Education Programs
JumpStart
Ole Miss and JumpStart Pre-K 4 at Quitman County Elementary
Ellen Meacham, from the School of Journalism at Ole Miss, visits the JumpStart Pre-K 4 class at Quitman County Elementary Elementary School.
The Jumpstart program is a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students and community members to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. The curriculum helps children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten, setting them on a path to close the achievement gap before it is too late. Jumpstart has been used at Quitman County Elementary School, beginning fall 2017.
The first class to complete Jumpstart.
May 2018
QC Middle School Embraces Ole Miss
The Marks Tutoring project was started last year in the Fall of 2016 by an AmeriCorps VISTA. This tutoring project was formed through a partnership between the School of Education’s Mississippi Excellence in Teaching program (METP) and Quitman County Middle School. This partnership was created to not only provide tutorial instruction but also provide college- culture exposure to the students at Quitman County Middle School. This current semester, the spring of 2018, there are 18 students from METP, all of which are pursuing an undergraduate degree in teaching.
Last year, in the spring of 2017, there were a total of 52 students from Quitman County Middle School receiving tutoring and in addition to the teacher’s instructional time, 31 of the 52 students showed significant growth in English and 29 of the 52 students met growth in Math. This year we have 60 students receiving tutoring and we hope to not only bridge that education gap that results from being both academically and educationally disadvantaged but we also hope to have all of the students show significant growth in both English and Math.
Special thanks to Principal Cortez Moss for allowing us to help, The School of Education at the University of Mississippi and Dr. Chuck Ross for helping with the planning and the funding of this project.
The Marks Project coordinated a five-hour Prep ACT BOOT CAMP with 39 students at M. S. Palmer on April 5-6, 2018. Planning for this boot camp began months ago in a conversation between AK Suggs, a dedicated teacher at the high school and Judy Bland, who works with the Marks Project.
The school officials and staff were very supportive in giving permission and providing space for all the activities. Superintendent Evelyn Jossell, Principal Walter Atkins, and teachers, AK Suggs, and Daniel Myrick all helped make this event possible for the high school students.
Thanks to Ms. Louise Vigeant, Director of Team 36, for providing the materials developed to help students prepare for the ACT and for helping secure volunteer tutors from Ole Miss. These three fabulous young ladies, Karson Nelson, Hallie Gillam, and Santana Amaker did an amazing job with this large group. Thanks, also, to the Donut Shop in Marks for stretching the food we had ordered for lunch and others who brought extra snacks.
Judy Bland, who works with the Marks Project, highly praised the students who participated. “They were perfect in giving the tutors their undivided attention and in expressing their gratitude to the organizers and the tutors. This large turnout and the effort they gave shows that our students are matching, or even exceeding, the efforts of those who are providing these additional opportunities for them. I encourage others to join the Marks Project and be a part of improving our community now and ensuring a better future for these students!”
On June 2, 2018, a second ACT Boot Camp was held in which 12 students attended. The Marks Project would like to once again extend their greatest gratitude to Team 36 for pouring into these high school students and equipping them with the tools necessary for success.
Financial Literacy Class
Employees at the Marks Branch of First Security Bank
Employees at the Marks Branch of First Security Bank
The Marks Project facilitated this excellent program focusing on how to keep accurate financial records, set financial goals, how to budget, how to save, how to obtain credit, and even how to understand the stock market. Judy Bland is the Coordinador.
Nita and Carolyn, Employees at the Marks Branch of First Security Bank, along with Teacher Ms. Mattie Grimes, are bringing in financial literacy classes to these high school students.