We are excited to announce that Manuel Companies and Love Our Schools visited Acadian Middle School with spirit shirts for all students and staff but then surprised everyone with a $7,000 donation to the school.
Manuel Companies was able to take this donation opportunity through Acadian Middle School’s CAFE (Community And Family Engagement Team). Love Our Schools is the force behind creating these CAFE teams that are rooted in different public schools in Lafayette Parish. Each team consists of community stakeholders that desire to improve and pour resources into local schools. Missy Manuel of Manuel Companies, is one such person who sits on the Acadian Middle School CAFE. Manuel Companies, with the help of other members of Acadian Middle’s CAFE decided they wanted to donate 500 spirit shirts and $7,000 to the school to be used for staff recognition and student incentives.
“We are so appreciative of this generous donation. It definitely came as a surprise. Our students are amazing and so deserving. I feel blessed to have this type of commitment and support for my students.” says Brendy White, principal of Acadian Middle School.
This donation will allow Acadian Middle to promote positive behavior, support fidelity, and assist in ensuring equitable access and opportunity for their young scholars. Being able to reward and recognize Acadian Middle’s students for being leaders and making positive choices in the areas of behavior, attendance, and even AR is monumental. This will simultaneously create a positive learning environment, as well as build teacher-student relationships.
In addition to student incentives, Acadian Middle will be able to reward and recognize its teachers. “These teachers are the real MVPs and I could never thank them enough for their selfless commitment and dedication to our students. I thank the CAFE for recognizing how important our educators are.” shares Brendy White.
What is a CAFE Team?
A Community And Family Engagement Team works collaboratively with a school’s principal to help define a vision, goals, and action plan for increasing community support of a K-12 school’s leadership, staff, and students. This principal-centered community support effort aims to add capacity to school leaders’ efforts and align with the school and the school district’s strategic plan and goals. Love Our Schools’ efforts in Lafayette Parish were inspired by and built from the model created by School Connect, which is based in Phoenix, Arizona, and works with schools in a number of states.