From Jessica's Computer: A heart warming story

THIS MAN SELLS PIZZA FOR JUST $1…THEN I REALIZED WHY, AND IT WARMED MY HEART

January 16, 2015 / Markus Seward / Awesome, Entertainment

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This is Mason Wartman:

Mason quit his work on Wall Street to launch his pizza business in Philadelphia.

In his restaurant, Rosa’s Fresh Pizza located in Center City Philadelphia, a slice of pizza costs just $1.

His customers started paying extra money to buy slices of pizza for the next person. Every time that happened, a post-it was pinned to the wall.

Any time a hungry person comes in, they can simply grab a post-it off the wall to pay for their meal.

Mason’s restaurant feeds around 40 homeless people each day. His generosity has changed the lives of many people in need, like this man, who left this thank you note:

I think this is a great story. We need more people like Mason in this world

Where:  Quail Springs Theater 

When:  Sunday, February 1st, Time: 12:25 p.m.  Tickets cost $8.44

What: Viewing of the movie SELMA and facilitation of discussion after the movie by YLOKC.  Bring money for your ticket. Bring friends and family members. 

Cleats-4-Kids Receiving Donations at Casady/HH Boys Varsity BB Game

The Casady Faith group,Casady Cleats-4-Kids Youth Board Members, the Casady YAC (Youth Acting in the Community) and Upper Division Student Council invited families from all divisions to participate in a charity competition between Casady School and Heritage Hall, benefiting Cleats for Kids.

In the competition students were encouraged to bring to school any gently-used sports gear including cleats, basketball shoes, running and tennis shoes, shin guards, children’s size golf clubs, baseball gear, tennis rackets and balls, and other sports shoes and equipment. These items will be donated to organizations that revitalize them and give them to groups that help children with financial challenges. There were Cleats for Kids (C4K) bins in the Middle Division lobby as well as Bennett Athletic Center to receive the students' items.

For Casady Middle Division students, this is also a House Competition. Woolsey, Tabor, Martin, and Kelly, will demonstrate which House can bring the most items.

The items from each school  were on display at Heritage Hall on Tuesday evening for the JV, Varsity basketball games and wrestling competitions.  No winners were declared, it was just a collaborative effort for a great cause. 

video

LETTER FROM CASADY CLEATS-4-KIDS YOUTH BOARD MEMBERS

THANK YOU TO THE MIDDLE DIVISION FOR SUCH A HUGE DONATION

Sports provides kids a way to strengthen their bodies, minds and character. Every child should be able to have access to sports shoes and safe sports equipment. Sports may be just the thing that helps to change a child’s life whether it is by improving their health, character or just giving them a fun hobby. However, too many kids cannot afford sports shoes, uniforms or equipment. In Oklahoma, one out of every four families lives in poverty. Those kids may never get to play sports without Cleats for Kids help.

Now, it is your turn to help. If you have any used sports shoes (tennis, cleats, etc), please drop them off in the Upper Division Student Center or in Bennett Athletic Center in the marked blue bins. 

Casady will be competing with Heritage Hall to see who can collect the most shoes before the Heritage Casady Basketball Game on January 27th. Bring your shoes for a great cause! 

Jack Trachtenberg
Jay Bozalis, and Ellen Payne 
OK Cleats-4-Kids Youth Board

YAC meeting 1/27/2015

Agenda with Minutes by Johnny

1. Battle on Penn Avenue Cleats-4-Kids and B-day Party on Feb. 9th
Cleats for kids tonight
Birthday party- email Miranda for questions

2.  Fedex-Strategic Planning Time Report  Sydney ran the meeting
- YAC's WHY  Inspires Others to Find their Passion to Serve
-Executive Board 2015-2016: Working on job descriptions
-YAC T-on parking lot
-YAC Logo - Marketing Purposes On parking lot

-Calendar
Dodgeball tournament ....have to bring 5 books to enter
Metropolitan library...possible resource

April 1st..stuco hosting walk a thon
YAC station

Dillon-tennis clinic @ boys and girls club
Possible racquet drive...any kind/type/size
Dillon-tennis clinic @ boys and girls club
Possible racquet drive...any kind/type/size

3. Service-Learning Office Announcements
a. YLX Applications available now at Casady Places to Serve Blog

b. National Service-Learning Conference - Mrs. Clay and Mrs. O'Melia attending
*April 7-12th, DC

c. National Volunteer Week:  April 12-18, 2015
* Presidential Awards @ Chapel
*Seniors Ice Cream Social if finished with requirement
*Celebration of Service- What will it look like this year?

