Thanks for Visiting!

Hyannis Supporting Our Youth, Inc. (HySOY) was birthed from the Greater Hyannis Civic Association's Voices of the Village meeting in April 2011. With an active core membership, and many others willing to provide mentoring, the group is diverse in its strengths. Members include former or current educators and principals, pastors, business people, parents and grandparents. Each member has committed to supporting Hyannis youth through both existing programs and through the creation of new initiatives. Members work on Mentoring, Early Literacy Initiatives and Childhood Enrichment Opportunities to support our youth. We currently meet the first Tuesday of every month at 530pm at Faith Assembly of God (154 Bearse's Way) and new members and interested parties are always welcome. Please contact Sue Cwynar, director, at hysoytaskforce@gmail.com for more information or to volunteer.


Thursday, November 8, 2012

Homework Help Timeline

Homework Help will start at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center on Monday, November 26th. It runs from 3-5:30pm and students participate on either Mondays & Wednesdays OR Tuesdays & Thursdays. Permission slips were passed out to Hyannis students on Wednesday, November 7th. Additional copies may be found in the main office at the grade 4 & 5 school and need to be turned in by Tuesday, November 13th.

Volunteers are meeting on Tuesday, November 13th at 4pm to go over skill building activities, the schedule and last minute details.

For more information, email hysoytaskforce@gmail.com.


Hyannis Supporting Our Youth, Inc.
508-258-9111 ~ hysoytaskforce@gmail.com ~ hysoy.blogspot.com
Homework Help Bussing Permission Slip

Hyannis Supporting Our Youth, Inc. is pleased to provide free homework help for students in grades 3-5 at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center. Help will be available Mondays through Thursdays (excluding holidays and school vacation days) from 3:00-5:30pm from November 26, 2012 until the end of May. With parent permission, students in Hyannis who ride on a school bus line and have a valid bus pass will be able to be dropped off at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center. Students riding the bus must display appropriate behavior to continue riding the bus to Homework Help.

Students can attend either Monday & Wednesday OR Tuesday & Thursday. We will take six students from each bus according to the order in which the permission slip was returned. Once we have six students, additional students will be placed on a waiting list.

At Homework Help, small groups of students will participate in reading, homework help, skill-building and recreational activities. We will provide a small snack such as fruit or a granola bar. Please document if your child has a known allergy to any foods and provide a substitute snack if necessary. Students will be expected to participate in the activities provided and may be dismissed from the program if they are not complying with rules and expectations for the program. Students may be picked up between 4:45 and 5:30pm. If your fourth or fifth grade student is permitted to walk home this must be checked on the permission slip.

Below, you will find a permission slip to fill out and return to the school office. We will contact you once we receive the returned permission slip. We look forward to getting to know your child!

Sincerely,

Moira Bundschuh, Director
Hyannis Supporting Our Youth, Inc.
~building positive community with our youth~

Hyannis Supporting Our Youth Homework Help Permission Slip
(Please print clearly)

Student Name: ___________________________ Parent Name: _______________________________

Address: ________________________________ Parent Name: _______________________________

Telephone # to reach a parent during the hours of 3-5:30pm: _________________________________

Email Address:           ________________________________________________________________

Any known Allergies: ______________________    Student’s Bus Name(required): _______________

Day Preference:          Monday/Wednesday               OR                  Tuesday/Thursday

People allowed to pick up my child: (Name & Telephone #):            Walk Home Allowed: Yes/No

________________________________________ ________________________________________

________________________________________ ________________________________________


Parent & Student Expectations

This program is for homework help and skill-building. We offer a safe and caring environment for students to gain academic success through working with many student and adult mentors. While this is a free service, we have set up expectations to help the program run more smoothly. In our second year, we have gathered the feedback and suggestions from parents, students and volunteers to ensure that each student is utilizing the program to his or her fullest potential.
The schedule for the program will have students rotating through Homework Help, Skill Building and Reading stations. Attendance at these three stations is mandatory for continuation in the program and students should not be picked up until after these are finished. In addition, students will participate in recreational activities led by a Barnstable Recreation Staff person throughout the program.  Students will be provided healthy snacks donated by the Sunrise Rotary Club of Hyannis, Greater Hyannis Civic Association and Cape Cod Potato Chips.
Parents are asked to make a photocopy of their student’s report cards and MCAS reports and give them to the Homework Help Coordinator. Parents/Guardians will be called if his/her student is not in attendance on a scheduled day. It is very important that we have an up-to-date phone number where someone can be reached between 3-5:30pm.

Expectations

While students are present at the program, they will be expected to participate fully and engage in the activities presented. While this is not an extension of school, this is a place for children to develop confidence in academics through small group and peer interactions. We hope that they will try their best and learn how to ask questions and find answers. Students should be respectful of each other and the volunteers at the program.
  •          Students should always have their homework agenda and/or folder. If homework is not assigned, this needs to be clearly marked in the agenda. Students will be given skill-building assignments if they do not have homework.
  •          For each academic station, students will receive a daily assessment of effort. For students who do not display effort in two of three stations for one week, they will receive a warning. The second week of non-effort will result in a week suspension from the program. The third week will result in suspension for the remainder of the grading period. Parents can reapply for the following grading period.
  •          Mutual respect is expected of all students and volunteers. If a student is disrespectful, a phone call will be made and a meeting will be set up if deemed necessary. If poor behavior continues, students will be asked to leave the program.


Late Pick Ups
  •          If you are under 15 minutes late, you will receive a warning
  •          The second time you are late for pick up your child will be suspended for one week of the program
  •          If you are over 15 minutes late your child will be suspended for one week of the program
  •          After the week suspension, additional lateness will result in suspension for the remainder of the grading period
  •          The third issue will result in permanent dismissal from the program


We are really looking forward to our second year! Working with the kids last year has reinforced our belief that our Hyannis children are special.

