What's In This Edition:
•All Means All Q2 Winners, Enrollment Update, Kendra Scott Visits Wayside, Fundraising News, Alumni Update, Open House, Subs Needed & Calendar
Q2 ALL MEANS ALL WINNERS
Congratulations to this quarter's winners! Listed clockwise:
- STHS: Estefania David
- STMS: Faith Payne
- REAL: Jaritza Cupeles
- AMA: Yocelin Avalos
- NST: Meghan Jones
- EPA: Haylee Lavender
If you'd like to nominate someone for Q3, visit www.waysideschools.org/all-means-all.
ENROLLMENT NEWS
* Re-Enrollment (previously called Intent to Return) was emailed to all scholars January 13. This process allows you to secure your child’s spot for the upcoming year, and request a priority spot for siblings. If you did not receive your Re-Enrollment form, please contact your front office staff.
* Interested in Wayside’s Middle & High School? Each of Wayside’s schools is hosting an Open House on February 1 that is open to new and current families. Please feel free to stop in and meet our MS & HS leaders!
* If you have any friends or family looking to apply for next school year, please tell them to visit www.waysideschools.org/enroll. The enrollment lottery closes on Feb 10. We will still accept applications after the deadline based upon availability.
Wayside Schools Partners with Kendra Scott
For some scholars at Wayside Schools, the holiday season was a little brighter this year, thanks to a generous donation from Kendra Scott.
Wayside Schools teamed up with the Austin jewelry maker to offer scholars a unique incentive: custom jewelry just in time for the holidays.
The goal of the program was to reward middle and high schoolers who exhibit good or improved behavior. Throughout the fall, scholars earned spots to the event by displaying leadership skills, performing random acts of kindness, and showcasing social responsibility. They could also earn a spot through improved grades and attendance.
“We want to ensure all scholars have the opportunity to be rewarded,” Meghan Jones, Director of Development, said. “That’s why we felt it is very important to not only recognize the scholars with perfect grades and attendance, but also those who are working hard to improve.”
On December 18, the 80 winners from Wayside: Sci-Tech Middle School and Wayside: Sci-Tech High School gathered to create their custom Kendra Scott pieces. Working from a mobile version of Kendra Scott’s Color Bar, they designed and created earrings and necklaces to keep for themselves or gift to a loved one for the holidays.
“For some of our scholars, this is an opportunity to own a special piece of jewelry they otherwise may not be able to afford. Or, for many of our children, an opportunity to put something under the tree for their mom or someone special.”
This is not Kendra Scott’s first time working with Wayside Schools. Last year, the entrepreneur read to scholars at Wayside: REAL Learning Academy for World Book Day, and made a donation of $10,000 worth of Chromebooks and over 700 library books to the school.
“At Kendra Scott, one of our giving pillars is education,” Scott said. “We are invested in giving back to organizations who believe all children deserve access to proper education, resources and care.”
WAYSIDE FEATURED ON KXAN
HELP WAYSIDE EARN MONEY!
You can help Wayside earn money by shopping at retailers you may already frequent!
- Amazon: Use smile.amazon.com and specify Wayside Schools Foundation as your favorite charity. Amazon will donate 0.5% of all purchases to Wayside! Click this link to go to Wayside's charity page.
- Randalls: Link your Remarkable Card to Wayside Schools by filling out a Charity Addition/Deletion form on www.randalls.com. Wayside's organization number is 6997. Wayside will receive 1% of all purchases.
ALUMNI UPDATE
Just over three years ago, Wayside graduated its first senior class. While most scholars take four or more years to finish college, one of Wayside’s first grads has already earned her diploma.
Amie Chen graduated from St. Edward’s University with a degree in chemistry last spring. Though she started college as a pre-med biology major, she soon found a passion for chemistry, which she says integrates several sciences with technology.
Now, she works in the R&D department of Skorpios Technologies, a company that manufactures planar lightwave circuits (PLCs). Though she isn’t ruling out a Master’s Degree in the future, she says her focus right now is to gain experience in her field. Because of her chemistry degree, the job market is full of opportunities for Amie.
Amie says her years spent at Wayside: Sci-Tech Preparatory (now Wayside: Sci-Tech High School) helped motivate her to attend college and nurtured her love of the sciences. She also says that the close-knit STHS community and personalized attention were a welcome change from the larger, traditional public schools she attended previously.
While Amie is the first of Wayside’s college graduates, she won’t be the last. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Amie!
SUBS NEEDED!
Are you interested in working at your child’s school and making a direct impact on our scholars? Substitute teachers are a crucial part of our Wayside community, and needed for our teachers to attend training or take sick days. Currently, all substitutes earn $96/day and make a huge difference for our scholars and teachers. If this is not for you, refer a friend!
For more information about becoming a sub at Wayside, speak with your school’s front office, or visit our website to see the posting and apply online NOW! All applicants must pass a background check and meet all qualifications to be considered.