Family Involvement
A Principal’s Ideas to Strengthen the Family/School Partnership
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Friday, August 22nd, 2008
Thank you to Jared Cordon, Principal at Fir Grove Elementary School in Beaverton for these ideas. I heard Jared speak, with Susan McKinney, Principal of McKinley Elementary School, at the Beaverton Diversity Summit. To learn more about this event, and you can find the brochure online at http://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/pdf/ins/ins_2008%20Diversity%20Summit%20Program.pdf
The theme of the talk I listened to was Honoring Cultures by Honoring Our Families. These are some of the ways that Mr. Condon strengthens the Family/School Partnership in his school. He was kind enough to allow me to share his ideas on this blog. These are his words edited for space and clarity:
Home Visits: Everyday I would recieve a list of students who had been absent more than two days without an acceptable excuse (sickness, vacation, etc). I would visit the family, meet the parents, bring the school assignments the child missed, talk to the parents about the importance of education in their child’s life, and problem-solve ways to get the students to school and the parents involved. I tried to follow-up with parents periodically and find good news to report to them regarding their child - to positively reinforce the fact that the child does well in school - no matter how difficult it is for some parents to get them there.
Parent Nights: These nights were targeted toward educating parents around best practice strategies. We asked parents what they wanted to know more about and asked teachers what areas their students needed more work in. Attendance (at these events) increased dramatically throughout the school year. We always provided a full dinner and tried to have extras to send home with families. (NOTES: Baja Fresh and Noodles were wonderful to work with. We spent about $4300 on food. The PTO was a great help. Attendance figures for the 07-08 school year Parent Nights increased from 20 at the first, to 41, then 72, 151, 219, 286, 423 and about ONE THOUSAND at the Community celebration at the end of the school year!!!!)
Teaching in Apartments: At Fir Grove Elementary, all of our Somali families lived in one large apartment complex. We went to them. Parent education forums, teaching their children. (Thanks to the Welcome Center for providing a translator.) We had huge results. Some tips - always have food and books for the families. Consider their basic needs.) A side benefit of these ‘apartment nights” was that great networking and support began to develop among the families who met through these meetings.
SOME ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS: When the goal is strengthening the Family/School Partnership:
- Think Outside the Box - Think adaptively. It is easier to react than to create. Start creating - the results are worth the effort.
- Listen to Your Community - Create venues and opportunities for community members to communicate with the school, the principal and with each other. Principal Chats are one of the ways I create an opportunity to listen to community members.
- Involving Parents is NOT an Option - As challenging as this may be, we need to recognize that we (educators) commited to work as much with some adults as with some kids. Involving and helping to educate parents is the only way to eliminate the achievement gap for some students - especially those who live in generational poverty.
Topics: BACK TO SCHOOL, Family Involvement, How to Help | No Comments »
How to engage families in their child’s education
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
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This is a great topic to open up for this group. It is a question we as educators ask ourselves every day, “How do we engage our families so that they become an integral part of their child’s educational success?” We have found that regardless of culture, language barriers, socioeconomic status, having minimal/maximum or no education at all, students will not have academic success unless their families are involved in their children’s academic process. Many of our families feel like they are unable to help their children due to either one or more of the following: not finishing school themselves (sometimes the 3rd grade is the highest they have attended); unable to read the language of the books; not understanding how the work is to be completed; and /or needing to work several jobs to keep the family “afloat” and not being home to help out with class work. So how do we engage our families? Through school-to-home correspondence, teacher/parent conferences, emails/phone calls, after school activities, and in-school volunteer opportunities. We work with families to teach them on how to set up an environment in their own home that creates centers for learning. It may be just as simple as showing parents how a short break of play and snacks right after their child gets home from school, then setting up a quiet place in the home that is where all home work is completed, that sets up a routine for daily learning. For parents who work many hours and are not home to help with class work? Their children can stay after for homework club, or individual-group tutoring during their recess or lunch time during the school day. After school activities, after 5:00 p.m., that engages families and their children to the learning process. Activities such as reading nights, math nights, bingo games, etc… These activities allow teachers to engage with their student’s families to help them understand the process of working together and how that leads to academic successes. We have also made home visits in the evening to help engage families, or to make calls home later on in the evening to talk with parents personally. When students know that their parents/guardians are working closely with their teachers, students will work harder to be successful when the school and home have the same expectations of them. |
Topics: BACK TO SCHOOL, Family Involvement | No Comments »
Things to Do: OPB Kids and Family Resources
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008
http://www.opb.org/kidsfamily/
There is something for teachers, something for mentors, something for parents and PLENTY for kids on the OPB Kids and Family site. Parents and mentors looking for some good ways to enrich these summer days might want to check out some of these resources:
Lewis & Clark Explorer Guides If your are looking for some outdoor fun … plan your own Lewis & Clark adventure using these travel guides that are sure to bring the spirit of the Corps to life. (Note: I KNOW these are fun and interesting - because I wrote them!)
Eco Smart Tips, activities and resources to help you begin conversations with children about conservation and recycling. This site includes step-by-step instructions for activities families completed at OPB’s workshops with reused and recycled materials.
We know kids watch TV in summer -to make the most of that time, and to keep in touch with what they are watching, the OPB programming schedule in on this site, as well as some great ideas to connect learning and fun in summer days. Check out this collection of easy to use resources on Media Literacy:
Activities to Build On What You’ve Watched
Extend the Learning with Books :
Stay up to date on the latest listing for things to do in The Family Events Calendar
Teachers - look ahead to next year (while there is still time) check out the Lesson Plans from OPB
Topics: Recommended Resources, Family Involvement, Resources for Teacher, Quality Time, Things to do | No Comments »
Ways to Involve Parents and Family Members
By Kevin Truong | Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
I feel I am in a unique position as a Site Coordinator for a homework club, in that I am able to work both in the the children’s classrooms and in a setting very close to their homes. In this role, I hopefully am able to help foster that link between the children’s school environment and their home environment, so that their is a continuum of inquiry from their classroom to their living room.
By working with the children and their teachers in the classroom, I am able to learn not only the specific lessons the students are learning, but also areas where individual students could use the most help.
Involving parents is the next step, and ways I can do that are-
-family nights - events where parents and families are invited to participate in an activity with their child. Game nights, potlucks, informational sessions.
-outreach - going out into the communities, to the children’s homes and doing outreach with the parents. Establishing, building on, and maintaining those relationships. It’s important for me to let the families know that I am making an effort to be a part of their community. There is a certain level of trust I’m trying to build. Since many of the families I work with speak English as a second language, my efforts may include passing along a simple note to them written in one of the native languages–Russian, Romanian, Somalian–that says, “Hi, I’m Kevin. I work in the homework club with your children..” As mentioned before, I think it is very important to show that efforts are being made on my part.
Topics: Family Involvement, How to Help, Mentor Stories | No Comments »