Makin' Music: Started by one of our Recreation Specialists, our music program gives kids a chance to write their own songs and learn about the music making process as they put their songs to beats, and incorporate rhythms and instruments to their beats via a computer music program. Currently open to 3rd, 4th, & 5th graders.
• Campus & Community Beautification: Students help keep their campus and the adjoining park clean and litter free. In addition to picking up garbage, student's clean graffiti off of walls and benches, pull weeds from flower beds, and make posters encouraging everyone to respect their school, follow rules, and be safe.

• Middle School Volunteers: Middle School students are qualified 6th, 7th and 8th grade students who enjoy helping their peers learn. After homework and tutoring, volunteers participate in ongoing enrichment activities, as well as family nights, socials, and field trips.
• Meadow Homes CARES Safety Patrol: Inspired by the regular school day safety patrol, ASP students patrol bathrooms and hallways wearing custom air brushed Safety Patrol shirts & carrying clipboards, ensuring all students are being safe and following the rules. Open to all 4th and 5th graders who are nominated by their rec. specialist for exhibiting responsible behavior.

• Family Nights: CARES sponsors several family nights throughout the year, open to the After School Program and their families, as well as students from the regular school day. Some of our past themes have included: a Creepy Carnival, a Christmas Craft Boutique & Art Night, a Winter Wonderland, and an Aloha Social. Our events are well attended, exceeding 300 people on occasion, and have helped earn money for our program. At the suggestion of some of our fourth grade girls, our Welcome Back White & Black Social this past September helped raise $500 for hurricane victims!
• Talent Shows: A favorite event of our students, CARES has 2-3 talent shows a year. Our children are natural performers, and love the opportunity to sing, play musical instruments, write and perform comedic skits, and choreograph and perform dance routines for their peers & families.
• Literacy Nights: With additional funding we have received this year, CARES is planning a family literacy night. We are working with the school librarian to create an evening of fun, where families can come together and celebrate the joys of reading, create books & bookmarks, participate in story time and learn new strategies for incorporating reading into their homes. We plan to open this event to all Meadow Homes students and their families.

Who We Serve

Number of Students served: 258
Free & Reduced Lunch: 70%
English Learner: 51.8%
Special Education: 23%
Male: 54%
Female: 46%

Demographics
Latino: 80.5 %
African American: 5.5 %
Asin Pacific Islander: 3.5%
Other White: 9 %
Other Non-White: 1.5 %

How We Serve
Staff to student ratio: 1:22
Number of credentialed staff:10
Number of volunteers:26
Number of CARES staff: 13
Number of subcontractors: 3
Number of Community Partners: 5

Community Partners

• City of Concord Parks and Recreation
• MDUSD
• Concord Police Department
• First Tee
• Wells Fargo