40 Developmental Assets Black Elk ElementaryRohwer Elementary

Both Black Elk and Rohwer have after school 40 Asset Clubs. Club Members at Rohwer and Black Elk have written the 40 Assets in sidewalk chalk (and decorated them) in the front of our building. People are encouraged to read them as they enter our schools.

When the weather got cold, they posted the Assets on the windows in front of the building.

At both schools, the clubs work on organizing activities for each grade level. Some activities are school wide. Here are a few examples:

Asset 3 Activity: Other Adult Relationships

Asset 26 Activity: Caring

Asset 16 Activity: High Expectations

Asset 17, 18, or 19 Activity: Young Person spend time in the fine arts, sports, clubs, or a religious institution.

Asset 27 Activity: Equality and Social Justice (April 2011) Black Elk and Rohwer will be hosting “The Pig”, which is a life-size piggy bank that students can drop their loose change into. All proceeds benefit Kids Café through the Food Bank of Omaha.

Red Ribbon Week! Assets 14, 15, 28, 30, 31, 35, 37, 38, and 40! WOW! The Asset Club students sponsored a poster contest between the classes and made drug-free announcements! We also organized a “Color my World Drug Free!” week where the students wore a different color every day and did many drug free activities throughout the week.

There were also some activities that took place at each building that were different. The following are some examples of asset building that took place this year at our schools…

Rohwer Elementary:

Asset #6: Parent Involvement in Schooling Asset #17: Creative Activities The kindergartners at Rohwer worked with his/her family to create a square for a class quilt. They also made colorful quilt blocks at school to make the quilt masterpiece which is hanging in their classroom.

Asset #8: Youth as Resources Asset #9: Service to Others The Kindergarten Team at Rohwer held a Donation drive for the Nebraska Army's National Guard 192nd MP Detachment Law and Order Unit stationed in Baghdad, Iraq. A student’s father is in this unit, and over 30 packages were sent to his unit.

Asset #6 :Parent Involvement Asset #7: Community Values Youth Asset 25 : Reading for Pleasure At Rohwer, a “Read Across Rohwer” night was held for the students and families. PAYBAC partners were also included in the festivities, as well as treats, games, a book drive, and a book fair.

Asset # 26 Caring Asset # 9 Service to Others Fourth graders at Rohwer helped decorate bags for the Junior League’s Friends of the Elderly campaign. These bags were filled and given to area nursing homes at Christmas time.

Asset #9 Service to Others Asset #26 Caring The third grade at Rohwer did “The Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive” through Scholastic. For every pair of new pajamas that was given, Scholastic would donate them plus new books to those in need.

Asset #8 Youth as Resources Asset #15 Positive Peer Influence Students worked in teams to make several blankets to donate to Lydia House, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center here in Omaha.

Black Elk Elementary

Asset #26 Caring Asset #5 Caring School Climate At Black Elk, a third grade teacher does a kindness campaign, in which the students are challenged to complete 100 random acts of kindness.

Asset # 5 Caring School Climate Asset #8 Youth as Resources Asset #9 Service to Others At Black Elk, the students adopted several families to help make their Holidays special. Parents and students chose ornaments off Christmas trees and went shopping to provide the goods listed. It was based off the book “The Giving Tree”.

Asset #25 Reading for Pleasure Asset #14 Adult Role Models On a Wednesday morning, everyone stopped what they were doing (teachers, principal and custodian included) to read a good book!

Asset #27 Equality and Social Justice Asset #8 Youth as Resources Fifth graders at Black Elk collected food for local food banks.

Asset # 34 Cultural Competence Asset #6 Parental Involvement Asset #7 Community Values Youth A Multicultural Night was held at Black Elk to encourage the students and their families to learn about different customs and cultures from around the world.

Asset #18 Youth Programs Asset#22 School Engagement Asset #3 Other Adult Relationships Black Elk hold many different clubs during the year, such as Art Club, Cake Decorating, Fitness, Technology, Poetry, and Brain Games. The clubs are teacher and parent led.

As you can see, both buildings have been working hard to develop the 40 Assets in our buildings! We look forward to more and more opportunities we will have to help our students learn and grow while promoting the importance of the 40 Assets!

Asset Builders: Black Elk Elementary Deb Gleich-Bope (Counselor) Kari Scarborough (2 nd grade Teacher) Katie Kramer (4 th grade Teacher) Rohwer Elementary Deb Gleich-Bope (Counselor) Lisa Richardson (4 th grade Teacher, Asset Team Facilitator)