April 12th Mrs. Clay/other teachers offering places for students to go

April 13th week- national volunteer week

April 18-19th apply for grant ideas for global youth service day

* Global Youth Service Days (GYSD)  April 17-19  Disney Grants Deadline February 18

Disney Friends for Change Grants - U.S.

Deadline: February 18 

Disney Friends for Change Grants offer young change-makers $500 to gather their friends and turn their creative ideas to help their communities into projects taking place on or around Global Youth Service Day - April 17-19, 2015. Whether protecting the planet, providing food to hungry people, helping other kids learn, or promoting healthy behaviors, Friends for Change help make their communities greener, safer, smarter, healthier, cleaner, and fairer.  Youth ages 5-18 located in all 50 states and DC are eligible. Apply and turn your idea from a dream into reality:www.YSA.org/disney_friends_for_change_us_grants  

4. February is Black History Month
a. Sunday, February 1st:  YLOKC SELMA SCREENING@ Penn Square, 12:45 or later showing.  Discussion facilitated by YLOKC following the screening
Youthleadokc Selma February 1st afternoon.  Sydney motivated people to attend

b. Saturday, February 7th, 6:00-8:40 PM  $15 tickets, limited seating
OKC Children of the Civil Rights Documentary Screening

5. February Service-Learning Happenings
a.  February 4th  12:30 -2:00  Mr. Ranbolt at Casady School
12:30-12:45 Mr. Rainbolt meets with Mrs. Clay at the Wing
12:50- 1:20  Mr. Rainbolt has lunch with available YAC Members and Mr. Walter @ Calvert
1:30-2:30  Mr. Rainbolt has a tour of Casady's new facilities by Mr. Sheldon

b.  Random Acts of Kindness Week (RAK Week- Charter for Compassion Education Initiatives)  The Kindness Bench-Picnic Table??? On Parking lot

c. Senior completion of requirement

Announcements-4-YAC'S Consideration

1. Invitation for YLOKC and OKC Community

AT the Oklahoma History Center
Saturday, February 7, 2015, 
6:40PM-8:40 PM
Tickets : $15 per person
Proceeds pay for rights to use archival photographs from national film houses and archival film footage from OK-Channel Four TV Station.Reservations required limited seating.  Contact: Julia Clifford at 360-305-7837 for ticket reservations.  Carmen attending.


PROGRAM AND SILENT AUCTION
6:00 PM:  Meet and Greet, Wine and Cheese for adults.  Silent Auction starts
6:40  PM: Introduction of the film project
7:00 PM Premiere Screening of Children of the Civil Rights
8:00 PM Discussion/ Q&A with film crew and "children" interviewed with journalist George Tomek
8:40 PM Silent Auction ends
9:00 PM Event ends

A Word from the parents of the Director of the film

February has been designated “Black History Month

Our daughter went through school and was educated in Oklahoma. During this period, her Oklahoma history and social studies classes never mentioned the sit-ins in Oklahoma City, what caused them or their importance to the following generations. She only heard about this part of our history many years after graduation, informally, over a cup of coffee. It simply wasn't included as part of the standard educational curriculum of the day.

With this realization in hand, Julia's curiosity led her to explore this part of Oklahoma City's past on her own. In the process she met with and interviewed people who were personally involved in this effort - - the young Black kids who demonstrated, members of the Oklahoma City downtown police detachment responsible for the public safety of all concerned and the news people who covered their stories. 

Her journey enabled her to compare the Oklahoma City experience with race relations in Birmingham, Atlanta and Selma through film footage and personal interviews with Julian Bond and Congressman John Lewis. 

On Saturday, February 7th, nearly eight years after that cup of coffee, the documentary film she created to tell the story “Children of the Civil Rights” will be presented at the Oklahoma History Center. 

Bringing this story to today's classroom curriculum is a major part of Julia's ambition. Today's young people simply need to understand our recent history as they go about shaping the future of this City, State and Nation. To not know increases the likelihood of repeating the past as they face the challenge of building a resident society whose characteristics are globally diverse... racially, economically, culturally, and in its religious beliefs. 

Intolerance has become a political tool that's used to divide any “them” who are different from “us”. As a Nation, this is unacceptable. The “Children of the Civil Rights” documentary is an attempt to view social diversity as a value that sits “minute to minute on the razor edge of jeopardy”.

This reality needs to be made a formal part of the educational curriculum in our schools - - public and private. This documentary meets the Oklahoma Department of Education standards for use in Social Studies and Oklahoma History classrooms. Recounting the experience of our past to our future leaders is serious business. It's important!

