ACCESS Welcomes Tom Mackowiak of Enterprise Holdings as Newest Board Member

ST. LOUIS, MO. September 16, 2013 – ACCESS Academies welcomes Tom Mackowiak, Assistant Vice President- Business Management for Enterprise Holdings’ Commercial Truck Division, as the newest member of its governing board.

“It is an honor to have Tom [Mackowiak] join ACCESS Academies. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will help strengthen our seven year commitment to each student we serve and enhance our operations as a not-for-profit,” said Blake Youde, Executive Director of ACCESS Academies.

Mackowiak has spent over 25 years with Enterprise Holdings, Inc. in a variety of management positions including, Vice-President of Finance, St. Louis Subsidiary; and Assistant Vice-President-Business Management at the Corporate Headquarters supporting various Subsidiaries. He received a Bachelors of Accountancy from the University of Illinois.

Other board members for ACCESS Academies include:

John C. Vatterott – Chair
Retired, Vatterott College

Marian V. Mehan – Vice Chair
Partner, Lewis, Rice, Fingersh

Thomas M. Nolan – Secretary
Retired, Exec. Dir., ACCESS Academies

Rev. Richard H. Creason
Pastor, Most Holy Trinity Parish

Edith C. Cunnane
Founder, St. Patrick Center

James Cunnane
Retired, CFO, General Dynamics

Don Danforth III
President & Founder, City Academy

David O. Danis
Retired, Attorney

Joseph F. Jedlicka, III
Consultant

Marie Kenyon
Managing Attorney, Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry

Robert J. Mathias
President, Cass Commercial Bank

Paul Minorini
Exec. Dir., Boys Hope/Girls Hope

Birch M. Mullins
President, Baur Properties

John T. O’Neill
Retired, International Treasurer, Monsanto

Richard H. Patton
Exec. Dir, Vision for Children at Risk

Leo C. Saenger
Principal, Millennium Financial Group

John G. Simon
The Simon Law Firm

Blanche M. Touhill, Ph.D.
Chancellor Emerita, University of Missouri – St. Louis

Mark A. Wilhelm
President, Safety National Casualty Corporation

Alan G. Winkelmann
Associate Superintendent, Archdiocese of St. Louis

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

###

Printable pdf

2013 Carlos Beltran Scholarship Presented to 2 NativityMiguel Graduates

Recently, All-Star Cardinals Outfielder Carlos Beltran and his wife, Jessica, presented the 2013 Carlos Beltran Scholarship to eight Hispanic students during a pregame ceremony at Busch stadium. The scholarship, in the amount of $2,500.00, will help these students further their college studies.

ACCESS Academies is proud to recognize two of the eight recipients as graduates from the NativityMiguel program at St. Cecilia School and Academy. Please congratulate:

 

• Adriana Aceves, who is studying Nursing at St. Louis Community College-Meramec
• Ramiro Sanchez, who is studying Life Science/Medicine at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park

Beltran’s scholarship program was established to support aspiring Hispanic youth in their senior year of high school to advance their college studies. The scholarship rewards the effort, hard work, responsibility and individual academic merits of Hispanic students who are admitted to accredited institutions of higher learning, community colleges or four-year colleges and universities in the United States.

The scholarship will be funded through Beltran’s donations to the Hispanic Arts Council of St. Louis’ Carlos Beltrán Scholarship Fund. To view photos from the ceremony, please click here.

printable pdf

ACCESS Academies Leads Two-Day Professional Development Retreat Focused on Improving Academics

ST. LOUIS, MO. August1, 2013 – Today, ACCESS Academies returned from a two-day professional development retreat at Cedar Creek Conference Center which focused on preparing faculty and staff from its three NativityMiguel partner schools for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year.

Coordinated with the support of the Archdiocese of St. Louis Office of Catholic Education, ACCESS lead discussions on the following topics:

1) What is being done to prepare incoming students and their families for the St. Louis NativityMiguel Model of Education program

2) What can the St. Louis NativityMiguel Model of Education program do to enhance its extended day and school year to strengthen core academic programs and enhance enrichment offerings

3) What are the behavioral and academic expectations of graduating NativityMiguel students, and what can be done to ensure that these expectations are met as they enter into high schools

4) What can be done to encourage and support NativityMiguel students beyond high school and into college

“We came out examine what we do well and what we can do better to prepare our students for a college preparatory high school education,” said Blake Youde, Executive Director of ACCESS Academies.

