Message-ID: <26798413.1075860855690.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 11:55:52 -0700 (PDT) From: geneva.davis@enron.com To: kevin.hyatt@enron.com, lesli.campbell@enron.com, lillian.villarreal@enron.com Subject: FW: Gordon Elementary School Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Davis, Geneva X-To: Hyatt, Kevin , Campbell, Lesli , Villarreal, Lillian X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Kevin_Hyatt_Mar2002\Hyatt, Kevin\Enron Kids X-Origin: Hyatt-K X-FileName: khyatt (Non-Privileged).pst Here is what Gordon sent us, I will present to the group at the next meeting -----Original Message----- From: "Stryker, Anne E" @ENRON [mailto:IMCEANOTES-+22Stryker+2C+20Anne+20E+22+20+3CASTRYKER+40houstonisd+2Eorg+3E+40ENRON@ENRON.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2001 12:37 PM To: 'gdavis2@enron.com' Subject: FW: Gordon Elementary School Geneva - this is the overview of Gordon. Let me know if I can provide any additional information. ANNE E. STRYKER Title I Coordinator Maud W. Gordon Elementary 713-295-3767 > ---------- > From: Brenner, Arlene > Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2001 12:01 PM > To: Stryker, Anne E > Subject: Gordon Elementary School > > Gordon Elementary School which is located in Bellaire, is an HISD school > which is used solely as a relief school for the overcrowded and capped > schools in Southwest Houston. Everyone of the 500+ students who attend > Gordon is bused to the school from the Gulfton, Fondren Southwest and > Westbury areas. These children who attend classes from kindergarten to > fifth grade come from families that are primarily immigrants, refugees, > and first generation Americans. They represent every inhabited continent > except Australia (so far). All of Latin America has been represented at > our school including the Caribbean, as are most of the major Asian nations > such as India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Mainland China. European and Middle > Eastern countries such as Bosnia, Kosovo, Saudi Arabia, and Iran have also > been represented. At last count, we have enrolled children from more than > ten Africa countries including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sierra Leone, > and Nigeria. We also have American born inner city children as well. > However, our school is overwhelming Hispanic which at last count was 77 > per cent. In term of needs, although most of our families have one or > more parents working, the number of students receiving free or reduced > lunch this year was 98. 2 per cent which is down from last years figures > of 99 per cent. We have had 100 per cent in years pass as well. These > numbers indicate the percentage of families below the poverty level. As a > result, we provide students with free or reduced lunch and breakfast each > day. We also provide a free extended day program. What that means is that > some of our children get on buses as early as 6:15 a.m. and don't return > home until almost 6:00 p.m. What we have discovered over the years is that > the needs don't stop there. We have learned to stock or attempt to supply > all sorts of items. We try to stock RID over the counter head lice > treatment as well as underwear and socks for little ones who have > accidents. We have an on going need for school supplies, children's' > shirts, blouses, slacks and jumpers, as well as sweaters and jackets for > Houston's short winter. We try to give each student one gift at Christmas > because we discovered that many families don't have the money to provide > their children with more than the basics. We try to collect used bicycles > to give away as door prizes for our family math and family reading nights > to encourage parents to get involve in school. Both our library and > classrooms are in need of literature books both in English and in Spanish. > We do not have a PTO, so we have to find other sources to provide treats > for field day or field trips or special day activities. We are always in > need of tutors. We struggle to support our own home grown soccer league. > We take the funds we collect from our Fall Festival (Halloween Carnival) > to pay for a school wide field trip to the Oil Ranch which gives children > an opportunity to see cows and chickens and cattle and to paddleboat on a > lake. We pay for those children who cannot afford the $5 admission fee and > we pay for the bus transportation. We try to underwrite the cost of buses > for field trips and we raise funds for cultural performances such as > plays, or musical performances because we realize this is the only > exposure most of our children experience. We have been slowly > incorporating MacIntosh computers into classrooms and are always in need > of assistance in that area especially for the upper grades. We have wanted > for a long time to plant bushes around our 9 t-buildings to make our > campus more attractive for our children because so many of them stare at > concrete apartment surroundings. On a personal level, I wish I could > provide my teachers with tokens of appreciation that PTOs so often give to > teachers but I have only sporadically been able to accomplish this. Most > of all, I sincerely believe that we need the support of caring people like > the wonderful folks at Temple Emanu El whose kindness we can never repay. > > >