Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
DID YOU KNOW.....
. . . that the Maria Kaupas Center welcomed friends, supporters, and dignitaries to its
first open house on September 25, 2014?
Past, present, and (hopefully) future supporters came to see the MKC mission come alive.
WE ARE MKC
Keynote speakers Chicago City Clerk Susanna Mendoza and Illinois Appellate Court Justice Jesse Reyes were joined by
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, Representative Dan Burke, and
Chicago Police Captain Dennis Walsh, Executive Officer of the 8th District.
Their presence at our event showed their solidarity with our mission as they pledged to support our efforts.
In City Clerk Mendoza’s own words:
“Institutions like Maria Kaupas [Center] provide a safety net,
a home away from home, a hope. . . “
WE ARE MKC
A proclamation from the Governor’s Office recognized September 25th as
Maria Kaupas Center Day in the State of Illinois.
Maria High School alumna and longtime aide to Governor Pat Quinn Simone McNeil honored the MKC on his behalf.
Other highlights included a moving video about the
MKC’s commitment to the Marquette Park community,
heartfelt presentations and testimonials by MKC Program Director Amy Eckhouse and
Teen Leaders Temara Hamilton, Ahvay Jackson, and Vincent Varnado and
the unveiling of the Kaupas Kickstart Bicycle Restoration Room and the Kaupas Kloset.
WE ARE MKC
Several members of the Sisters of St. Casimir and the Midwest Christian Brothers, as well as representatives from Catalyst Schools,
shared the good news of the MKC with guests
as they enjoyed music and refreshments and built community.
WE ARE MKC
Thursday, September 18, 2014
MKC's Creative Writers!
Rewriting Rowling!
The MKC’s creative writers took a stab at transforming
passages from the works of JK Rowling from narrative into poetry! These budding
writers discussed what was important to include – and what could be taken out –
in order to create an image, a mood, or an emotion. Take a look at what a few
of them did:
Original passage:
After
lunch, they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit
windows all along
the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering
over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous
cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake
in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon’s car
and crushed it into a trash can.
Rewrite #1:
The reptile
house.
Cool and
dark. Behind the glass
Lizards and
snakes crawling, slithering.
Quickly,
the man-crushing python wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon’s car
Crushed it
into a trash can.
--by J.S.
Rewrite #2:
The reptile
house
Cool and
dark along the walls.
Lizards and
snakes
Crawling,
slithering on wood and stone.
Dudley and
piers wanted to see huge cobras and man-crushing pythons.
--by Aryel
Rewrite #3:
Reptile
house.
Cool and
dark
Lizards and
snakes
Crawling
and slithering.
Dudley
found the largest snake.
Wrapped its
body twice, crushed a car into a trash can.
--by Nancy
F.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
DID YOU KNOW....
. . . that fall programming at the Maria Kaupas Center has gotten off with a
BANG!!
Over 80 Catalyst scholars have signed up for afterschool courses at the MKC.
Monday’s programs included
.jpg)
cooking, beginning sewing, beginning guitar,
and dance movement therapy.
Meeting on other days throughout the week are classes in
creative writing, advanced sewing, art, dance, and a music program provided byHarmony, Hope, and Healing.
We are also welcoming members of the community into the MKC during the day to take
ELL classes, beginning adult sewing, and diabetes education classes.
Coming soon are two Kaupas Kickstart programs,
a bike repair shop and a community garden!
We also plan to begin hosting monthly community dinners.
Woo Hoo!
This fall we have increased our program offerings by over 100% -
and we expect to add several more programs in the spring.
WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!!
Thursday, September 4, 2014
DID YOU KNOW...
. . . that the Maria Kaupas Center has been making new friends and welcoming back old ones?
The MKC staff was delighted to give a tour to IHM Sisters Therese O’Rourke and Mary Jo Gallagher.
The IHM Sisters are generous supporters of the MKC.
Sr. Terri and Sr. Mary Jo had traveled from Scranton, Pennsylvania to visit their good friends, the Sisters of St. Casimir,
and the SSC Leadership Team brought them by for the visit.
We thank them for their support and ask that they continue to remember us in their prayers.
The Center staff is extremely excited about the beginning of the new school year,
a year full of promise and potential
for both Catalyst-Maria School and the Maria Kaupas Center.
We welcomed back the Teen Leadership Team and initiated a new Leader who received his MKC polo with enthusiasm.
We opened our doors to Catalyst high school students on the first day of school and continued our tradition of
gathering around the altar for Daily Reflection
where we thanked God for the many gifts He has given us and asked His blessings on this new year.
The MKC also wants to give a BIG SHOUT-OUT to the COSTCO Store on Cicero for donating over
200 boxes of Rice Krispie-Treats
to be used as snacks during after school programming.
COSTCO, YOU ROCK!
And finally, we want to share with you some of the things MKC teens are doing to
“radiate respect”
to family, friends, and even strangers.
We are so proud of these kids and the amazing adults they are in the process of becoming . . .
WE ARE MKC
WE ARE MKC
WE ARE MKC
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)