Barrett ElementaryFamily Involvement Program

• Background and Rationale

• Principles and Goals

• Main Activities initiated and/or supported by the program.

Background

• Family Involvement is one of Barrett’s areas of focus and excellence.

• A component of Project Interaction, a Barrett’s exemplary project launched in 1995 that funds the Communications Arts/ TV Studio and the Family Involvement Program.

Purpose

• Develop a cohesive family involvement program that is geared towards supporting the school’s instructional and community building goals.

• Enlist and support all members of the school community–parents, teachers and students-in activities that support and enhance student learning.

Rationale

• Research reviews document significant, measurable benefits of family involvement. See Henderson and Berla (1994) & Henderson & Mapp (2002)

Some key findings…

When families are involved at home and at school – children do better in school, and the schools they go to get better.

There is a positive relationship between family involvement and student success, regardless of race/ethnicity, class, or parents’ level of education.

When schools engage families in ways that are linked to improving student learning, students make greater gains.

Research also found children do best when their parents are

enabled to play 4 key roles:

As TeachersParents create a

home environment that promotes learning and

reinforces what is being taught at

school.

As SupportersContribute their time, knowledge and skills

to the school enriching the curriculum .

As AdvocatesParents help children negotiate the system

and receive fair treatment, and work to make the system

responsible to all families

As Decision-Makers

Parents serve on advisory committees

and management teams participating in joint problem-solving.

Core beliefs

• Families of all backgrounds want the best for their children

• All parents have something to offer and ‘funds of knowledge” that can be tapped to support their children’s learning.

• Diversity can be used as an asset instead of being viewed as a barrier.

Program Goals

1. Supporting Learning by Involving Families

• Help families understand what the children are learning in the classroom and how they can reinforce it at home.

• Provide additional learning opportunities for children and their families.

• Develop and communicate expectations for how parents and staff can work together to support student learning.

• Tap into parents talents and create opportunities for them to support learning at school.

Program Goals (Cont.)

2. Developing the Capacity of Families as Advocates and Leaders

Offer learning opportunities for immigrant families to increase their knowledge and ability to support and advocate for their children’s education.

Support and coach immigrant parents to become actively involved in the school.

Program Goals (Cont.)

3. Building a Welcoming and Inclusive Learning Community

• Create learning activities that build upon and increase understanding of the racial, cultural and language diversity in the school.

• Recognize and create opportunities for different forms of family involvement

• Identify and address obstacles for family participation in school activities

• Seek feedback from families on school activities and involve them in designing new programs.

• Contribute to creating a family-friendly atmosphere

Main Activities--Initiated or Supported

• Integrated Family Calendar

• School Compact• Roving Readers• PARTICIPA..en mi

Educacion• Family Library Nights • K & Pre-K Days• Heritage & Diversity

Special Projects

• Kitchen Math Exchanges

• Friday Volunteers • PTA supports

o Coaching Latino Officers & Committee chairs

o Interpretation during meetings

o Helping to link with Latino families

Family Calendar

• Develop a cohesive and integrated family calendar focused on improving student learning.

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K.W. BARRETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FAMILY CALENDAR 2008 -2009 -- FALL DATE

SCHOOL -WIDE AND OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS PARENT MEE TINGS

SEPTEMBER Tues 2 First Day of School ABC’s of Kindergarten - Parent Workshop (8:30-9:30AM) Wed 3 Help with First Day Pac kets (6:30-7:30 PM) Fri 5 Wrapping Paper Sale begins Tues 9 PTA Meeting (7:00-8:00 PM) Fri 12 Demonst ration Assembly for Grades 3-5 (10 AM)

PTA Potluck Dinner (6:30-8:00 PM)

Wed 17 Back to School Night (6:45 -8:00 PM) Fri 19 Garden W ork Day (3:30-5:00 PM) Tues 23 PARTICIPA Workshop--First Language Support (6:30- 8:30 PM) Thurs 25 Palls Assembly & Ref lections Kic k-Off (1:45 PM) Mon-Tue 29-30 Book Fair OCTOBER Wed 1 Book Fair Night (6:00 – 8:00 PM) Thurs 2 Early Release-- due to P/T conferences P/T Conferences after Early R elease Fri 3 No School P/T Conferences & Teacher App reciation Lunch Tues 7 Photo Day (Student pictures)

