Casady-Mercy-Youth LEAD OKC MLK Day Rebuilding Together Team
MLK DAY 2013 WORK DAY WITH REBUILDING TOGETHER EXPRESSIONS OF APPRECIATION
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to serve our community especially on MLK Jr. Day. Our services that day is the epitome of Martin Luther King's ideology when he preached, "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." Helping Mrs. Johnson allowed our youth to grow a bit taller, feel better, and understand a whole lot more. B. J., Mercy School
------------------------ On behalf of the Casady/Mercy/ Youth LEAD OKC MLK Day Team thank you for the opportunity provided to students to serve on January 21, National Day of Service. Mrs. Johnson was kind, welcoming, loving, and flexible. She inspired our kids to the point that one student decided on his own, to get a gift for Mrs. Johnson. Hunter and a group of Casady juniors and seniors presented Mrs. Johnson with a vacuum cleaner purchased at a Home Depot errand for cleaning supplies.
Mrs. Johnson worked closely throughout the day with the sorting team and was complementary of the experience. As we concluded our time at her home, Mrs. Johnson stated how grateful she was for the enthusiasm demonstrated by everyone who worked at her house. The challenges we faced were solved by quick problem solvers and the leadership of actions taken changed according to the need of the moment.
A quick reviewed by Jonathan at 4:00 PM let us conclude that we had done what you needed on the first day of work at Mrs. Johnson's house. Once you complete winterizing her home, please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help her finalize details to a safer, warmer, and drier home.
The Casady YAC will be reflecting MLK Day service day this coming Friday. Jim Bonfiglio and I reflected our experience this year and he brought to our attention a path to explore to a sustainable relationship on MLK Day with Rebuilding Together for teens 14-15 years old- our freshmen and sophomores. We look forward to a "reflective tea time" to explore Rebuilding Together interest in an ongoing relationship on MLK Day and what the cost implications will be to get a house again.
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve, learn, and build relationships with our Oklahoma City community. C.C. Casady School
Rebuilding Together OKC is helping to repair a targeted neighborhood during the National Rebuilding Together CapacityCorps MLK Work Week.
As the event continues through Sunday, Rebuilding Together CapacityCorps members are gathered from across the country to help rebuild an Oklahoma City neighborhood, according to a news release.
Casady High School junior Ayman Paracha, 16, paints a bedroom ceiling as students from Mercy School and Casady School help repair a home in northeast Oklahoma City on Monday.
This weekend of service, celebrating Inauguration Day and Dr. King, was a great reminder that we each have a leadership role to play in setting the course for our nation. Let us know what you did this weekend - and what you plan to do all year long, as we rededicate ourselves to Dr. King's dream. Connect with Points of Light on Facebook and on Twitter at #2013MLKDay or at info@pointsoflight.org.
What is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service?Takes place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a "day on, not a day off." It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems.
Why Serve on MLK Day of Service?
The MLK Day of Service is a way to transform Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and teachings into community action that helps solve social problems. That service may meet a tangible need, or it may meet a need of the spirit. http://mlkday.gov/about/serveonkingday.php.MLK LEGACY OF SERVICEVIDEOS:http://mlkday.gov/promote/videos.php
MLK DAY NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE 2013:REBUILDING TOGETHER WORK DAY: http://www.rebuildingtogetherokc.org/ Goal:Honor MLK, Jr. Service Legacy and the memory of Robbie Johnson and Jeannine Rainbolt by making a home safer for an Oklahoma family. Fun, Food, and Friends with a purpose: Making a day off, a day on service and building relationships.
