Coolidge Alumni Assoc Newsletter

Calvin Coolidge Alumni Association, Inc. December 2007 Letter from the President Hello Fellow Alumni

I want to first take this time to thank the Calvin Coolidge Alumni Association, Incorporated Board of Directors and Advisors past and present who epitomize the word Alumna (female)/Alumnus(male) Association ( a organized body who have interest, activity, or purpose in common - a mental connection of the mind, imagination, feelings or ideas). We must come together as a whole for the betterment of our young people, future, society and the world for a matter of social survival. Coolidge’s rich genealogy should be the sentiments for no ethnicity or sociability separation when it comes to Calvin Coolidge’s Legacy Preservations. An was featured in the Washington Post on Coolidge that should send a message to any and ALL alumni of the need and support necessary not only for Coolidge, but for all schools, students, communities and society in general. I feel no article written or words spoken can truly define a school, only its students, parents, teachers, administration, alumni and community can make that divine distinction. Our legacies, communities and future depend on our associations with the generations that follows our leads. I had the opportunity to meet and have alumni informative dialogue with the writer of this Washington Post article. I had not read the article at the time of writing this message, but I knew it was to be released on Sunday, November 11, 2007. I had no idea what was to be written, but it didn’t matter to the degree of our responsibilities. The article was to be seen in a diverse prospective with the bottom line still being what are we, the elder generation doing to make the lives of our younger people, and society better then the way we received it, or better than what it is today! They say life is not judged by what you do or accumulate, but more importantly by what you leave behind. In other words, what can or will you do that will leave an impact to let society know you were here? How will you contribute to society to make it a better place and who will you help along the way? I hear folks talk about how busy they or we are and I continue to think that life is a day to day ritual never knowing when it may be our last day. When you see and hear of war and terrorist acts all around the world it reminds me that Coolidge was opened at a time of War with the first Principal, Mr. Holmes, left to join the services of our country. We must attempt to plan life the same way we must plan death and that’s as if transition is inevitable, therefore things in life that we want to make time for - we can and should. I don’t speak to say Coolidge should or has to be your way of

D contributing or how you should direct your time, but I do hope that you contribute to something which asks the question about legacy, tradition, association and preservations. I feel there are legitimate questions to ask ourselves at a time when Coolidge, our alma mater, is going through a transition of restructuring that all 10 traditional High Schools in the D.C. Public School (DCPS) system are going through. Where are you with these combined DCPS issues, how can you help? Coolidge is at a stage where it needs all associates of its estate to lend supportive influences in some form or fashion either tangible or intangible to help stabilize the socio-economic system, culture, heritage, and provide influencing factors on academics, athletics and a united association towards culture growth and change. I quote the Foreword in the first Coral year book published by Coolidge’s first graduating class in 1944, “It has been our privilege to work to find the traditions of our school for the future classes. With this book we initiate an old American High School Tradition into our school… the yearbook…the student’s most treasured possession. It is a small beginning, but the important thing is that it has begun. It is our hope that each class will feel its duty to improve upon and to further the development of this book which we have placed within you hands, for it will be through this annual and each succeeding annual that the living history of Calvin Coolidge High School will be recorded and preserved. Now, with this first edition before you, pledge to yourself and to your school that as long as there are “COLTS” there will be a yearly roundup awaiting them in the “CORAL”. In closing I would like to also thank EVERYONE that helped in anyway by means of your labor, services, participation, attendance, ads purchased, consultations/advisory or financial contributions to our 21st and another successful Annual Scholarship/Award Breakfast. I’d like to give special thanks to Mayor Fenty, being the first Mayor to attend our breakfast, and also special thanks for the attendance of our Council Chairman Vincent Gray and Council member Muriel Bowser. And let’s not forget the Mentorship Pre-Breakfast Reception, Implementation of The Wall of Legends, the grand opening of the Calvin Coolidge High School Parent Alumni Community Resource Center (PACRC). Special Thanks and hopefully continued support and partnering from Mr. Greg Roberts and the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust, Incorporated. I leave you with words that I see and read that have been a part of my life and I truly feel they were understandably instilled at Coolidge and nurtured by matured experiences: “Privileged, Development, Tradition, Treasured Possessions, COLTS,

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CORRAL, Roundup, Living History, Pledge, Association, Recorded And Preserved - LEGACY!!”. As long as we are COLTS and there is an existence of COLTS, there must always be a CORRAL awaiting our pony’s to transition into COLTS!

Frank Jones III, President Calvin Coolidge Alumni Association, Inc.

Coolidge Senior High School Class of 1989 Gathers Online Alumni from Coolidge Senior High School Class of 1989 are participating in a Class Reunion Website at http://classreport.org/usa/dc/washington/cshs/1989. There are no registration fees required to join in the fun. Each class member has full participation privileges.

If you are interested in participating in the Class

Reunion in the Fall of 2009, log onto the official Class of 1989 website. Please be sure to update your profile. Specifically we need your mailing address and email and phone number so we can keep up with you. This information will only be seen by the Class Administrator, Liletha Davidson, and will not be share with the entire group. This Class-Based Reunion Website is hosted by Classreport.org. For a refreshing change from the large commercial alumni directories, Classreport.org provides non-commercial class reunion websites for every graduating class of every high school, and extends full access to all class members without regard to financial ability. Classreport.org has no advertising, no pop-ups, no spam, and no registrations fees. Classreport.org pledges to never sell names and addresses to third parties and to let the website be administered exclusively by Coolidge Senior High School Alumni. Other alumni classes from Coolidge Senior High School can be accessed at http://classreport.org/usa/dc/washington/cshs/.