2. Respect Diversity Foundation requests YLOKC teens to consider volunteering to usher at 4 screenings of  Muslim/Jewish movies.  The dates for the four events (screenings and discussions) are on Sundays:  March 22,  June 14,  August 9,  November 15.  The time for these events is 2-5 pm.   The films will be shown on a rotating basis at the Temple, Mosque and Synagogue.

3. Charter for Compassion Representative, Rebecca requests time in the agenda to share her OKC initiative.

YAC FEDEX-Strategic Planning 9-12 Casady Woolsey Wing

 Attendance
Seniors:  Jessica, Sidney, Taylor,
Juniors:  Aubrey, Dylan
Sophomores:  None
Freshmen:  Natalie
Adults: Mr. Evan Walter, Mrs. Carmen Clay

Continental breakfast and thank you lunch provided courtesy of the Service-Learning Program (Rainbolt Endowment Fund): Thank you lunch for Mr. Walter@ Grand House at 12:30. Cost:  Breakfast: 39.40 with food available for Tuesday meeting.  Lunch for 3: $36

Agenda by Mr. Walter. Minutes by Mrs. Clay

Welcome
-Introductions

YAC is only as strong as the people here!
- Why YAC?
- Mr. Walter compared YAC to his job as a fundraiser for Casady School
-Mr. Walter asked why does YAC exist and why are you involved?

Inspirational Video
- Simon Sinek:  How Great Leaders Inspire Action
- Leaders think, act and communicate the same way:  The Golden Circle
- Do business with people who believe in what you believe
- THE WHY has to feel right, needs to get people who believe in what you believe!
- LEADERS are in position of power.
- THOSE WHO LEAD: INSPIRE US, NOT FOR THEM, BUT FOR OURSELVES
-STRATEGIC PLANNING STARTS WITH THE WHY!

BRAINSTORMING  WHY YAC
-Inspire the community to give back
-Show people that you have the ability and the resources and you could use them to give back
-Giving "the kids" the opportunity to be successful
-Addressing community needs
-Make every kid smile

Why YAC?  
Youth Acting in the Community: Inspires others to find their passion to serve

Calendar for the rest of the year   Theme: Children
February-March: Literacy
April: Walk-A-Thon
May: Tennis Clinic
Details will be handled at YAC meetings and E-Board meetings

YAC Officers - E-PLANNING TEAMS:  IN PARKING LOT: DEFINITION OF POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES.  
Suggestion to have teams leading!

CO-PRESIDENTS: Main speakers, leadership, ownership - Seniors

Co-VP's: Familiar with all different areas - Juniors

Archives Team: Secretary  Any grade

Ways and Means Team: Treasurer  Any grade.  Position handling money has to have checks and balances.  Fall Fest Funding. $100 from S-L per month ($900 per year.  If not used by YAC, money is used for operating the service-learning office)

Communications Team: Social Chair  Any grade

Membership Team:  Leader should be a sophomore
-Freshman Chairs/Reps
-Sophomore Chairs/Reps
-Junior Chairs/Reps
-Freshmen Chairs/Reps

YAC Membership: Teens Acting in the Community

Original t-shirt for National Volunteer Week:  Will talk to YAC about earlier t-shirt
Original logo with mission vision and purpose:  In parking lot

video

Sports provides kids a way to strengthen their bodies, minds and character. Every child should be able to have access to sports shoes and safe sports equipment. Sports may be just the thing that helps to change a child’s life whether it is by improving their health, character or just giving them a fun hobby. However, too many kids cannot afford sports shoes, uniforms or equipment. In Oklahoma, one out of every four families lives in poverty. Those kids may never get to play sports without Cleats for Kids help.

Now, it is your turn to help. If you have any used sports shoes (tennis, cleats, etc), please drop them off in the Upper Division Student Center or in Bennett Athletic Center in the marked blue bins. 

Casady will be competing with Heritage Hall to see who can collect the most shoes before the Heritage Casady Basketball Game on January 27th. Bring your shoes for a great cause! 

Jack Trachtenberg, Jay Bozalis, and Ellen Payne, OK Cleats-4-Kids Youth Board

MLK DAY 2015 @ Food Bank: 17,890 meals packed, Footloose Rehearsal

 

Casady's Community Service-Learning Group of students led the volunteer efforts at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Volunteers included 67 teens throughout the day. They packed 21,468 pounds of food, which included 82 cases of crackers, 46 cases of cereal, 86 cases of snacks, 46 cases of cookies, and 199 packaged meals for the Food-4-Kids Backpack Program. This equaled a grand total of 17,890 equivalent meals. 

