South Mountain Middle School Family Fun Night and 10-Year Anniversary Celebration
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 5:30 PM
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 7:30 PM
) This year South Mountain Middle School
(SMMS) celebrates its 10-year anniversary as a United Way of the Greater Lehigh
Valley Community School. To commemorate this milestone, the school’s annual
Family Fun Night from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 22, will include
a celebratory component. The celebration
will kick off at 4:30 p.m. with a brief news conference that will highlight the
success of the Lehigh Valley’s first Community School.
Family Fun
Night features free food, carnival games,
face painting, Zumba, indoor sports games, Bingo, and various other family
friendly activities. The event is Free and open to the community. South
Mountain Middle School is located at 709 West Emaus Avenue, Allentown.
United
Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley supports Community Schools through partnerships
with youth and family-serving providers, corporate sponsors and community
volunteers to provide a better learning experience for its students who may
otherwise not receive such resources.
Today,
South Mountain has made great strides in academic performance and student
attendance. Half
of
its 1200 students are engaged in after school programs such as tutoring,
mentoring, music, theater, sports, STEM (hands-on learning through science and
technology experiments) and leadership programs.
Press
Opportunity: News Conference begins at 4:30 p.m.
Presenters include: Dr. Gary Cooper, ASD Interim Superintendent; Ralph
Lovelidge, ASD Executive Director of Secondary Education and former South
Mountain Middle School Principal; Juan Enriquez, a South Mountain teacher; Willie
Watkins, a South Mountain parent; and Alondra Rosario and Tatyannah Wiggins,
two South Mountain students. Presenters will offer insight into the many
opportunities that are part of a Community School environment like SMMS, such
as extra support for students, steps toward improved academic performance and improved
classroom behavior, and generating an overall positive school climate.
Mission
of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
The mission of United Way of the Greater Lehigh
Valley is to provide the leadership, convene the partnerships and develop the
resources and solutions that improve our community. We remain committed to
these goals and sincerely appreciate the continued support of partners, program
providers and donors throughout the Lehigh Valley. www.unitedwayglv.org.
About
Allentown School District
ASD serves more than 17,000 students in a
network of 22 early childhood, elementary, middle and high schools throughout
the City of Allentown, PA. The District is the third largest urban school
district out of 500 districts in the Commonwealth. The District’s Mission
focuses on providing a safe, rigorous, and engaging educational experience that
prepares all students to excel in learning and life; to guide ASD students on
their individual journey to realize their aspirations whether they be college,
career or technical focus. ASD goals are aligned and compatible with the Pathways
to Success Framework while providing a balanced education to all students.
Allentown School District employs approximately 2,200 teachers, staff and
administrators. The District, founded in 1866, serves students from 51
countries, speaking 26 languages with nearly 90 percent of households
qualifying as low income. ASD is committed to ensuring that all students have
equal access to education programs and resources. www.allentownsd.org.
About Communities In Schools
of the Lehigh Valley
Communities
In Schools is the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization bringing
coordinated, integrated student supports into public schools to meet the needs
of at-risk students. Our mission is to surround students with a community of
support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. To help our
students achieve their greatest success, we determine students’ needs and
establish relationships with local businesses, social service agencies, health
care providers, and parents and volunteer organizations to provide needed
resources. Community resources provide the substance to our “Five Basics” model
that has allowed students to flourish over the last 35 years. www.cislv.org