Volunteers spent a recent Sunday afternoon at Simon Middle School (seen here) and Chapa Middle School, giving the Communities in Schools rooms in those two campuses a complete makeover. The volunteers were from Austin New Church and North Hills Community Church in Austin. (Courtesy photo)

by JIM CULLEN

Those familiar with local schools’ Communities in Schools services know full well the positive impact those services have on students’ lives and education. Students utilizing those services at both Chapa and Simon middle schools had an even more positive surprise last week when they returned to find brightly remodeled rooms.

Communities in Schools, Inc. is a dropout prevention program. Its self-described goal is to create “a network of volunteers, social services, businesses, and community resources that work together to break down barriers and help students succeed.”  What local school district personnel know is that on campuses where CIS has a presence, students naturally gravitate to welcoming staffers and a safe environment.

Still young as school campuses go, Chapa and Simon middle schools’ CIS rooms nonetheless lent themselves to the CIS Room Makeover Program, overseen by Alissa Magrum, the organization’s director of volunteer services and community partnerships.

Magrum matched the schools with volunteers from Austin New Church and North Hills Community Church and the results were remarkable.

Volunteers turned out on a Sunday afternoon in large enough numbers to create noticeably “new and improved” CIS room environments for the students under Chapa’s Aileen Hays and Simon’s Melissa Sustaita. The wish list, for instance, that Sustaita had submitted was for “softer lighting, greenery, separate places for group and individual meetings, privacy for those areas and an inviting place with some color.”

Chapa principal Lisa Walls and Simon principal Michelle Chae expressed similar sentiments of appreciation for the makeovers. Walls says, “They completely turned our CIS room into a warm and cozy looking room where our kids can feel safe and comfortable. We’re thankful to be part of the CIS community and we’re so grateful to the many volunteers who helped.” Chae echoes Walls and adds that “CIS is a a key part of what we do at Simon.”