{"id":14247,"date":"2019-02-28T11:31:46","date_gmt":"2019-02-28T15:31:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/?p=14247"},"modified":"2019-07-29T15:28:05","modified_gmt":"2019-07-29T19:28:05","slug":"assistanceleague","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/2019\/02\/28\/assistanceleague\/","title":{"rendered":"A Partnership Impossible to Quantify"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes\" style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:20px;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-sep-none fusion-title-size-two\"><h2 class=\"title-heading-left\">Assistance League of the Chesapeake<\/h2><\/div><h3><strong>We are an AACPS: Community\u00a0<\/strong>Partnership | 2019 Business Partner of the Year Nominee<\/h3>\n<h4><em>Recognized for their support of AACPS by the <strong>Office of School &amp; Family Partnerships<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes\" style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:20px;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><p>To say Assistance League\u00ae of the Chesapeake, Inc. has been a help to our school system and our children would be an incredible understatement. Since 2001, members have donated not only innumerable supplies, but also innumerable hours of their time, to our schools.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14272\" style=\"width: 260px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14272\" class=\"wp-image-14272\" src=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AssistanceLeague_4_opt-292x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AssistanceLeague_4_opt-292x300.jpg 292w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AssistanceLeague_4_opt.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-14272\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><em>Since 2012, the Assistance League has provided over 8,000 uniforms to students.*<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Their commitment to our students is multifaceted and far reaching.\u00a0 One of the most impactful acts of generosity they exhibit is called Kids in Need.\u00a0 Through this program, Assistance League provides a uniform packet containing a pair of khaki pants, a navy-blue shirt, navy-blue sweatshirt, several pairs of socks and underwear as well as a toiletries package, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and conditioner, to students that school counselors have identified as in need. \u00a0Some students receive two uniform packets, others receive one. \u00a0These items are handed out to students at seven Title I schools in our county to ensure students have the uniform they need for school. To put both the need and the generosity in perspective, in just one year, Assistance League of the Chesapeake provided 2,506 new school uniforms for 1,829 students. Julia Walsh, principal of Tyler Heights Elementary School (one of the schools supported by the Assistance League), shared that this partner\u2019s \u201csupport and commitment to ensuring our students are <em>dressed for success<\/em> greatly impacts our school culture.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, their commitment to our schools does not end with supplies. Assistance League volunteers also give their time.\u00a0 In the 2017-2018 school year they donated 1,877 hours and they are already up to approximately 1,000 hours in this year alone. Whether guest reading, helping with vision and hearing screenings, puppeteering, ice cream scooping\u2014when there is a need, League volunteers happily step in to help. They even offer holiday fairs each December where volunteers help students \u201cshop\u201d for gifts with their \u201cgood behavior\u201d dollars. Many of these gifts are donated by League volunteers.<\/p>\n<p>Literacy is a priority for AACPS and Assistance League.\u00a0 League volunteers staff a monthly Guest Reader program in several high-need schools. They tutor in the Chessie Reading Club at Meade Heights Elementary School. Books are distributed at the end of the school year, with an extra book given to graduating 5th graders to commemorate their accomplishment.\u00a0 At one school, volunteers assist fifth graders in writing letters to students attending a Title I school in Virginia.\u00a0 These activities directly support the school system\u2019s commitment to increasing the percentage of students who read on or above grade level by the end of 2nd grade as well as our commitment to increasing the percentage of students who meet or exceed expectations on standardized reading, language arts and mathematics assessments.<\/p>\n<p>Assistance League is also committed to cultural arts.\u00a0 Two puppet troupes perform for 2nd grade students attending Anne Arundel County Public Schools, exploring the issues of disability, cultural differences, bullying, and other social problems, using life-size puppets. We were struck by the message of one student who thanked them by saying \u201cIt made me feel that being different is good.\u00a0 Now I am so, so grateful by how I look and what my language is.\u201d\u00a0 Obviously, what they are doing for our schools and students is powerful.<\/p>\n<p>Lyn Hopkins, President of the Assistance League of the Chesapeake understands the impact that volunteering can having on our schools and our students. She shares, \u201cWe are honored to partner with AACPS to see the lives of children changed. We know that the seeds planted by our volunteers bear much fruit under the nurturing care of the school staff. Together we add to children\u2019s lives in ways that can have an enormous impact on their futures.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Assistance League\u2019s partnership with AACPS may be best summed up by Georgetown East Elementary School Principal Andre Dillard, who says, \u201cAssistance League is one of the lifelines of [our school].\u00a0 They are equivalent to our school being on a game show and having to phone a very consistent, caring, giving and loving friend.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Learn More about the Assistance League\u00ae of the Chesapeake, Inc<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_14269\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14269\" class=\"wp-image-14269\" src=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AssistanceLeague_1_opt.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AssistanceLeague_1_opt.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AssistanceLeague_1_opt-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AssistanceLeague_1_opt-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-14269\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><em>The Assistance League of the Chesapeake provides a wide range of support to Title I schools across Anne Arundel County.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Assistance League\u00ae of the Chesapeake, Inc is a nonprofit all-volunteer organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults through community-based philanthropic programs. Seventy-plus members give generously of their time and resources to ensure that our commitment to children in Anne Arundel County can be sustained. This group generates thousands of hours of service to the local community, touching the lives of more than 12,000 children and senior citizens. Learn more at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.assistanceleague.org\/chesapeake\/\">https:\/\/www.assistanceleague.org\/chesapeake\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>*Photo credit: https:\/\/www.assistanceleague.org\/chesapeake\/programs\/<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cAssistance League is one of the lifelines of [our school system].  They are equivalent to our school being on a game show and having to phone a very consistent, caring, giving and loving friend.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001013,"featured_media":14268,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_expiration-date-status":"saved","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[215,130,133],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-partnerships","category-aacps_story","category-community_stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1001013"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14247"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15919,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14247\/revisions\/15919"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}