ACCESS Academies provides a unique faith-based education for economically and/or socially disadvantaged students in under-represented neighborhoods in city of St. Louis through the St. Louis NativityMiguel Model of Education program, which:

• Extends the school day and school year from 6-8th grade to provide additional academic support. This includes a robust academic curriculum, homework assistance, service projects, and enrichment.
• Encourages family involvement to further support the physical, social, emotional, and academic well-being of each student.
• Eases the transition to high school and into college through graduate support. This includes, but not limited to, tutoring, mentoring, academic scholarships, and monitoring each student’s individual academic growth and achievement through high school and into college.

Since its establishment in 2005, more than 450 students have benefited academically, socially and emotionally from ACCESS’ services.

Enrollment for ACCESS Academies’ three NativityMiguel partner schools is currently underway. For more information about the education opportunities at each school, please call:

• Most Holy Trinity School and Academy, located at 1435 Mallinckrodt, (314) 231-9014 Classes begin August 19
• St. Louis the King School at Cathedral, located at 4430Â Maryland Avenue, 314-373-8250 Classes begin August 15
• St. Cecilia School and Academy, located at 906 Eichelberger St., (314) 353-2455 Classes begin August 15

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

###

printable pdf

ACCESS Academies Welcomes New Principal at Most Holy Trinity School & Academy

ST. LOUIS, MO. July 25, 2013 – ACCESS Academies would like to welcome Mrs. Jessica Kilmade as the new principal at Most Holy Trinity School and Academy.

Mrs. Jessica Kilmade comes to Most Holy Trinity after serving successfully as a classroom teacher combined with extra-curricular experiences in athletics, tutoring, and mentoring. In addition, she brings to our school two years of administrative experience in education from Marian Middle School in St. Louis where she served as annual fund manager, student services coordinator, and assistant to the principal. Mrs. Kilmade holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Most Holy Trinity School and Academy, located at 1435 Mallinckrodt, has been an institution in North St. Louis since its founding in 1849. It offers a non-tuition based education for students in grades Kindergarten through 8th grade through the support of the St. Louis Archdiocese, the Today and Tomorrow Foundation, and ACCESS Academies.

Students in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade receive a strong academic base due to a carefully cultivated curriculum that offers:

• Small class sizes
• Instruction in core subject areas (Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Religion, Music, Art, Physical Education)
• Technology integrated into instruction and learning
• After school tutoring and mentoring
• Enrichment Activities (Violin, Choir, Ballroom Dance, Sports)
• Summer School

Students in Sixth through Eighth grade benefit from the St. Louis NativityMiguel Model of Education, which:

• Extends the school day and school year to provide additional academic support. This includes a robust academic curriculum, homework assistance, service projects, and enrichment.
• Encourages family involvement to further support the physical, social, emotional, and academic well-being of each student.
• Eases the transition to high school and into college through graduate support. This includes, but not limited to, tutoring, mentoring, academic scholarships, and monitoring each student’s individual academic growth and achievement through high school and into college.

Current and prospective students are invited to meet Mrs. Jessica Kilmade at the Back to School Fair on Saturday, July 27th, from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM at the school. The event will feature a bounce house, face painting, and food. Students will also receive a backpack. For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

###

Printable pdf

NativityMiguel Scholarship Dinner Raises More than $560,000 for Tuition Assistance

ST. LOUIS, MO. June 10, 2013 – Approximately 500 donors attended the NativityMiguel Scholarship Dinner on June 5^th to support more than 300 middle school graduates attending college-preparatory high schools in St. Louis. The dinner was a remarkable success, raising over $560,000 in tuition assistance, an increase of more than $103,000 from the previous year.

“The program speaks for itself,” said Blake Youde, Executive Director of ACCESS Academies. Across the US, 6% percent of African-American students and 4% of Hispanic students are enrolled in private/independent college-prep schools compared to 97% for our Nativity Miguel students.

