Sunrise on the Square Road Race benefits CIS!

CIS is so excited to announce that we are partnering with Main Street Newnan and Mike Fitzpatrick Ford in this year's Sunrise on the Square Road Race on Saturday, September 5, 2015. All proceeds from the race will benefit CIS of Coweta County.

The Sunrise on the Square Road Race is a local favorite and has been held annually in Downtown Newnan on the Saturday before Labor Day for over 25 years. The race begins in Downtown Newnan and spans through "The City of Homes," where runners will catch a glimpse of our beautiful historic intown neighborhoods and commercial district. The race is a USATF certified course (new in 2015), where runners will enjoy the diversity of terrain, including long, flat stretches, and downhill and uphill sections. The Sunrise on the Square Road Race welcomes runners and walkers of all skill levels to participate. Runners are given options to pursue a 1 Mile Fun Run, 5K route and a 10K route.

Early registration  is available through August 21, and 2015 run T-shirts are guaranteed for all runners who preregister by that date. If you'd like to download a registration form for the race, click here. 

United Way, CIS partner for school supply drive for teachers

United Way in Coweta County is partnering with CIS of Coweta to hold a school supply drive for East Coweta High School teachers. We'd love for all our supporters to drop off items or make a donation for purchasing supplies by visiting our website and clicking on the donate button.

The School Supply Drive runs July 8-29, 2015, and drop-off locations include:

• Hampton Inn (behind Red Lobster), 50 Hampton Way, Newnan

• Piedmont Newnan Hospital, 745 Poplar Rd., Newnan

• Piedmont Newnan Hospital Wellness Center, 26 W. Court Square, Newnan

• Senoia Cycle Works, 66 Main St., Senoia

• The Southern Credit Union, 232 Bullsboro Dr., Newnan

Items on the teacher supply wish list include binders (for students in need), chart paper markers, compasses, erasers, flash drives, graph paper, hand sanitizer, highlighters, loose leaf paper, mounting tape, paper towels, pencils (mechanical and #2), pens (red, black and blue), Post-It Chart Paper and Post-its, rulers, sanitizing wipes, sheet protectors, staplers/staples, tissues, white board cleaner and white board markers (low odor).

For more information, call Executive Director Gina Weathersby at 770-710-9540.

To download a flyer about the School Supply Drive to share at your organization or place of business, click here.

CIS releases Spring 2015 Impact Report

Friends and supporters of CIS of Coweta County will want to take a look at the Communities In Schools Impact Report for Spring 2015. Recently released by the national organization, this report explains how CIS is partnering with educators to change the picture of education for nearly 1.5 million students. CIS does this by:

1. Keeping students in school.

2. Doing whatever it takes to eliminate barriers.

3. Never giving up on anyone.

Elaine Wynn, chairman of the CIS Board of Directors, noted, "When entire communities take ownership of the dropout crisis—when it becomes about our kids rather than those kids—that's when we know the tide is turning."

The work of CIS is clearly making a difference. A study of case-managed students found that of those served in 2013-2014, 99 percent of the students stayed in school, 93 percent were promoted to the next grade, 91 percent graduated and 83 percent reached their academic goals.

If you would like to read the full report for yourself, click here.

CIS growth includes 12,000 new students in Georgia

According to a recent report from the national CIS office, the growth of CIS in 2014-2015 included 28 new communities, 31 new school districts, 137 new schools and 80,000 more students.

Of these new students served in 2014-2015, some 17,000 were in Kansas, 12,000 were in Georgia, 12,000 were in Pennsylvania, and 11,000 were in Nevada. These numbers, according to CIS, mean that "more students will benefit from the support of trained site coordinators working inside those schools."

Communities In Schools is the nation’s largest and most effective dropout prevention organization dedicated to keeping kids in school and helping them achieve in life. What sets Communities In Schools apart is the organization’s holistic approach to addressing both the academic and nonacademic needs of students. Working with school staff, Communities In Schools site coordinators — who are positioned in schools — identify students in danger of dropping out, assess what they need, and then provide wraparound services through appropriate community partnerships. These services include food, clothing, transportation, housing, medical and dental care, mental health services, tutoring, mentoring and much more. To learn more, you can find a copy of the report here.

Preview tonight, auction tomorrow will benefit CIS

The Charity Auction featuring items from the Estate of Nell Blackwell is almost here! The auction is set for tomorrow, June 13, 2015 at The Train Depot at 60 East Broad St. in Newnan. Proceeds from the auction will be divided among five Coweta County non-profits, including Communities In Schools of Coweta County. Items in the auction will include fine jewelry, sterling silver, porcelain, antiques and a 2011 Buick.

Interested buyers may preview items this evening, June 12, from 6-8 p.m. The doors will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and the auction will begin at 10 a.m. and is expected to end around noon. Major credit cards are accepted.

For more information on the auction and to view a gallery of images, click here.

June 13 Blackwell Estate Auction to benefit CIS of Coweta County

A Charity Auction featuring items from the Estate of Nell Blackwell will be held Saturday, June 13, 2015 at The Train Depot at 60 East Broad St. in Newnan. Proceeds from the auction will be divided among five Coweta County non-profits, including Communities In Schools of Coweta County. Items in the auction will include fine jewelry, sterling silver, porcelain, antiques and a 2011 Buick.

Interested buyers may preview items on Friday, June 12, from 6-8 p.m. The doors will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and the auction will begin at 10 a.m. and is expected to end around noon. Major credit cards are accepted.

For more information on the auction and to view a gallery of images, click here.

CIS helps put students to work during the summer

CIS sponsored a Summer Jobs Luncheon with our East Coweta High School CIS students and representatives from a number of local businesses. Those participating included Bradley Down, above, and his team from Cargill; Martin Pleyer and his team from Grenzebach; Michelle Ross, the human resources manager from Niagara Bottling; and Lisa Johnston, the human resources manager from Newnan Utilities.

We are so grateful to these members of the business community for helping put our students to work during the summer.

At the same time, the students can earn a work-based credit to go toward the credits they need to graduate from high school. Partnerships like these are yet another reason we are proud to have our community's support for the Coweta CIS program!

Plans underway for 2016 Hats and Hooves Derby Affair!

Last week, our board members, committee members and volunteers met to discuss the success of our recent Hats and Hooves Derby Affair and get started on the 2016 event. We're so thankful to everyone who helped make our event a success, which resulted in our raising $73,000 to help keep kids in school in Coweta County!

Also, we've been sharing photos taken by our event photographer, Garrett Anderson of Anderson Photography, who did a great job of capturing all the fun and excitement of this year's event.

To see more photos, click here to visit our Facebook album showing lots more of the great images from the evening. And please help us share them with your friends to start creating buzz about the 2016 Hats and Hooves!