Casady School teens and faculty will start refurbishing a home on MLK Day in collaboration with Youth LEAD OKC and Mercy School Institute students and faculty. No skill needed. Age requirement: 14 YEARS OLD. Before the work day volunteers must: a. Complete online application http://rtokc.civicore.com/index.php?section=volunteerApplication&action=newTeam's name: Casady/Mercy MLK Day b. Complete release/permissions. Request forms via e-mail from Carmen Clay, Director of Service-Learning @ clayc@casady.org, 405-520-1325
Work Day Schedule and Details :
8:00 Breakfast @ Woods. Welcome by YAC (You-nite ACommunity)
8:30-9:30 Work Assignments:Packing, cleaning, moving furniture, sorting, and painting
12:00 Lunch @ Douglas Recreation Center, 900 Frederick J. Douglas Dr. OKC, 73117. Contact Person, Anneta Burden( 424-4212). Mrs. Michelle Tompkins arranges meal @ Center.
1:00 – 3:00? Work Continues on site until job is completed or different locations as needed. Buses return to chapel parking lot after work day is completed. Snacks and drinks provided. Update: Job completed at 4:30 PM. Some students left @2:30 PM due to appointments.
Transportation: Buses: Mr. Jacques Lampin, Mr. Jim Bonfiglio. Suburbans: Mrs. Clay, and Mr. Philipson.
GROUPS OF 5 OR LESS DO NOT NEED RESERVATIONS Morning Shift: 9-12, Afternoon Shift: 1-4. MINORS NEED TO BE WITH AN ADULT TO VOLUNTEER
1. Ask to sign-in for service-learning hours. At the end of your shift you will receive a paper with your hours. Age requirement: 8 years old or older.
2. Go to Volunteer Center in the second floor. Complete volunteer application.
3. Wait for volunteer coordinator to assign tasks. Enjoy your volunteer experience.
INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS OF OKLAHOMA GALLERY
MLK DAY COLLABORATIVE ART VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said: "Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart."
On January 21, 2013 from 12 to 5 p.m. Individual Artists of Oklahoma (IAO) is partnering with the Oklahoma City Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Coalition, the Respect Diversity Foundation (RDF) and the Paramount Theater Space to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at the IAO Gallery, located at 706 W Sheridan in Oklahoma City. IAO is inviting visual artists of all media to assist attendees in creating a collaborative art piece that will be on display celebrating diversity at the 12th annual Respect Diversity Arts Exhibition in April 2013.
The mission of RDF is to teach tolerance and respect for all people. IAO's mission is committed to sustaining and encouraging emerging and established artists in all media who are intellectually and aesthetically provocative or experimental in subject matter or technique.
IAO is also inviting performance artists of all genres to perform in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. that day. To join IAO as an artist in "articulating the inaudible language of the heart" this year please contact IAO Gallery at 405-232-6060.
The Schedule:
12pm-12:30pm IAO
Gallery
Oklahoma Artists:
Alicia Rodell-Mixed Media, Garrett
Young-Pen and Ink,
Kendall
Brown-Solar Photography,
Barby Osborn-Pastels, Home Base
Studios-Film Local Visual Artists
will be on hand to assist attendees in creating their own polaroid size art
piece that will be combined with photos of attendees "flashing the peace sign"
and ultimately be sewn together with multi-colored thread and displayed at the
Respect Diversity Foundation's Art Exhibition April 2013. Home Base Studios will
be filming attendees reciting lines from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A
Dream Speech" that will also premiere alongside footage from the day's events at
the Respect Diversity Foundation's Art Exhibition April 2013.
The film of Martin
Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream Speech" will be shown during this time within
the IAO Gallery.
Michael Korenblit is
co-author of UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, the true story of love and survival in the
Holocaust. In his presentation, Mike takes his audiences on a journey through
time to Hrubieszow, Poland, during the late 1930s and 1940s. He relates the
stories of two families and the impact of World War II on their
lives.