Casady's Youth Acting in the Community (YAC Service Learning Group) and Youth LEADOKCasady (Leaders Engaging Across Differences) welcomed teens from Casady Upper, Middle and Lower Division, Mercy School Institute, Heritage Hall High School, US Grant High School, Edmond Santa Fe, Norman North, and Oklahoma School of Science and Math to help in the effort.  Casady YAC/Youth LEADOKCasady hosts were teens, Johnny Lee'17 and Sidney Jones'15.  Kat Reynolds'18 facilitated the pizza lunch- a generous donation from UD Principal, Dr. Jon Powell- and the delivery of the prizes for the "Disney Contest."  The pizza was ordered by YAC Freshman Chair, Kira, who was unable to attend the day of service.  Kat also developed a playlist of songs which were played during working shifts, at breaks and lunch. 



 The prizes of the Disney Contest were $15 gift Sonic cards.  

The judge of the contest was the Food Bank Volunteer Coordinator, Mr. Tyler Griffin. The funding for the cards came from Casady YAC monies raised during Fall Fest provided by YAC Treasurer, Taylor Burrow'15

 Other small groups @ the Food Bank on the MLK Day of Service who served with the Cyclone teams were: an OU fraternity, an African American Sorority, a group of volunteers from UCO, a group of home school children and a group of Americorps.  Special thanks to Coach Jim Bonfiglio and Mrs. Carmen Clay for bringing friends and family to volunteer on MLK Day 2015 @ the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

Natalie H'18 and Tara R.'18 facilitated the reflective component of the day. Natalie asked the question: "What are your goals and hopes for the day?"  Participants responded on post-it notes:  "To put an end to famine, eat pizza, I would like to help more people, to help others in need, to feed the children who do not have food without school, to help those in need, less people will be hungry, save a life, pack food, to have one less family be hungry, Y.B. was here, get a lot of food packed, to serve in my community, to help someone I do not know, get a lot of food packed, packed food, make sure a child would not go hungry, help a child in need, to help fight hunger in the community, to feed at least 100 people, help however I can, to feed people, give food, do what I can, to ensure a future for promising Okies."

Tara asked the question: "How did your work impact the community?"  Participants responded in post-it notes placed on a big sign made by Mrs. Thompson, LD art teacher that said:  YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!.  The responses were:  "Helping children of Oklahoma, feeding Oklahomans, gave about 5 tons worth of food, help a child grow, feed the children, packed Oreos!.  We helped give food to those in need, Gave Food!"

Pictures of the day were taken by YAC Junior Chair and STUCO Rep, Dylan Dobson'16, Carmen Clay'74, and Shannon Presti, YLOKC CEO.

Afternoon Shift at the Food Bank on MLK Day National Day of Service 9/19/2015
Casady YAC, Youth LEADOKCasady, Mercy School Institute, YLOKCMercy, Heritag Hall High School
Americorps, not in the picture HOME SCHOOL OKC - Taking tour of Food Bank.

Photos by Shannon Presti, YLOKC CEO and Director of Teen Initiatives of the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City

Footloose Rehearsals on MLK Day 2015 @ Casady Schoool:  Jessica Greene'15, YAC Co-President and member of the Footloose Cast reported that for  8 hours a group of 20 Cyclones rehearsed songs and dances for the upcoming performance of Footloose.  The YAC Footloose Cyclones' goal is to advocate for the arts in OKC schools.  Performers will invite viewers of all ages to the performances.  There will be a special performance for the Special Care children.  Elderly residents of nearby Independent Living facilities are also going to be invited and hosted by Casady YAC members.  Date and time TBA

Why Bother with the Arts? By Professor Carol on Jan 29, 2015 07:26 am Böttcher, The Music Lesson (1860) There are compelling reasons to learn about the arts, and we discuss a lot of them at the Circle of Scholars. I was listening to Andrew Pudewa, as I often do, and latched onto something he said: You can’t get something out of a brain that isn’t in there to begin with. This is similar to what people like to say about computers: garbage in, garbage out. You can’t expect a computer to refine your data. If you feed in junk data, the computer will churn out junk results. Now, what’s true about computers isn’t necessarily true for humans, but in this case I think it is. The arts are an immensely rich source of good data. Figuring out how to perceive and analyze a painting, a theatrical monologue, or a piece by Brahms puts “something” real into the brain—a lot of something! The arts fill our brains with challenging ideas, our hearts with emotion, and our souls with depth and beauty. Wouldn’t it be nice if more of that were being churned out by our culture? And it’s not hard to do this. Kids (or you, for that matter) don’t have to play an instrument, dance, act, or paint to be part of this richness. Nor do you have to be talented, super smart, or financially privileged to do this. You just have to take the first step of wanting to learn. Let’s fill minds with the challenge and beauty found in the arts. It’s a grand journey. The post Why Bother with the Arts? appeared first on Professor Carol.