Proud To Be Me

Proud To Be Me program is a Turn 2 Signature Program. Located at Washington Writer's Academy in Kalamazoo, Mich., the goal of the Proud To Be Me Program is to provide a small group of fourth, fifth and sixth graders with an opportunity to increase their ability to withstand the pressure of drug and alcohol abuse throughout their lifespan.

Washington Writer's Academy

October was the first month of the Proud to Be Me 2008-2009 program year. Throughout the month, the students worked actively to understand the goals and objectives of the Proud to Be Me program. The first week was spent welcoming back the fifth graders who were in the program last year as well as introducing the new group of fourth graders. Each fifth grader was assigned a fourth grader to mentor so that they are able to teach and model exemplary behavior in and out of school.

OCTOBER 2008

• The students begin each day with homework time. This allows the students the opportunity to work collaboratively with each other and ask the teachers for questions.

• PTBM students were able to meet the Kalamazoo Jeter's Leaders and enjoyed a great day with them at Gull Meadow Farms. The students visited an apple orchard, walked in a corn maze and took a hay ride. PTBM is looking forward to working with the Kalamazoo Jeter's Leaders more in the months to come.

• On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the students will participate in Tae Kwon Do and swimming lessons. Each of these activities are self motivated, full of enjoyment and provides structure for the students.

• The returning fifth graders have been extremely welcoming to the new students. They understand the importance of teaching Derek's 10 Life Lessons, which include: Set Your Goals High, Find Role Models, Don't Be Afraid to Fail, and Be A Leader, Follow the Leader, among others.

• The students attended Sherman Lake YMCA camp for a day of teambuilding exercises. The group worked together on the low-ropes course and set goals for the program that are being instituted on a daily basis.

• The PTBM students had the opportunity to attend a Western Michigan University football game with the Kalamazoo Jeter's Leaders. The Jeter's Leaders once again served as role models and mentors for the PTBM students. Everyone who attended had a great time. Go Broncos!

END OF 2007-2008 PROGRAM YEAR

• A representative from the Kalamazoo Waste Water Treatment Plant came out and talked to the PTBM students about water conservation, explained how water in our city becomes contaminated, what people in his department must do to clean out contaminated wells and shared with the group what we can do to help keep our city water clean. The students really enjoyed the presentation and its several hands-on components. Every student also received a note pad, pencil, coaster and key chain from the department.

• There was a trip to Plum Crazzy (local ice cream shop) for students, who had not missed any days of Proud to Be Me for the month, had no referrals in their classrooms and modeled being a leader both in and outside of the classroom.

• Visit from the Kalamazoo Jeter's Leaders! Worked with students and played a few games; built bonds with one another.

• Made invitations to the Proud to Be Me Graduation; made RSVP sheets for families.

• 100 percent of students have passed the Life Lessons Test!

• Trip to Camp Copneconic, May 16-18.

MARCH 2008

• Snack Field Trip and Out-to-eat; the 8 students who proved themselves the most by living out the Life Lessons were chosen to go to Gordon's Food Services and pick out snack for the remainder of the year. Immediately following that, we went CiCi's Pizza to eat. It was a really fun time for both students and adults.

• Tae Kwon Do; Team Building Activities; Homework; Cleaned the playground of litter and trash

• Homework; Team Building Game -- Randomly drew one name out of a hat and had to write 3 things we noticed that person did well; great game!

• Jeter's Leaders Mentoring -- Leaders helped with homework, played games, and just hung out getting know each other

• Tae Kwon Do; Homework; Team Building -- assignment of senior PTBM students who are responsible for teaching new PTBM students all 10 Life Lessons

• Final Mad Science Session -- Talked about matter and combining elements. Final take home project was chalk made out of plaster of Paris, powder coloring, and water. Diplomas are also handed out!