Gwen Mukes: Growing
up in segregated Oklahoma in the 40s and 50s, Gwen witnessed many forms of
discrimination and was aware of atrocities committed to African Americans at a
young age. As one of the original Civil Rights’ Sit-Inners in Oklahoma City to
desegregate public accommodations (August1958), she, along with the other 13
members of the NAACP Youth Chapter, was thrust into history. This experience
began her lifelong quest for equal treatment for all, to learn more about her
people’s history and history of other cultures, and to help others to appreciate
different cultures in our society. 1:00pm-1:30pm IAO
Gallery
Albert Gray Eagle is
a noted flute artist and performer who is skilled in the craft of making
traditional flutes along with regional forms of creative writing. Residencies
with Gray Eagle may include the art of flute making and playing of the
instrument while building on an understanding of history relevant to the Native
American.
Dwe Williams from
Ebony Voices is a storytelling unit of Rhythmically Speaking that incorporates
music and womanly style in the telling of stories from the perspective of women.
Women who have been birthin' and burpin' and buildin' a bold new body of people
as they redefine the boundaries of their time. They deal with a wide array of
issues and themes real and imagined, projected in song and story.
1:30pm-2:30pm
The Paramount,
OKC
Film: "A Call to
Conscience"Tavis Smiley takes a
comprehensive look at Martin Luther King, Jr.'s fight to put an end to the
Vietnam war, and the impact his legacy continues to make among peace activists
throughout the world
2:30pm-3:00pm
Attendees and
artists will be invited to design signs promoting peace and diversity to hold
during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade in downtown Oklahoma City.
3:00pm-5:00pm
Attendees are
invited to join the parade in downtown Oklahoma
City.
*All art materials
are provided free of charge, and the day's events are also free of
charge.
MLK EVENTS AROUND OKC
The Parade:The 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. Parade begins at 2 p.m. from the corner
of Broadway Avenue and NW 7th, proceeding along Broadway to Sheridan. There will
be grandstands at NW 5th and Broadway Avenue. The theme for 2013 parade is
“Challenges Beyond The Dream.”For more information on the parade or to
be involved, call coordinators Winard Brown at (405) 410-7740 or R.L. Doyle at
(405)413-4372.
The Prayer Breakfast:The 16th annual Midwest City Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast
at the Reed Conference Center near Rose State College will begin at 7:00 a.m. on
Monday, January 21st. Organizers expect between 400-500 people will enjoy
breakfast followed by speeches and music. Cost to attend the Breakfast is $10. Go early!
The Silent March:The traditional silent march, in the style of the early civil rights
movement marches, will begin about 9 a.m. on Monday, January 21st, following a
program at the Freedom Center. The march will move from the Freedom Center to
the Oklahoma History Center
on N. Laird in time for the Bell Ringing.
The Bell Ringing:At 11 a.m. on Monday the 21st, there will be a ringing of Oklahoma's
replica of the Liberty Bell in front of the Oklahoma History
Center.
The MLK Jr. Holiday Coalition Program:The annual program from the Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition of Oklahoma
City features the "I Have a Dream" speech. Keynote speaker for 2013 is TBA. The
program takes place at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral on NW 7th from noon until
the parade begins at 2 p.m.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Chapel speaker UD, Friday January 18, 2013
Mrs. Joyce Henderson
Joyce Henderson is a retired teacher and administrator who taught generations of students in Oklahoma City Public Schools. She was the first principal of Classen School of Advanced Studies, which opened in 1994 and is ranked as one of the nation’s top public schools. She also served as an administrator at Harding Middle School, Emerson Alternative High School, Northeast High School and Star Spencer High School and currently serves as an educational consultant at Douglas High School.
Before her retirement in 2006, Henderson served as the district’s executive director of school and community services. She began her teaching career at the now-closed Dunjee High School, where she was once a student of teacher-turned-civil-rights-activist Clara Luper. At Luper’s invitation, Henderson attended the 1963 civil rights march in Washington D.C. where she heard Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Mrs. Henderson will be attending President Obama's inaguration in Washington D. C.
