Strengths

The Wren Avenue 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.

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. Opportunities for culturally diverse and enriching opportunities prepare students with the life experiences.

Programs for Students and Families

Homework Help, Academic Intervention Programs, Math Research Program, Literacy Development, Business and Community Awareness, Nutrition Education and Cooking, Dance, Arts and Crafts, Gardening, Family Fun Nights, Fitness & Sports, and Enrichment Clubs.

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

• School day teachers instruct the Intervention portion of CARES.
• School Day Teachers instruct CARES students in the Math Research Program.
• Representative of CARES in Student Care Team (SCT) and attends 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.
• CARES recreational specialists participate in the teacher mentor program and are allowed entry into classrooms to learn adoptable teaching techniques.

• Homework Help: 1 hour of homework assistance daily.
• Intervention Program: 2 hours a week of academic Intervention with a credentialed teacher in English Language Arts. Student to teacher ratio is 17:1. This program has eligibility requirements, inquire within.
• Math Research Program: Forty students in grades second through fifth participate in a nationwide research study. They receive math instruction four times a week for 45 minutes by a credentialed teacher. Student to teacher ratio is 10:1.
• Reading Buddies: Once a week cross grade partner reading is an activity that Wren Avenue CARES students engage in. Our third/fourth grade group read to our first grade students and our fifth grade group reads to our second grade group integrating literacy and youth development.

• Nutrition Education: 7 hours a week of nutrition education and physical activity promotion. Students participate in nutrition lessons, fitness card, cooking classes and field trips to the Gardens.
• CARES Gardens: Our two After School Gardens host daily classes in the garden serving all 14 CARES After School programs integrating nutrition, youth development and community development.
• Wren CARES Clubs: Our seven recreational specialists facilitate enrichment clubs that strengthen youth leadership skills and empower youth to make a choice. Every five weeks club participants present what they learned to the after school program. Club participants are rotated through various clubs for increased exposure to activities. Some of the clubs this year have been cooking, yearbook, dance, science, arts and crafts, and sports.
• Wednesday Multi-Grade Circuit for Recreation: Wren CARES students are placed into multi-grade level groups and rotated throughout four recreation stations every twenty minutes. Currently the stations are Sparks! , Inside Games/Sports, Basketball, and Tetherball/Track activities.
• Library Exploration: At least once a month Wren Avenue CARES students walk to the Concord Public Library. Once at the library students are given a tour of the facility, after which, they receive their library cards and are allowed to read and check out books. Every third Thursday of the week Wren Avenue CARES students go to the Library's Elementary Fun Days where an outside service provider, such as Mad Science, presents to Fun Day Participants.
• Family Fun Nights: At least twice in a school year Wren Avenue CARES invites families to participate in evening activities. This school year Wren Avenue CARES presented a Magic Show

• 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.
• Junior Achievement: Wren CARES staff facilitates a youth, community, and business development curriculum to CARES students. The curriculum is titled Junior Achievement and teaches youth life long learning skills. In addition to this prior to receiving the curriculum CARES staff members are given a training on presentation of the curriculum by a Junior Achievement representative.
• Teacher Mentor Program: Wren CARES staff members observe and assist in school day class. Staff members are instructed to model skills learned from school day teachers. This process enhances consistency in servicing students and helps staff professional development.

Who We Serve

Number of Students served: 94
Male: 56%
Female: 44%
Free & Reduced Lunch: 36%
English Learner: 38.2%
Special Education: 16.5%

Demographics
African American: 4 %
Chinese: 3 %
Filipino: 1 %
Latino: 50 %
White: 41 %

How We Serve
Staff to student ratio: 1:20
Number of credentialed staff: 1
Number of volunteers: 4
Number of CARES staff: 7
Number of subcontractors: 2
Number of Community Partners: 6

Community Partners

• City of Concord Parks and Recreation
• MDUSD
• Concord Police Department
• Concord Public Library
• Wells Fargo
• First Tree