Update:

11/12/12



  1. Large Group Meeting for ALL volunteers will be tomorrow, Tuesday, November 13th at 4pm at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center. We will go over the list of students, check lists, sign in/out sheets, the tentative volunteer schedule and how to help with skills, reading and homework.
  2. Homework Help will begin on Monday, November 26th. It is Mondays-Thursdays from 3-530pm on regular school days following the Barnstable Public School schedule.
  3. If you are on this list and are UNABLE to help with Homework Help for the 2012-2013 school year, please REPLY to this message and say UNSUBSCRIBE. This will help us to know who is able to volunteer. 
  4. If you are volunteering this year, check the schedule below (or tomorrow at the meeting) and make sure these are the times that you can do. If you cannot do each week, you will not be on this list but we would still LOVE to have you volunteer when you can make it. We cannot have enough volunteers, so if you are able to help 1, 2 or three times per month--we still want you! Feel free to join us whenever you can.
  5. Also, if you are an adult volunteer and have not filled out a CORI and SORI check at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center, you need to do this. Please drop in any weekday between 830 and 330 to pick one up--go to the reception desk as you enter the building and tell them you are volunteering and need a criminal background check form, fill it out and they will take a copy of your license as well. 
  6. If you know of other people that would like to volunteer we can use a few more adult volunteers and at least 3 more high school volunteers. Feel free to forward this message to your friends or invite them to the meeting tomorrow. 
  7. Please look at the schedule and think about if you could coordinate on any day. We would like to get coordinators for Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. This means that you would:
    • Take attendance--students will be arriving on one bus from Barnstable United (grades 4 & 5) and another bus from HyWest (grade 3)
    • Hand out snack--once for grades 4 & 5, once for grade 3
    • Call home for students that are absent and leave a message saying that they are absent
    • Be the point person for the day and take any information from volunteers and parents
    • Help out where needed

Monday, September 10, 2012

HySOY September 2012 Meetings--All Welcome


Hello Everyone:

I hope that you had a great summer! Here are a list of meetings for September, all are in the United Cultures Resource Room of the Hyannis Youth and Community Center:

Tuesday, September 11th         5:45pm socialize        6-7pm HySOY general meeting--initiatives, programs, vote for new treasurer

Saturday, September 15th       11am-2pm Cape & Islands Family Festival at the Cape Cod Mall. 
Volunteers Needed for our Booth!

Tuesday, September 18th         5:15pm socialize        5:30-7pm HySOY meeting--Technology--bring your laptop, IPad or email us if you need one to use--we'll go over email, spreadsheets, lists and other useful things.                
                       Email me if you are tech savvy and can provide childcare instead.

Thursday, September 20th      3:30-4:30pm Homework Help Training for HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
Any high school student wanting to help out can attend this training.

Saturday, September 22nd                                        10am--Be at the HYCC for the 3rd Birthday Celebration--recruit volunteers and new families for our programs. Volunteers Needed.

Tuesday, September 25th    4-6pm Homework Help Training for ADULTS. Any adult interested in helping out with Homework Help should attend this training.

Tuesday, September 25th          5:45pm socialize       6pm--HySOY Meeting--programming, administrative tasks for Mentoring & Homework Help

Wednesday, September 26th     7 to 8:30pm--HySOY Mentoring Training for mentors at Hyannis West Elementary School


Please email me back if you plan to attend any or all of these meetings. Everyone is always welcome and we'd love to add some new members to our core group this year!

Thanks,

Moira Bundschuh
HySOY, Inc Director
hysoytaskforce@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Homework Help Program Volunteer Training Dates


Upcoming Training Dates:

High School Students:   Thursday, September 20th from 3:30-4:30PM 
at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center

Adults: Tuesday, September 25th from 4-6pm 
at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center

We will begin the Homework Help program again this year in October with Homework Help for students in grades 3-5. This year we have added third grade to help Hyannis West Elementary students in their transition from this school to the Grade 4/5 School. 

We will service 28 kids on Monday/Wednesdays and another 28 kids on Tuesday/Thursdays. In addition, we will have a recreation staff person assisting us with students in their recreational activities. We are currently seeking one volunteer per day to step up and be the "coordinator" for that day. That person will coordinate attendance, snacks, manage volunteer and student needs and check students out of the program.

Volunteers may choose different areas in which they would like to serve:
  • Homework Help--helping students with their daily assignments and projects
  • Skill Building--helping students to work on their English and Math Skills
  • Reading--helping students to complete at least 15 minutes of reading per session
  • Recreation--helping students be active and learn important skills like working in a team, turn taking and conflict resolution
The program will go from 3-5:30pm. Students will rotate through different areas of the program in groups of 8 (for 4 & 5th graders) and 10 (for 3rd graders). As a volunteer, if your day stays the same (such as volunteering on Wednesdays, etc) you will have the opportunity to forge a meaningful relationship with the children in your group. We noticed gains in academic achievement, peer relations and overall self-confidence with the young people that joined us last year. We will use the United Cultures Room, Shepley Room and various recreational areas. 

Please email hysoytaskforce@gmail.com if you plan to join us as a volunteer this year, your availability--days of the week, and the area in which you might like to volunteer. Also, please forward this post to any friends or relatives that you think may enjoy joining us in this program.

Upcoming Training Dates:

High School Students:   Thursday, September 20th from 3:30-4:30PM at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center

Adults: Tuesday, September 25th from 4-6pm at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center