A LEGACY OF SERVICE
HUNGER GRANT DUE: This spring generationOn will launch "What Will You Bring to the Table?" an initiative to mobilize youth from across the country to address child hunger by gathering around tables to create service projects that raise awareness and bring collective action to this critical issue. As a part of this initiative, generationOn is offering mini-grants in the amount of $250 to help youth develop a service project addressing child hunger in the United States. The grant application is available here and will be open through January 23rd at 5pm EST.
"What Will You Bring to the Table?" Project Ideas to Get You Started:
• Launch a letter writing campaign or rally at your table to advocate for more funding for hunger-related initiatives.
• Use your table to hold a canned food drive. See how many items you can collect!
• Gather around your table to plan a community garden, then find a space and get planting!
• Host a bake sale or other fundraiser at your table to support a local food bank.
• Take time at your table to make a set of “Breakfast Boxes” for families that need help getting an important start to the day.
Saturday January 26: Work day with Rebuilding Together. Help as needed. Sign-up at RT website. Contact Tony Analla for details.
Suggested Service Calendar for 2013
February 10-16:National Kindness Week:Kindness, Pass it on initiative; Random Acts of Kindness Foundation http://www.randomactsofkindness.org. YAC is brainstorming a family volunteer night (in collaboration with LD). We will make cards, care packages, and blankets for Positive Tomorrows, School for Homeless children. We will also work with Boys and Girls Club art classes and green team. If the Guild of Saint George collection is this week, we will collaborate with that mothers' project. YAC Chairs needed.
February 25-March 1:Multicultural Week at Casady. Service-Learning and YAC will collaborate with Multicultural Club initiatives. YAC Chair in MLC will connect YAC to this effort.
April 21-27National Volunteer Week. We will deliver Presidential Awards this week at Chapel, a date convenient for Father Blizzard and administrators. This weekend, we will be working with Earth Day Nichols Hills and any initiatives YAC kids want to promote. If approved, in the past had an out of uniform with students wearing a t-shirt of a place where they volunteered and they felt they made a difference. We celebrated volunteers and presidential award winners with an ice cream social provided by the CPO. Jessica G. is the YAC Chair working on a BALTO like week. Brainstorming and permission gathering has started.
April 22:Earth Day: Service-Learning will collaborate with emerging green teams in the MD, Boys and Girls Club and environmental Club
initiatives. Salman Hamid, Environmental Club officer, is the YAC connector to this initiative with the Middle Division, environmental club sponsors and the Boys and Girls Club Green Team, which started to function in January 2013.
April 26-28:Global Youth Service Days: Scheduled to work with the Food Bank, Rebuilding Together, and/or other student initiatives generated from BALTO WEEK like activities.
May 4th:Join Hands Day: New this year! An alternative date for Family Volunteering Day sponsoring organizations YAC students are passionate about??? YAC Chair needed.
Visit SERVE.GOV to find volunteer opportunities at home or abroad. Just enter geographic information, such as zip code or state, and your area of interest, so you can access service opportunities near your home or office, across the country or overseas.
College counselors and admissions directors crowded a hotel conference room on Thursday afternoon, many sitting on the floor for want of enough chairs, as William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions at Harvard, joined in a discussion on “The Ideal High School Graduate.”
Mr. Fitzsimmons was speaking on a panel as part of the College Board’s annual conference in New York City. “I’m not sure Harvard has figured out what the ideal student is,” he said, clearly disappointing some cramped audience members. “But public service is a baseline. We’re trying to find people who make others around them better.”
Mr. Fitzsimmons called successful applicants to Harvard “good all-arounders – academically, extracurricularly and personally,” and he stressed the importance of demonstrating humanity and three-dimensionality in one’s college application. “I want to know, what is it this person does beside chew gum and produce good grades or scores?”
He warned against the superficiality of charismatic dispositions. “Charisma isn’t everything,” he said. “It actually makes a difference to have substance. And those quiet people can be incredibly easy to miss in college admissions, but they can be brilliant and wear incredibly well over the long haul.”
