Row 1: Issa Stone, Candelaria Torres, Ines Capetillo, and Christy McEachen (NNPS Key Contact). Row 2: Kiyomi Savage, Megan Nelson, Valerie Aragon (Principal), Maria Ramirez, Sylvina Barrera, Garbiela Perez, and Chris Hernandez.
Meeting the challenge to involve more families
The ATP wanted to increase parent involvement by giving families an opportunity to see what happens during the school day at Whittier Elementary. They developed Every Minute Counts – family-friendly time during the month of January when many parents’ agricultural work paused for the winter. The children wrote invitations for their parents to come to school any time that was convenient for them to observe their classes and what they were learning. Parents tallied a total of 24,703 minutes or almost 412 hours from January 9 - 31. Charts were updated bi-weekly to show participation rates overall and for each grade level.
The office staff greeted the parents and sent postcards thanking them for spending time at school. Parents received a button stating, “I am making every minute count at Whittier Elementary School.” The library clerk took pictures of parents with their children and displayed them on a bulletin board in front of the office. Teachers continued normal classroom activities so that parents could observe lessons in a typical instructional day. Conferences were scheduled if parents wanted to discuss their child’s individual progress. The special event helped many families feel welcome at the school, resulting in more parents visiting on a regular basis and many becoming involved in their children’s learning.
Reach results for student success in school
Whittier Elementary School is working to involve more families with several partnership activities that also aim to increase students’ school skills. Every Thursday from 8:15 to 8:35 a.m., Whittier’s ATP sponsors Breakfast and a Book. Parents and community members read aloud from a collection of children’s books in English or Spanish. Parents, police officers, fire fighters, a photographer, and many school staff have heeded the call to read a good book aloud to students to start the day off right. Some fifth graders also volunteered to read to younger students or listen to them read. The activity helps the ATP meet two school goals – increase parent involvement and improve students’ literacy performance.
The ATP called upon available resources to involve more families in this weekly event. In the past, many parents waited in the cafeteria with their children in the morning for the beginning of the school day. They became core “readers,” along with community members who were ready to help the school and others who responded to publicity for the program. Children benefited academically from a non-threatening environment to practice their reading and listening skills. Students also benefited socially from positive interactions with parents, teachers, older children, and community members. Parents learned and practiced strategies for reading to their children. Whittier is, indeed, a reading place!
See Whittier’s activities in Promising Partnership Practices on the website, www.partnershipschools.org, in the section Success Stories. Visit the school at: http://www.psd1.org/psd2/index.php?pgid=308.