Partners in Education – Adopter Partner Contributions

Why Adopt a School

Partnerships with Jackson's schools is mutually beneficially. When asked why they value their Adopter partnership experience, JPS Adopters responded that the partnership:

• Gives us an oppotunity to serve our community and make a difference in the lives of children
• Allows us to give something back to the community
• Helps us stay connected to and responsive to families in our neighborhood
• Enriches our lives by the relationships we have with individual children
• Allows us to mento students who may later become our employees
• Makes it possible for us to show students we are concerned for their well being
• Re-enforces the value of education in the workplace; and
• Keeps us young!

Adopter School Improvement Projects

School Improvement Projects that have been addressed by partners include:

• Increasing student attendance
• Making renovations to facilities
• Increasing PTA membership
• Landscaping campus grounds
• Motivating student achievement
• Impacting school involvement in community service
• Raising reading levels
• Improving the school climate

Adopter Contributions

Here are just some of the ways our many adopter partners supported our schools and contributed to their specific needs in past school years:

• Served as math tutors
• Served as Site Council members
• Provided PTA door prizes
• Presentation at Parent Teacher Conference Day
• Funding to renew licenses of expired computer software
• Ate with students
• Judged Reading Fair
• Sponsored pizza party for Math Busters winning class
• Judged pumpkin storybook character contest
• Awards for students mid-year
• Judged Spelling Bee
• Judged Science Fair
• Sponsored Black History Day activities
• Served as readers for Read Across America Day
• Beautified the school campus
• Hosted field trip to sing at another adopter’s church
• Recognized teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week
• Provided school supplies
• Helped with Girl and Boy Scouts at school
• Provided stickers for incentives
• Donated food baskets for needy families
• Sponsored Christmas brunch for staff
• Provided certificates for high achievers
• Provided snacks for staff during testing
• Provided pencils for students for testing
• Served as test monitors
• Provided gift certificates for high grades, attendance
• Participated in May Day
• Recognized Teacher of the Month
• Provided Accelerated Reader certificates
• Provided healthy lifestyle and physical activity lessons
• Professional development on cultural competency
• Provided kick balls for each class
• Provided Most Improved Reader Award
• Sponsored Parent Teacher Appreciation luncheon
• Held Teach a Child to Save program
• Provided popsicles for MCT test takers
• Provided Honor Roll certificates
• Funded a $1,000 cash endowment
• Provided beverages for a special event at the school
• Provided flowers for teacher recognition winners
• Provided tents for end-of-year field day
• Hosted a luncheon for teachers and staff at the end of the year
• Supplied school uniforms
• Mentored students
• Assisted with outdoor classroom planning
• Served as campus/parent liaison
• Provided student tours of businesses
• Provided and served breakfast for staff
• Provided balloons for 5th grade program
• Recognized (plaques, certificates, gift cards) outstanding 5th grade boy and 5th grade girl
• Provided summer reading books for 5th grade students
• Provided lunch for good citizenship students
• Served as speaker for young men and women of distinction about etiquette and manners
• Decorated for holidays and other events at school
• Held pizza parties for classes with best attendance, most improved or other behavior to be recognized
• Provided furniture for school teachers’ lounge and classrooms
• Participated in National School Lunch Week wellness walk
• Hosted a social for students
• Coordinated a health fair for students, parents, community members
• Helped purchase school t-shirts for students
• Provided t-shirts for students from place of business
• Served as Book Buddies
• Held a celebration picnic
• Participated in Christmas Card project: students designed holiday cards and adopter chooses one design to use for their business holiday cards
• Sponsored pancake breakfasts for parents
• Assisted in funding a field trip to zoo
• Supported, coached, assisted with the Challenge Bowl team