Calvin Coolidge Steering Committee Please visit the official Coolidge 1989 website at http://www.classreport.org/usa/dc/washington/cshs/1 989/

Contributions to CCAA

CCAA Newsletter December 2007

Any companies or individuals who wish to make a contribution to CCAA Inc., may mail them to: Calvin Coolidge Alumni Association, Inc. P. O. Box 55024 Washington DC 20040-5024.

PTSO President’s Corner I want to thank everyone who came out to our first PTSO meeting of the school year. Our guest for the evening was Council member Muriel Bowser who discussed the Mayor’s Legislation Personnel Amendment Act of 2007 that would give the new chancellor Michelle Rhee the right to fire and hire employees. Also we had Mr. Goldman, from the Chancellor’s office, come out and discuss the No Child Left Behind Act, and what it means to Coolidge. As of right now all 10 High Schools in DCPS will have to submit a restructuring plan to DCPS by the end of January 2008. We are forming a team to work on the Coolidge restructuring plan. If you are interested in playing a part you can call or e-mail me. I would also like to take the time out to congratulate our Varsity Football team that has made the playoffs for the third consecutive year. It was a exciting Homecoming game against Roosevelt H.S., with Coolidge needing to beat Roosevelt by 15 points to enter the playoffs. They were able to win by a score of 28-7. Congratulations again to our students. The Coolidge alumni had a tailgate party before the game with around 100 participants. Coolidge has been designated as the school to have a pilot program to deal with truancy. We are forming a task force and the first meeting for the truancy task force was held on Thursday Nov 8. at the Parents Resource Center. If you are interested in being on the task force you can call me or e-mail. As you have probably heard we now have a new ombudsman on board at DCPS. That office will officially open in December. This will be the office where all complaints concerning school issues will go. The Mayor is also opening up an office that will focus on Volunteers for DCPS. Stay tuned for the opening of both offices. As soon as the offices

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CCAA Newsletter December 2007

open we will provide the phone numbers and e-mail. Please contact me or the school for future meeting dates and times.

President: Frank Jones Vice President: Pamela Johnson Treasurer: Debra Whitford, Secretary: Toni Lyle-Drakeford Board Members: Carol Sadler, Monica Jordan, Shearon Smith Community Coordinator: Phyllis Wells

Terry Goings PTSO President

Membership

202-486-3646

Web Sites, Information and Phone Numbers: www.cchs-aa.com CCAA Inc.'s Web Site Office Phone Number; (202) 829-2021 CCAA Inc Emergency Phone Number (202) 369-5644 Next date for submission of newsletter articles: NOVEMBER 1ST for the December newsletter. Send to: [email protected] Attn: Marcus Brown. Web-Site Submission Address: [email protected] or [email protected]. Calvin Coolidge Alumni Association Inc.'s Chair(C) and Co-Chairs (Co).

COMMITTEE ROSTER:

EVENTS COMMITTEE: (C) Frank Jones III, (75), [email protected] ; (Co)Donald Goings, (68), [email protected] BUDGET COMMITTEE: (C) Debra Whitford, (75), [email protected] PUBLIC RELATIONS/COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE, (C) Carol Sadler, (73) [email protected] , (Co)Toni Lyles Drakeford, (75), [email protected] . SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE, (C) Monica Jordan, (73) [email protected] FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE: (C) Shearon Smith, (63), [email protected] (C)Antonia Reynolds, (70), [email protected]; Offried Williams (75) [email protected] STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, Nelson Burton (90), Principal, Calvin Coolidge High School, [email protected] Terry Goings, Calvin Coolidge High School PTSO President (77), [email protected] Barbara Patterson, Calvin Coolidge High School PTSO Officer, [email protected] . MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON, (C) Diane Baxter (66), [email protected] The Following Are Organizational Advisory Support Person(s); Neil Faulkner, (71), [email protected] ; Marcus Brown, Dollars For Scholars & CCAA INC.'S newsletter editor, (65), [email protected] Ronald Hunter, (66), WEB-SITE ADVISOR, e-mail: [email protected] . John Mercer, Advisor (65), e-mail: [email protected] Phyllis Wells, Honorary Advisor. Linda Sutton Jones, Advisor [email protected]

CCAA OFFICERS

The entire membership structure will be increased dramatically effective March 2008. The membership structure has been the same for the entire 21 years of the association's existence, and with increasing operating costs, it is necessary to make adjustments. All pending subscribing members must pay off the balance of their membership in its entirety prior to the March 2008 deadline to receive and complete becoming a lifetime member, or otherwise loose their initial payments and start over from scratch. Please contact the Membership Chairman, Diane Baxter, ([email protected]) for current status of your membership.

Banners CCAA, Inc. is requesting sponsors from Alumni Classes, Companies and Individuals for Championship banners which will honor the CCHS Men's and Women's Athletic Sports Program. (Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track) The Cost of a two sided banner is $250.00. The Banners will hang in the Frank R. Williams Activity Center.

Bulk Mail Availability CCAA will now be sending out mass mailings using postal service bulk mail. Any classes that would like to use this service for sending out newsletters or announcements, may coordinate with CCAA for the reduced rate – 25 cents per piece. Contact Frank Jones if you would like to take advantage of this money saving service.

Calvin Coolidge Alumni Association, Inc. & Tuckerman Streets N.W.

D.C. 20011 (202) 829-2021

Washington,

5th