Cafecitos Calendar and Topics Schedule

Purpose:

The purpose of Cafecitos is to engage and communicate more effectively with our Spanish speaking families and to build community. We believe that this is an essential step in improving their student’s overall educational experience here at Parkwood Elementary.

SCHEDULE:

1.Thursday September 24th, 2015Focus: Beginning of the Year Announcements and Introductions

*Pass out new Homework procedures brochure

*After school classes (Scholarships options if necessary)

*Background Checks

*Homework Routines

*Library as a resource

*Online resources at home (RAZ Kids, IXL)

*Free and Reduced Lunch Forms

2. Thursday October 22nd, 2015Focus: Community Engagement

*Encouragement to connect with parent community within their student’s classroom.

*Language Line and who/how/when to communicate with Staff

*If at all possible…Be visible at school events and, during the week

*Watch Dogs, Cut N’ Chat, Classroom communities, field trips, and other ideas for being involved.

*Current volunteer and involvement opportunities shared by PTA president

*Community member comes and shares about Positive Parenting classes

2. Thursday November 19thFocus: Academic Resources Available to Students

*Libraries (School and King County), understood.org, RAZ Kids, IXL, Wonders, Imagine Learning home access

*Key Announcements: Resources Available (For holiday, medical or overall outside of school practical help for the Holidays).

3. Thursday December 10thFocus-Check-in-How is the year going?

*Review community involvement options

*Review academic resources available

4. Thursday January 21st Focus-Safety at School

*What we are doing here to keep kids safe.

-Bullying prevention

-Badges

*What parents can do to help keep their kids safe

-Check in at the office

-Reporting Vs. Tattling

-Teaching how to be a friend

-Checking in on their student’s emotional health

-Respect school rules

*What we can do together

*Watch Dogs

*Stay in close communication

Announcements:*Upcoming WELPA test heads up and explanation.

*Heritage Night Classes

5. Thursday February 25thFocus: Raising a Reader (Plus info on digital and community reading resources).

6. Thursday March 24thFocus: Smarter Balanced State Test/Common Core Standards

  1. The importance of bringing their students ON TIME, well fed, and

every day of the testing period.

  1. How the test works (What tests happen at each grade level)
  2. What we use it for (How we use the data to help their students and our ability to serve them better).
  3. The format (Online or paper), and accommodations that their children have a right to receive

7. Thursday April 16th Focus: Bullying:

  1. What it looks like.
  2. Preventative Measures taken here at PW
  3. How we address it when it happens.
  4. How they can partner with us to stop it.

NO MAY Meeting due to SBA

Focus: Summer Learning Academy and Summer Camp Info

*Additionally: Creative Ways to Learn during the Summer (When Summer School and Camps are not an option)

**If applicable: Middle School registration and transition questions (Also changed to Summer focus due to high attendance from K-5 parents over 6th grade parents).

*Important Announcements: Teach them how to sign up for Fall 2014 Resources.

9. Thursday June 11thFocus: End of the year check-in. How did the year go?

*Leave space for questions about where their students are at, as opposed to where they need to be.

Important Announcements: How to help your student continue learning in the summer (i.e. Community library resources, camps, summer school options etc.)

Education Amiga Project

Mission-To help families of ALL backgrounds partner with teachers of ALL backgrounds to help students of ALL backgrounds improve their educational experience.

As an extension of Cafecitos I am now filming short bilingual videos on topics that I’ve seen are consistently confusing or contain hidden rules of the public education system for multilingual families. If they can’t come into school for something like Cafecitos, teachers could try emailing or texting my video links from youtube to parents, in their language, to inform them about topics such as:

*Partnering with your child’s teacher

*Conferences

*First month of Kindergarten drop off

*Recess

*Bullying

*State testing

*Extended Absences

*How to help your child with their vocabulary

*How to help your child with math

*Reading with your child at home

*Creating routines at home that work

*How to feel more a part of the school

…AND MORE!

Some of these videos are still in the making, so please be patient and check back in if this sounds like a tool you could use!