The NativityMiguel Scholarship Dinner, sponsored by ACCESS Academies and the Vatterott Foundation will bridge the gap between the cost of private, college-prep high schools and the tuition available from each student’s family, the financial aid provided by the 27 participating high schools, and the high school scholarships provided to each student from one of the 8 NativityMiguel schools in St. Louis.

Brandon Ramsey, a NativityMiguel graduate, charmed dinner guests as he spoke about the bright future facing him as a high school graduate:
As I look toward the future, I know that the education I have received will prepare me for the challenges of college, and I am happy to announce that in February I received my college acceptance letter to the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where I plan to study Dentistry. I want to become a dentist because of three reasons:
The first reason is because of a personal finance course I took my sophomore year. In this class I learned that Dentists make a solid income and will be an in-demand profession over the next 5 to 10 years.
The second reason is because there are very few African-American dentists.
The third and final reason is because I have braces and love going to the dentist.

Eighty-three percent (83%) of St. Louis NativityMiguel students are admitted to college. An impressive figure compared to the educational attainment of People 25 years and over within the City of St. Louis/St. Louis County as of 2011 (U.S. Census):

• Less than 9^th grade: 5.6% / 2.7%
• 9^th to 12^th grade, no diploma: 12.6% / 5.8%
• High school diploma or equivalency: 26.4% / 23.2%
• Some college, no degree: 21.7% / 21.9%
• Associate’s degree: 6.0% / 7.1%
• Bachelor’s degree: 15.9% / 23.5%
• Graduate or professional degree: 11.9% / 15.8%

The St. Louis NativityMiguel model of education offers neighborhood enrollment and features a rigorous middle school academic program to prepare students for success in college-prep high schools. The model includes a 10-hour school day, a 10-1/2-month school year, fundamental parental involvement and a demanding curriculum.

To view the video featured at the 5^th Annual NativityMiguel Scholarship Dinner, highlighting two student success stories, please click here.  For more information about the St. Louis NativityMiguel model of education, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639.

###

 printable pdf

ACCESS Academies Kicks Off Summer School at St. Cecilia School

Saint Louis, MO. June 3, 2013 – Today, 55 NativityMiguel middle school students returned to class at St. Cecilia School as part of ACCESS Academies extended school year.
Some were smiling, some were a bit unsure, but all were in uniform and ready to learn.

 

“The purpose of the summer program is to extend the school year and work on foundational skills. By having a longer school year, the students’ attrition rate during July and August lessens, making them more ready for the following school year. In addition, we work on basic skills which will set them up for success in every subject area,” said Principal Joe Kilmade.

 

According to a report released in 2011 by the RAND Corporation, a student’s average summer learning loss in math and reading amounts to one month per year. More troubling is that it disproportionately affects low-income students, who are said to lose two months of reading skills.

 

At St. Cecilia School, students will attend class the entire month of June, which does include field trips. Tomorrow, for instance, students will be visiting Mid-America Transplant Services on a health sciences excursion. Later, students will attend a four-day college exposure camp at St. Louis University.

 

St. Cecilia students entering sixth grade will also be introduced to ACCESS Academies, who makes a seven year commitment to each child through the St. Louis NativityMiguel model of education. This includes a robust academic curriculum, homework assistance, service projects, and enrichment for students in grades 6, 7, and 8.

 

ACCESS Academies NativityMiguel program also encourages family involvement and eases the transition to high school and into college through graduate support such as tutoring, mentoring, academic scholarships, and tracking each student’s individual academic growth and achievement through high school and into college.

 

Students attending St. Louis the King at Cathedral and Most Holy Trinity, two other ACCESS Academies in the city, will start their summer school programs June 10^th. For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639 or emailing [email protected]

 

###

 printable pdf

About: Established in 2005, ACCESS Academies (Academies Creating Challenging Education for St. Louis Students) is a not-for-profit corporation established to ensure that socially-and/or economically-disadvantaged students in the St. Louis area have access to top-quality, values-based education, regardless of race, ethnicity or religious affiliation.