ACCESS would like to congratulate Aaron Tucker and Dwayne Simmons for earning the 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. Model of Justice Awards!

Aaron Tucker is an Academy graduate from St. Louis the King School at the Cathedral who was named a school honoree by Bishop DuBourg High School.

Dwayne J. Simmons is a NativityMiguel Scholarship Dinner recipient from Central Catholic Academy who was named a parish honoree from St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist.

For a complete list of honorees, please click here. 

St. Mary’s High School Senior Jesus Aguayo, a parishioner and graduate of St. Cecilia, and Junior Gerardo Lopez, a parishioner of St. Cecilia are a part of St. Mary’s High School’s Architectural Design class who presented their designs recently to a group of engineers, architects, college professors, city planners and an Olympian as a part of the Knowledge Challenge of the Northside Regeneration Project. This is the 3rd year St. Mary’s has competed in the challenge, in which teams of students work together along with a mentor architect. St. Mary’s has won the last 2 years and currently has their designs being built in St. Louis.

In addition, St. Mary’s senior Fabian Valenzuela, a graduate and parishioner of St. Cecilia, was awarded the Fr. O’Shaughnessey Award at our All School Mass. This award is presented to the senior who best represents the Marianist Charism.

The Saigh Foundation Awards $12,500 Grant to ACCESS Academies

The Saigh Foundation has awarded ACCESS Academies a one-year, $12,500 grant in endorsement of its Graduate Support Program, which provides counseling and resources for Academy graduates as they pursue their secondary and post-secondary educational and career aspirations. This is the eighth grant awarded by the Saigh Foundation to ACCESS Academies.

The Saigh Foundation, founded by former St. Louis Cardinals owner, Fred M. Saigh, assists St. Louis–area organizations that benefit children and youth, primarily in the areas of education and health care. The Foundation is particularly interested in stimulating the development of new ventures, as well as in supporting organizations that feature innovative approaches or programs. The Saigh Foundation is managed by JoAnn Hejna, Executive Director/co-trustee, and Mary Kemp, Associate Director, who are dedicated to continuing Fred Saigh’s legacy aiding those who might not otherwise receive assistance.

“We would like to thank the Saigh Foundation for their support,” said Betsy Liberatore, Executive Director of ACCESS Academies. “The funds will be used to enhance ACCESS’s seven-year commitment to the graduates of our Academies through the work of our Graduate Support Directors.”

Since the establishment of ACCESS Academies in 2005, Graduate Support Directors have been partnered with Archdiocesan middle schools to provide critical academic, social, financial and emotional support for low-income and/or minority students and their families for the next seven years of their educational journey. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Collaborating with school-based leadership and faculty to oversee the extended school day and mandatory summer school programs through the ACCESS middle school Academy
• Working with middle school students and their families to find a college-preparatory high school that fits the student’s unique personality and learning style. This includes high school visits, application support, financial guidance, and more through the ACCESS middle school Academy
• Transitioning Academy graduates from middle school to high school. This includes, but is not limited to, consistent high school visits, tutoring, mentoring, tuition scholarships, and monitoring each student’s individual academic growth and achievement through all four years of high school
• Providing post-secondary counseling and support for Academy graduates through college tours, ACT test prep, college application and essay support, and FAFSA counseling, as well as paying for all ACT tests and college applications

Impressively, more than 600 low-income students have benefited from the Graduate Support Directors’ support and services.  What’s more, during the 2014-15 school year, 98% of Academy graduates were admitted to private, college-preparatory high schools; 99% graduated on-time; and 94% were accepted to a post-secondary institution.

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

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We are excited to recognize Mary L. for our ACCESS Academies Student Spotlight program!

• Grade: 6^th grade (a student at SLK since third grade!)
• Teacher: Lay
• Favorite Subject: Mathematics- Mary is currently learning about Unit Rate.
  “You get to work on several different problems, and you get to learn about different ways to solve them.”
• Current Academy Electives: Building Futures and Robotics
• Favorite Academy Elective: “I like Building Futures because you get to build projects and use your imagination. My favorite project was building a clock. Mine looks like a wii game pad because I like to play wii.”
• Future Career Aspirations: “I have thought about becoming a teacher, but am keeping my options open.”
• Favorite Memory of School: “Last year we were acting out the station of the cross and taking the steps Christ took when he was committed to death.”
• Achievements/Accomplishments: Honor Roll

 

3rd Annual “Give the Gift of Brilliance” Holiday Party Raises Over $19,500

ST. LOUIS, MO. November 24, 2015- ACCESS (Academies Creating Challenging Education for St. Louis Students) raised over $19,500 during the third annual “Give the Gift of Brilliance” Holiday Fundraiser held at John D. McGurk’s Irish Pub & Garden. Donations raised will support tuition scholarships for more than 200 Academy graduates attending private, college-preparatory high schools in the St. Louis region.

Founded in 2005, ACCESS transforms the challenging middle school years into a launching pad for high school success for socially/economically disadvantaged students in faith-based schools in St. Louis.

To become an Academy graduate, students must complete ACCESS’s dynamic middle school program known as the Academy. The Academy includes an extended school day and mandatory summer school during 6th, 7th, and 8th grades to support a robust curriculum, homework assistance, service projects, and enrichment.

Currently, ACCESS is educating more than 135 middle school students in Academies at three Archdiocesan partner schools:
• Most Holy Trinity School & Academy at 1435 Mallinckrodt St. (North St. Louis)
• St. Cecilia School & Academy at 906 Eichelberger. (South St. Louis)
• St. Louis the King School at the Cathedral at 4430 Maryland Ave. (Central West End)

ACCESS also provides a school-based Graduate Support Director to support the extended school day programs, and to develop a long-term relationship with the child and his/her family. This includes, but is not limited to finding a college-preparatory high school that fits the student’s unique personality and learning style. This includes high school visits, application support, and more.

After graduating from the Academy, the Graduate Support Director maintains contact with each student to ensure his/her academic success in high school. Additionally, the Graduate Support Director provides college-readiness assistance through college tours, ACT test prep, college application and essay support, FAFSA counseling, and more.

Because of ACCESS’s support and services, 98% of ACCESS graduates are admitted to college-prep high school; 99% of ACCESS students graduate on time; and 94% ACCESS students are admitted to college.

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

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For a printable copy of the release, please click here.

Special thanks goes to Greg Holden, our photographer for the evening.

 

“Sweet Success” Taught at St. Louis the King School at the Cathedral

ST. LOUIS, MO. September 25, 2015 – Since 2008, Ms. Terhea Jones has taught emotional, social and ethical skills to middle school students at St. Louis the King School at the Cathedral through a program known as “Sweet Success.”

“In the beginning we learn how to properly introduce ourselves, sit in a chair, and make and maintain eye contact. After we work on character development,” she said.

Character development is a difficult concept to teach, and requires a variety of hands-on strategies for students to understand and apply lessons in their daily lives.

“The biggest challenge is to teach respect, especially when situations arise where they are not shown respect,” said Jones.

Respect is defined as:
• a feeling of admiring someone or something that is good, valuable, important, etc.
• a feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way
• a particular way of thinking about or looking at something

Since it is an incredibly difficult concept to apply in a variety of daily situations, Jones has found that role play has been the most successful way to teach the concept.

“It is like a lightbulb going off when they see characters they are playing experience hurt,” she adds.

For more information, please contact Ms. Joslyn Sanford, Graduate Support Director at St. Louis the King School at the Cathedral, by calling 314-373-8252. For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

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