Pre-K Library Afternoon (3:15- 4:00 PM) Room Parents Meeting (6:00 -7:00 PM) PTA Meeting (7:00 -8:00 PM)

Mon–Fri 13-17 Hispanic Heritage Week Celebration Tues 14 Library Night (7:00 - 8:00 PM) Wed-Thurs 15-16 Pre-K Days (8:30 - 10:00 AM) Fri 17 Reading is Fun damental (RIF) &

Roving Readers Day

Tues & Thur 21 & 23 Pre-K Day (8:30 - 10:00 AM) Wed 22 Concert Assembly and International Parade (9:30 AM) Mon-Thurs 27-30 K Days -- Math (8:30 - 10:00 AM) Tues 28 PARTICIPA Workshop (6:30 - 8:30PM) Fri 31 Halloween Parade (AM) NOVEMBER Tues 4 No School – Election Day & Teach er Planning Wed 5 PTA Meeting (7:00 -8:00 PM) Tues 11 No School – Veterans D ay Thursday 13 Pre-K Library Afternoon (3:15 - 4:00 PM)

BINGO Night (6:30 - 8:00 PM)

Tues–Thurs 17–21 Career Week Tues 18 Library Night (7:00-8:00 PM) Thurs 20 Photo Make-Up Date Mon 24 Honor Roll Assembly (2:15 PM) Tues 25 Kindergarten Fe ast

Blueberries vs. Cranberries To urnament

Wed-Fri 26–28 No School – Thanksgiving Break DECEMBER Tues 2 Pre-K Library Afternoon (3:15 - 4:00 PM) PTA Meeting (7:00 - 8:00 PM) Thurs 4 Family Gym Night (6:30 - 8:00 PM) Mon–Thurs 8–11 K Days - Language Arts (8:30 -10:00 A M) Tues 9 PARTICIPA Workshop (6:30 - 8:30PM) Thurs 11 Assembly and W inter Concert (1:45 PM & 7:00 PM) Sat 13 Barnes & Noble D ay Tues 16 Library Night (7:00- 8:00 PM) Thurs 18 Winter Concert Snow-Date Wed–Fri 24–4 No School – Winter Break

School Compact

• Develop and use school compact as a tool for increasing awareness and agreement between teachers and parents about how they should work together.

SCHOOL – FAMILY COMPACT

10 Actions Barrett Parents Will Take

• I will make sure that my child gets at least 9 hours of sleep every night.

• I will assign a time and place at home for my child to do homework

SCHOOL – FAMILY COMPACT

10 Actions Barrett Teachers Will Take

• I will inform families about what students are learning in school at least once every quarter.

• I will recognize and openly discuss in a constructive manner my students’ traditions and backgrounds.

Roving Readers Days

• Roving Readers are parents, grandparents and community members who rove around classrooms as guest readers sharing favorite stories that combat stereotypes and help develop positive self-esteem and appreciation of diversity.

PARTICIPA…en Mi Educacion

• A 7-week course aimed at building the capacity of immigrant parents to navigate the school system so they can better support and advocate for their children’s education.

Family Library Nights

• Initiated in 1996, Library Nights continue to be a very popular program, especially among yong children. An average of 70 children and their fasmilies from the diverse backgrounds represented in the school attend every month.

• Project Interaction also supports Pre-K Library Afternoons, which pre-K teachers began in 2006.

Pre-K and K-Days

• Parents learn in more depth about what children need to know by the end of the school year…

• Observe what and how their children are learning in the classroom…

• and take home practical ideas to reinforce the learning at home.

Heritage and Diversity Special Projects

Design take home and school-wide activities to help all children learn about their roots and learn to appreciate the cultural and language diversity in the school.

Kitchen Math Exchanges

• An opportunity for teachers to build stronger school-family connections and learn about the cultures of their second language learners by doing home visits where the family teaches them how to make a typical dish and the teacher shows them how to reinforce math (measuring) concepts while cooking.

A kitchen is a safe place for teachers and families to

interact, build relationships and learn together.

Friday Volunteers

• Outreach and staff support for program as a means to promote engagement of immigrant parents as volunteers in the school.

• Volunteers meet every Friday morning in the school cafeteria to help teachers prepare instructional materials for use in classroom and school-wide projects.