• Assisted in planning and constructing landscaping projects
• Provided moon jump for field day or other activities
• Hosted Class Day program
• Printed programs for meetings and events
• Created a hallway bulletin board
• Provided bus transportation for community service project at a nursing home
• Assisted with Academic Quiz Bowl
• Assisted in preparing students for the chess tournament
• Provided breakfast and/or lunch for Saturday tutoring
• Updated display cabinet
• Supplied Donuts for Dads and Muffins for Moms
• Brought Santa and gifts to school
• Assisted with publicity for school
• Brought New Stage to school for presentation
• Provided after school patrol
• Provided belts for students
• Planned and implemented Make a Difference Day activities
• Recognized principals on Boss’s Day
• Sponsored Men Empowering Men programs
• Sponsored Girls’ Night Out for students
• Celebrated Dr. Suess’ Birthday
• Hosted a mother-daughter breakfast
• Donated magazines for parent center, classrooms, teachers’ lounge
• Supplied survival kits for school staff
• Gave holiday gifts
• Recognized office staff for Secretaries’ Day
• Held coat drives
• Established a Good News Club
• Sponsored Valentine’s Day parties
• Sponsored Celebrity Day
• Assisted with Red Ribbon events
• Provided turkeys for families
• Made portraits for staff and students for Christmas
• Hosted awards banquet
• Provided speakers for classes and programs
• Participated in Blue Ribbon School celebration
• Served as spelling bee judges
• Planned and participated in dropout prevention programs
• Sponsored job shadowing events
• Held art contest for Black History Month
• Assisted with fishing rodeo
• Taught lesson on banking skills
• Helped with school clean–up day
• Adopters displayed student art work
• Purchased an adopter bulletin board for the school
• Sponsored casual Fridays
• Assisted with Parent Education Night
• McGruff the Crime Dog provided Halloween safety tips
• Participated in College Spirit Day
• Assisted with Fall Festival
• Fire Department provided fire safety tips
• Parks and Recreation Department supplied picnic tables, basketball goals, balls, and volleyball nets
• Volunteers helped with concessions
• Provided American Education Week gifts
• Sponsored Take Your Child to Work Day
• Sponsored field trip to Planetarium and Mynelle gardens
• Held talent show
• Sponsored Earth Day activities
• Held MCT rally
• Conducted garden and recycling projects
• Served as motivational speakers
• Participated in Bobcat Trail dedication
• Participated in Cultural Fair
• Provided media coverage
• Provided Weather School
• Sponsored Smarty Pants visit
• Held voter registration drive
• Promoted professional dress campaign
• Participated in Homecoming parade
• Participated in senior orientation
• Held benefit basketball game
• Organized Young Managers’ Day
• Supported prom festivities
• Served as senior seminar judges
• Provided Class Night awards
• Supplied backpacks for students
• Held Teach a Child to Save programs
• Provided back-to-school supply bags for teachers
• Provided Professional Development incentives for teachers
• Provided Here On Time (H.O.T.S.) incentives
• Sponsored Reject All Tobacco (R.A.T.) program
• Sponsored girl empowerment program
• Provided fitness training
• Contributed monetary donations
• Held mock interviews
• Sponsored seatbelt awareness campaigns
• Weighed and measured students
• Sponsored duty-free lunch for teachers
• Participated in Wellness Walk
• Served as Study Buddies
• Donated books for summer reading program
• Donated piano
• Sponsored a Reality Fair
• Sponsored trip to New Stage for 5th graders to see “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing”
• Performed a trial of the Big Bad Wolfe for National Law Day
• Provided water and mints for students during MCt2 testing (research-based mental stimulants)
• Planned and coordinated field day activities: games, treats, souvenirs, volunteers, dunking booth, space jumps, catered lunch
• Presented Good Works Award to staff
• Contributed to building a playground

JPS adopters also participated in a number of joint community service projects, including:

• Diabetes Walk-a-thon
• Christmas in Haiti
• Food for Animal Shelter
• Canned Food Drive
• Clean up Jackson
• Blood Drive
• Toys for Tots
• Juvenile Diabetes Walk
• Emergency Personal Kits for Red Cross