Hats Off to HOPE Academy Chapelside Campus

On October 22, 2009, HOPE Academy Chapelside Campus had a High School Fair in their gymnasium. The schools that participated included Cleveland Lutheran High School, Benedictine High School, Cleveland Central Catholic, St. Martin DePorres and local Blue Ribbon Schools. The goal of the High School Fair was for the students and parents to meet school representatives to determine what school would meet the students’ needs academically and socially. The parents and students were informed of open house and testing dates, along with tuition assistance information. The High School Fair was open to parents and students in grades 6-8.

Over 100 students and parents were in attendance for this event. The Council For Economic Opportunities In Greater Cleveland was also present to provide the families with Head Start information and Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) applications were available. The Scholastic Enrichment and Service Learning and Leadership students generously donated their time by making posters after school and encouraging students to participate in this event. The participants and guests had light refreshments, and thank you gifts for the school representatives were donated by Ms. Kristina Warstler and Mrs. Heather Sedlak, the coordinators of the Scholastic Enrichment and Service Learning Leadership students.

photo credit: Dean Terry

White Hat’s 2009 United Way Campaign

Once again, White Hat Management is proud to extend the gift of giving through United Way to its employees!  This year’s annual 2009 United Way Campaign will be held November 16 – 25, 2009 with a goal of $20,000 worth of pledges.

People like to help, but they don’t always know the best way to do it.  One of the amazing services of United Way is that the donor gets to designate where their donations are allocated!  Donors can specify a cause that is near and dear to their heart by selecting local agencies and programs that are supported by local United Way agencies across the country.  All pledges from White Hat Management employees will be filtered through the corporate office for campaign tracking, and 100% of donations will go back to the local United Way agency in the donor’s community.

On behalf of the Brennan’s, the Executive team, and the United Way Committee, White Hat Management wishes you and your family the very best this Thanksgiving season!

Hats Off to Zechariah Ciccone & Jarad Miller

Ohio Distance & Electronic Learning Academy (OHDELA)

Each year, the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools (OAPCS) hosts an Art, Poetry and Essay contest. This year, two students from the Ohio Distance & Electronic Learning Academy (OHDELA) were recognized for their efforts in this contest. Zechariah Ciccone earned second place for the OAPCS 2008 Essay contest while Jarad Miller placed third in the essay contest.

The winners were chosen by a group of individuals to judge all areas of the contest. OAPCS picks the three top scores in each area and each grade group.

Please join us in congratulating these students for their hard work!

photo credit: surrealmuse

Hats Off to Jose Sales

LifeSkills Miami-Dade
“LIFE, two, three, four,
SKILLS, two, three, four…”

Jose Salas knew some day he would march to the cadence of an Army drill because he decided early in life to serve his nation by joining the United States Army. It turned out to be a tough journey for Jose, but one that prepared him well for his military career. A series of unfortunate events resulted in Jose’s emancipation from his parents at age 16. Living alone, Jose had to work full time in order to support himself. Although a gifted student at Miami Senior High School, Jose was unable to attend his afternoon classes due to his work schedule and fell behind in school.

Undaunted and determined to graduate on time so that he could enter Basic Training as scheduled, Jose decided to attend the Miami-Dade LifeSkills. He credits the program at LifeSkills with providing exactly what he needed. As so many other gifted students experience, he felt held back by the pace in his traditional school. At LifeSkills, he was provided with a graduation plan that enabled him to excel. It offered the flexibility he needed to complete his education at his own pace and at times he was able to attend. Jose dedicated himself to graduation and often attended both academic sessions on his days off.

Jose graduated on time in June of 2008. He credits the teachers and staffs at the Miami-Dade LifeSkills for helping him achieve his desire to serve our Nation. Jose currently serves in the United States Army as an Imagery Analyst assigned to the Military Intelligence Corps. Jose routinely works with Army Interrogators and Intelligence Analysts to prepare combatants for missions and helps to keep the United States free and strong. Jose will be leaving for Iraq in February 2010. We know he will continue to march to the cadence he loves for some time to come.

photo credit: The U.S. Army