January 2011

The year has gotten off to an interesting start at KIPP Charlotte! Just as we were starting to get back in the swing of things, snowstorm 2011 caught us all off-guard. The school was closed for three days, but the students and staff have done a great job transitioning back to normal.

Please join us in extending congratulations to Davey A. (2015) who has been accepted via early decision to Christ School, an all boys boarding school in Asheville, NC. He is the first member of the Pride of 2015 to receive an acceptance letter, and we expect many more will follow!

Warm regards,
Keith Burnam and Tiffany Flowers-Washington
Co-Founders and School Leaders

MENTORING PROGRAM
Eighth graders and fifth graders working together

Most of us can remember how difficult the transition to middle school can be. Teachers suddenly expect more of you, you go to different classes for each subject, and many of your friends attend different schools.

It can be a rocky road to navigate alone.

To ease the transition for some students who are struggling more than others, Karen Young (Dean of Students) and Blake Zimmerman (EC Coordinator) have teamed up to create the Fifth Grade Mentor Program.
Nelson Delgado and Michael Cole
Michael C. (2018; right) and his mentor Nelson D. (2015) discuss sports and Michael’s upcoming fieldtrip to UNC Charlotte.

This school year Young was appointed to the new position of Dean of Students at KIPP Charlotte. One of her main goals is to improve the overall culture of the school. She conceived of the idea for a peer mentoring program to help realize this goal. Zimmerman joined her to create the program because he shares her excitement and is familiar with the needs of the fifth-grade team.

Zimmerman worked with the fifth grade teachers to identify students who regularly pose behavioral problems and have consistently low weekly paychecks. Each of the ten fifth graders are paired with an eighth-grade student, most of whom “were shaky in the beginning and have blossomed into the KIPP culture,” Young explains.

Young and Zimmerman instruct the mentors to focus on building relationships with their mentees, and behavioral improvements will follow. Zimmerman stresses that he and Young want to “make sure the students are invested in each other.” Young agrees, saying that the fifth graders need to see that “someone besides their families and teachers care about them.”

Iyanna Richardson and Shalonda King
Iyanna R. (2015; left) and her mentee Shalonda K. (2018) discussing Shalonda’s paycheck. The two have developed a sisterly bond.

The expectation is that all of the students involved will benefit from the program. fifth graders will have guidance and support that they may otherwise lack, while eighth graders will hone leadership skills and be given opportunities for introspection. Furthermore, Young hopes that the “eighth-grade students can leave a legacy at the school.”

The biggest struggle so far has been finding time for all of the students to meet. This month they began meeting for half an hour four times a week. Zimmerman and Young hope that as the program continues in future years they will be able to find more time for the mentors and mentees to bond, including Sunday ice cream socials and other events.

Zimmerman and Young are pleased with the results so far. “The fifth graders look forward to seeing their mentors,” Zimmerman says, and several of the students are already beginning to forge positive relationships.

Going forward, the size of the program will be determined by the needs of the incoming fifth graders. Young and Zimmerman will identify rising eighth-grade leaders and train them to act as mentors. The program will help students make the transition to middle school and foster a familial culture at KIPP Charlotte.

BASKETBALL
girls basketball
KIPP Charlotte girls record first ever team win
KIPP Charlotte Pride of Lions

On January 8, KIPP Charlotte’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams debuted their brand new uniforms.

The girls’ team beat Lake Norman Christian, winning the first game in team history!

The boys’ team faced tough competition in the Queen City Thunder and the CBA Bulldogs. They held their own against two great teams.

KIPP boys basketball
The KIPP Charlotte boys played hard in their new uniforms

SHINING KIPPSTERS

Congratulations to the Shining KIPPsters for December 2010:

Nyaria A. (2018), Ada P. (2017), Rashon G. (2016), Ben Z. (2016), Mariah W. (2015), and Miguel H. (2015).

These students have their names posted on the marquee outside the school as a testimony of our pride in their success!

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 28: 2nd Quarter Principal’s List Luncheon

February 5: Mandatory Saturday School; Parent Meeting