School district programs target parental involvement

School district programs target parental involvement

Written by Beth Wade Wednesday, 07 March 2007

Conference spurs parent and child interaction

Round Rock ISD announced a new program that aims to help parents become more involved in their children’s lives and education.

The Parent Involvement Conference invites parents to attend three, one hour sessions ranging in subjects from how to keep your child healthy to 10 things your teen doesn’t want you to know. Parents will be able to choose from more than 30 workshops. Also included is a luncheon with Dr. Jesus Chavez, RRISD superintendent, as the speaker.

“We would love to have this every year,” Willa Rosen, director of the Safe Schools, Healthy Students Initiative, said. “It would be great to have more parents involved in their children’s education. It is listed as one of Round Rock’s top priorities for this school year.”

The conference is March 3 at Stoney Point High school. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with coffee donated by Starbucks and a continental breakfast provided by the Round Rock Council of PTAs.

District parents and relatives of Round Rock students are invited to attend with a $2 registration fee. Parents and relatives of students in neighboring school districts or those not related to district students are welcomed but will pay a $10 fee. Scholarships will be available for those unable to pay the registration fee.

“The stronger you have community, parent and student involvement, the better off our kids are,” Rosen said. “Studies have shown this to be true. We are expecting and planning for 500 parents to participate.”

The workshop sessions will begin at 9 a.m. All sessions are first come-first serve and Rosen expects they will fill quickly. Most sessions will be available in both English and Spanish.

“We want people to join with us and have conversations on how we can work together to help our kids to be the best they can be,” Rosen said.

For more information or for a registration form, contact your local campus parent advocate or Willa Rosen at 464-5466 or e-mail Willa_Rosen@roundrockisd.org.

Academy helps parents make a difference

Copperfield Elementary in Pflugerville ISD will host its seventh annual Parent-Student Academy March 8. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a family dinner and continues with nonacademic classes for the students. While students spend the evening with a variety of activities to choose from, parents attend three different 45-minute presentations.

In the past, parents have requested sessions they feel they need such as motivating students for college, behavior management or improving parenting skills.

“We want to empower parents to be effective advocates for their child’s education,” Teola McCants, fourth grade teacher, said. “It’s a chance for [the parents] to come in and get a feel for what their kids are learning.”

The children’s sessions have included science and cooking lessons, Texas ghost stories and hands-on-time with animals and helicopters.

“It is quite an impact to see all of the parents and students here involved in the school and parents involved with their students,” Jared Stevenson, fifth grade teacher, said. “Each year it has grown. It is such an exciting, fun event to take part in.”

The program, which is free to all Copperfield parents, has grown from 140 in the first year to more than 400 last year.

“Our purpose is to inform parents that it is never too late to make a difference in their child’s life,” McCants said. “This event gets students and parents together to unite them and show them that they care about each other.”