2008-2009 Staff

Here is our staff for 2008-2009. We're looking forward to another great year!

Top row (from the left): JoAnn Sotres, Chris Bongardt, Patty Ochoa, Jen Hyman, Amy Chevrolet

Bottom row: Becca Schlichtig, Nina Reynoso

ROPES COURSE 2007

Check out some pictures from our first site-wide field trip for the 2007-2008 school year!

Date: November 12, 2007

Participants: 82 girls + 14 staff/volunteers

Hours: 11

Location: Westminster Woods Ropes Course: Occidental, CA
Four Winds Ropes Course: Sebastopol, CA

Discovery Kingdom Field Trip with Circle of Sisters

Circle of Sisters Members, Staff and Families all got to enjoy a sunny, fun-filled day at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom on Monday, June 16, 2008. There were around 80 of us in attendance and everyone had a blast! Thanks to everyone who participated in the fun. If anyone else has any pictures to add, please do. Have a great summer everyone! See you in the fall. Love, Chris

Volunteer for the Summer Lunch Program

You can enrich the lives of Sonoma County children and by helping keep them fed and engaged this summer.

Volunteer to plan, coordinate and execute fun activities for the kids. Volunteers can contribute their enthusiasm and their time daily, weekly or monthly.

WHO: Volunteers coordinate and facilitate fun and educational activities to compliment the free lunch service provided to Sonoma County children up to 18 years old.

WHAT: Free nutritious lunches and enriching activities for low-income children up to 18 living in or around the Carillo Place neighborhood.

WHEN: Monday through Friday
12:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Beginning Monday, June 16

WHERE: Carrillo Place Apartments
200 Cranbrook Way
Santa Rosa, CA 95407

WHY: During the school year, over 23,000 Sonoma County children in low-income communities rely on free meals. During the summer, the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs stop and low-income children still need the meals they depend on during the school year.

The Department of Agriculture, organizations, community members and volunteers collaborate to fill the hunger gap. The Summer Lunch Program also engages children by involving them in fun, educational and enriching activities.

For more information on how YOU can make a difference, call Alexandra Walter, Circle of Sisters Volunteer Coordinator, at 707.525.5300 ext: 3221 today!

PICTURES

COS girls from Monte Rio learn how to Hip-Hop Dance

COS girls from Sheppard make quilts for Make A Difference Day

COS Field Trip to Four Winds, a Ropes Challenge Course

COS girls from Guerneville pose after a toilet paper relay race

COS goes to Windsor Bowl!

COS girls from Comstock posing with their handmade masks

SPA/BEAUTY DAY at Mountain Shadows Middle School

OUR PROGRAM

Circle of Sisters is a free after-school program that meets one or two days each week throughout the school year. COS group facilitators work with local girls addressing issues like self-esteem, peer pressure, friendship, physical development, nutrition, gangs, violence, conflict resolution, and drug and alcohol awareness. The middle school years are a critical stage of development in a girl's life. It is the goal of Circle of Sister to help girls embrace the changes and challenges associated with this time in their lives and promote their self-worth and self-awareness. The desired outcome of the program is to provide girls with the tools, values, advocates, experiences and resources to have a positive impact in their present and future life choices and to reduce the level of violence among adolescent girls.

Circle Time

The girls learn through discussions and journaling about issues facing young females today and how to effectively deal with these issues. Topics include: self-esteem, peer pressure, friendship, physical development, nutrition, violence, conflict resolution, and drug and alcohol awareness.

Life Learning Track

The purpose of the Life Learning Track is to raise the girls' awareness about the positive options and avenues their environment has to offer as an alternative to becoming involved with negative behaviors and attitudes, which could lead to violence. The girls may participate in activities on-site or off-site to explore the world around them. Activities may include arts and crafts, team sports, cooking, role-playing, games, and educational activities.

Mentors

COS works to provide each girl with a mentor with whom she will be given the opportunity to develop a relationship with a supportive, caring roles models and experience acceptance, encouragement and guidance.

Community Service

It is the hope of COS that the girls will be able to participate in various community service activities, such as harvesting fruits and vegetables for the homeless or working at a food bank,to help develop a sense of belonging and responsibility to the community.
Circle of Sisters is an after-school program which will meet throughout the school year. During this time period COS works with participants to develop the skills to make healthy life style choices, as well as build healthy relationships in a supportive environment.

OUR MISSION

MISSION

Circle of Sisters is committed to reducing violence in the community by enhancing the self-esteem and social skills of young girls, empowering them and their families to make healthy lifestyle decisions.

VALUES

Compassion :: Dignity :: Respect

VISION

Our girls have the ability to communicate effectively and to resolve conflicts. They have a greater sense of self-esteem, and they have the resources to establish healthy relationships - with their family members, with their peers, and with the greater society as a whole. They grow into healthy and productive community members. Circle of Sisters will be recognized as a leader for gender-specific violence-prevention programs in the nation.