Ending the Year with a Bang- How to Get Parents to Your Events

Many of us who work with parents have trouble getting them to show up to the events that we have painstakingly prepared for- resulting in frustration and disinterest in planning for the next event. If you've had this experience, take heart! I am about to share with you some nuggets of wisdom that I recently gleaned from a very well-attended Migrant/Bilingual family night in Mount Vernon. Some of the strategies that were used to draw in the parents were:
1) Kindergarten students from the dual language program at Madison Elementary school performed a couple of culturally appropriate numbers (who's going to miss a chance to see their own little darling skipping around the stage in a duck costume?).
2) Selected migrant students were awarded certificates for academic excellence (you'd better believe those students' parents were there!).
3) Selected migrant parents were given certificates for volunteering throughout the year and for supporting their students at home with their school work (how often do we get recognized for the effort that we put in as parents?).
4) Prizes were raffled off throughout the evening to the families in attendence.
5) There was an activity table for kids to keep them engaged throughout the program.
6) Posole, made by the Parent Advisory Committee parents, was served at the end of the evening and, during dinner, the jazz band played for the families (I have a feeling those parents were there too!).

In all, it was a fun family event that I'm sure the parents will look forward to attending again next year. Well done, Mount Vernon!

Now it's your turn...What has worked for your district to increase parent attendance at events?

A Mis Padres... To My Parents

This is a very moving letter of thanks from Valeria, a graduating college senior, to her parents. Her family has been involved in the Migrant Education Program for many years. Her mother, Pompy Lozano is a member of the Migrant Education State Advisory Committee. If you cannot read Spanish, please go to www.translate.google.com and input www.migrantfamilyinvolvement.blogspot.com into the box for the URL and ask it to translate from Spanish to English:

A mis padres por su incansable dedicación y compresión todos estos años:

Porque desde niña se me forjo que la educación es el arma más importante que uno debe tener. Porque desde el principio se me dijo que cerrará mis ojos y lo que imaginara, lo que quisiera en esta vida ser, lo podía lograr. Porque nunca he escuchado palabras que no demuestren cariño, aprecio, respaldo o motivación.
Porque en esas situaciones cuando el camino se veía estrecho, siempre contaba con su respaldo para seguir en la lucha. Porque que siempre se me ha inculcado perseverancia, y porque con su ejemplo me han ensenado a no rendirme y luchar por un futuro mejor. Porque siempre se me dijo que “yo soy el arquitecto de mi propio futuro”.
Porque me enseñaron lo esencial de la vida, a distinguir entre lo bueno y lo malo, y a poner en práctica los valores familiares. Porque se me infundio que en esta vida no hay premios ni castigos solo consecuencias. Porque aunque mis decisiones no sean las mejores, me han dado la libertad de tomarlas. Y porque aun así, después de tomarlas, sea cual sea la consecuencia, he tenido su compañía e apoyo incondicional. Porque ustedes son mi base, mis cimientos.
Y es por eso que aunque no lo diga demasiado:
Quiero que sepan que este logro es de nosotros, que estoy parada aquí, junto a ustedes, recibiendo este diploma en unidad, porque sin ustedes no lo hubiera logrado. Que los amo, los aprecio, los adoro y este amor que les tengo, no se podría pagar ni con todo el oro del mundo. No los cambiaría por nada y ante esta audiencia, quiero que sepan que estoy orgullosa de ustedes, de lo que son y de lo que me han forjado a ser. Soy lo que soy, gracias a ustedes.
Y con eso, quiero agradecerles con todo mi corazón, el que estén en mi vida “dándome lata”, los amo y no me canso de decir que estoy orgullosa de tenerlos como padres.
Su negra, su burbujita,
Valeria

In Celebration of Mothers

When we talk about Family Engagement and Home-School Connections, we sometimes focus on ways in which parents can help the school through volunteering their time or services in the classroom or by serving on committees that help steer the work of the school district. For many of our migrant families though, there may be barriers to these types of involvement including inflexible work schedules, childcare, transportation and inadequate time in the evenings to take care of homework, dinner and any extracurricular activities that the kids may be involved in. Taking all of these potential barriers into account, I'd like to share with you my account of a successful event for migrant families that took place in Sedro Woolley:

This week I had the opportunity to visit the Mother's Day Celebration that was held for Migrant and Bilingual families at Evergreen Elementary School in Sedro Woolley. The event took place from 6:30-8:30 to accommodate most parents' work schedules. The atmosphere welcoming, the food was incredible (posole and other dishes made by the Parent Advisory Committee's parents eliminated the need to feed the family dinner at home), and the children were engaged in activities to celebrate their mothers (eliminating the child care question).

There was a table set up for kids to work on cards for their mothers and each child came to the front of the cafeteria to get a rose and bring it to their mother. It was a very sweet and poignant gesture of appreciation for all that mothers do to support their children in school and at home.

By acknowledging and accommodating the needs of these families in their planning of this event, school district personnel and teachers had the opportunity to share an evening, a meal and a moment of appreciation with a very large group of families who are now better informed about the programs that are being offered to their children (an update was given in English and Spanish before the meal started), more comfortable at the school and more connected with each other.

Nicely done, Sedro Woolley!!!

Please feel free to comment and add information about your successful events!