• Stress Management Presentation -- Taught by a WMU Counseling Intern

FEBRUARY 2008

• Tae Kwon Do; Decorated posters for the school Open House in March

• Mad Science -- Students learned about different types of structures and in the end made a structure out of gum drops and toothpicks

• Mad Science -- Students learned about magnetic forces, the north and south poles, and then were given a magnet packet to take home

• VALENTINE'S DAY! -- Students made a handmade book for the final project out of paper we made the two previous weeks

• Mad Science -- Students learned about mirrors and reflections, and the final take home project was a periscope

• Jeter's Leaders came to help prepare for Empty Bowls Celebration

• 14 out of 15 students passed the Life Lessons Quiz

• Showing tremendous leadership qualities out of some of our students

JANUARY 2008

• Tuesdays -- Tae Kwon Do

• Tribes lesson -- Acting out feelings and others had to guess what the feeling was.

• Community Service at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo. Students worked with patients in the dementia ward. We painted and decorated valentines and various craft materials while talking and interacting with the patients.

• Jeter's Leaders came! Leaders played some team building games and taught us the pillars they are learning/teaching about! Fun event!

• I Have a Dream -- in honor of MLK and Black History Month (FEB) students had to develop a dream for our school and for our school. Students wrote about the dreams and illustrated them.

• Community Service Project -- Made posters for the school's EXPO coming up in March.

• The Turn 2 Proud To Be Me Washington group had an opportunity to work exclusively with our Art Teacher, Ms. Sarah Cheek. Since most of our students love to do art projects, we decided to have them learn the art of paper making. The final product was an individual book, the front and back cover decorated with our hand-made papers.

DECEMBER 2007

• Hockey Field Trip to WMU Lawson Ice Arena with the hockey team! Best field trip ever! Kids had so much fun, players were great, and lots of things to take home -- hockey stick, jersey, and autographed picture of the players.

• Art projects continue to be a big hit and the students are expressing themselves better.

• TRIBES continues.

• Learned all 10 Life Lessons!!!

NOVEMBER 2007

• 3 students regularly attend the TKD on Wednesdays after school, and several others attend on different weeks.

• Counseling partnership with WMU counselors continues to take place

• Community Service project began and was a huge success! Students painted with residents at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo in the dementia ward.

• Art projects have been introduced as this group really loves to express themselves creatively.

• TRIBES (community building) has been started as a way of getting along as a group.

• Learned the first 8 Life Lessons.

OCTOBER 2007

• WMU Football game with Jeter's Leaders

• Trip to Apple Orchard

• Snack purchasing trip

• After hours TKD at the dojo

• Nature center trip

• Soccer game field trip with the soccer team

• Sherman Lake team building trip

• Life Lessons -- we have learned the first 4!

Proud to Be Me at Washington Writers' Academy is the place to be! Proud to Be Me students strive to be leaders in the school. Students participate in weekly Tae-kwon-do practice to develop discipline and promote healthy lifestyles. Students also participate in weekly alcohol and drug prevention education.

Throughout the year, Proud to Be Me students study Derek Jeter's 10 life lessons. They learn to apply these lessons to their everyday lives. Each week, students complete a team building activity that relates to one or more of the life lessons. These activities provide a more hands-on approach for the children so that they can easily relate them to situations that arise in their daily lives.

We had an exciting opportunity this year to participate in the Empty Bowls project. Students learned about world hunger, and were then given a chance to make bowls out of clay. These bowls were then sold at the Empty Bowls dinner, which the children attended.

Throughout the year, we continue to make positive changes in our school and community. The Proud to Be Me children participate in several community service projects, such as cleaning litter off our school playground and local parks. It gives the children a strong sense of accomplishment, while helping to better our community.

A Special Thank You

The Turn 2 Foundation would like to thank the Main Street establishments on West Main, South Westnedge, Gull Road and in Vicksburg and Mattawan as well as The University Roadhouse, Main Street Grill and Fletchers for their extremely generous donations over the past couple of years of healthy after school snacks to the children of one of our Signature Programs, the Proud To Be Me Program. The children are definitely grateful as is the Foundation for their partnership in this endeavor.