From the Free Press’ Rochelle Riley:

After years of trying to increase the number of Detroit parents who are involved with the schools and their children’s education, DPS has finally found a way:

The district hired the Detroit Parent Network, which has spent two years creating parent resource centers and training parents in efforts to connect those who raise children with those who teach them. The result is that a third more parents attended parent-teacher conferences and parent meetings in DPS schools last year than the year before. The district also has seen increases in requests for homework hotlines and money-management classes.

Network President Sharlonda Buckman said they have used the parent resource centers to teach parents that their children’s schools should be their homes away from home. To that end, the centers have become places where parents could get everything from coffee to computer lessons, from English as a Second Language classes to help with tax returns. They have support groups for grandparents and teen parents as well as financial management and literacy support.

Read the full story at:

Rochelle Riley: DPS hires Detroit Parent Network, which helps parents learn to help their kids

Send your thoughts and anecdotes on improving parent engagement to communications@detroitk12.org. Post ideas on Facebook at our Facebook Fan Page

From Cass Tech Principal Lisa Phillips:

Our parents patrol morning/afternoon traffic every morning to make sure our students are safe when crossing Second Avenue in heavy traffic. They volunteer in the building working front desk and in the counseling dept, and they are the welcome committee when needed.  I call-they are here! They work every athletic game from season to season providing food, counseling, transportation and more. Our parents chaperone every field trip or school events both in and out of the city. They even march with our marching band at every event — over 30 marching sessions a year. They support our stakeholders committee monthly meetings. In fact, we have
parents in our building every day doing something wonderful!

Some 150 community and parent volunteers, in addition to two Teachers-in-Charge per building, are devoting their time to Detroit Public Schools’ Holiday Learning Fest, a first-time program that kicked off December 27, where 18 participating schools will provide academic support and remediation, free meals and food baskets over the holiday break to more than 1,000 students who have registered to date. The district also will offer special parent workshops in seven Parent Resource Centers.

Said Harms Elementary Principal Karen White: “One father commented, ‘I bought all these games and toys for Christmas and you would think she would want to stay home and want to play with them but my daughter wants to be here (at Harms)!’ The children are having a ball!”

Through the brand new Holiday Learning Fest, a program sponsored in part by the Office of Food Services, 18 schools will remain open to students for six days (December 27, 28, 29, 2011 and January 3, 4, 5, 2012) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to provide learning, fun activities and nourishment for students.

Immunizations/clinics

At two of the participating schools, Marcus Garvey and Osborn Academy, DPS has partnered with the St. John Health System to offer clinics, which include free immunizations and health screenings.

Immunizations/clinics are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the following days:

Marcus Garvey Academy, 2301 Van Dyke:

• Tuesday, January 3
• Wednesday, January 4
• Friday, January 6 (The school will be closed. The clinic has a separate public entrance.)

Osborn High, 11600 E. 7 Mile Road:

• Tuesday, January 3
• Wednesday, January 4
• Thursday, January 5

All required immunizations will be offered. Immunizations are free to students who are Medicaid-eligible. Parents or guardians must be on hand.

Workshops for parents

Also during the Holiday Learning Fest, seven Parent Resource Centers are open, offering special workshops and take-home academic toolkits.

Parent Workshops Flier

Check out our latest BLOG on our volunteers!

Inside DPS: Faces of Volunteers Tell the Real Story

Some of the stories we’ve heard:

Detroit News Editorial

Detroit schools made holiday safe for kids

Credit is due the 18 Detroit schools that are staying open during the holiday break to make sure students are safe, fed and up-to-date with their studies. Each school is staffed by volunteers – including two teachers per building – who serve meals, help with homework, lead recreation programs and read to the children. More than 150 volunteers are participating, and 4,000 food baskets will go home with students over the two-week period. It’s a great example of a community and teachers stepping up to care for children.

Ann Crowley, Beard Elementary School Teacher

“Many teachers from this building are volunteering, as well as community partners and parents,” Crowley said. “There are just a wealth of people who are volunteering to help our students stay on track during the break. One main goal of this program is to help them stay fresh so that they don’t forget over the course of two weeks all they’ve been learning throughout the school year.”

*65 children are registered to attend the week-long event, all kindergarten and first-graders.

Sabrina Evans, Principal at Beard Elementary School

“I’m so excited about this program and what it means for our students,” Evans said. “But I’m even more excited about how our teachers have stepped up to volunteer their time during the holiday season. It’s amazing how dedicated they are to helping their students in any way possible.”

Tom Watkins, Business Education Consultant for the U.S. and China, and former State Superintendent

(Served on school board from 2001-2005)

“There are a number of great teachers in the state and the Detroit Public School District,” said Watkins. “When they’re willing to volunteer their time, I’m more than willing to step in any that I can. … Coming into a school like this and seeing all of these bright, beautiful, smiling facing—how can you be a Grinch? I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my Christmas break.”

Watkins convinced friends, family members and the Northville District Library to donate more than 400 age-appropriate books to the Learning Fest.

Some of the events at Beard:

*Academic activities included reading and performing plays, as well as math Bingo

*Dozens of students participated all with matching t-shirts provided by the Office of Food Service

* The students also engaged in healthy-choice activities. The physical education teacher also organized a large motor skills game with a parachute in the hallway.

James Tate, Detroit City Councilman

“I’m really appreciative of Detroit Public Schools for providing this opportunity for our children and families,” Tate said. “I understand the importance of a program like this. … If you could have one second that can change your life, imagine what six days can do to change the lives of these students.”

Rebecca Nadis, Volunteer with City Year Americorps Service Organization

“When the opportunity is offered to be involved with anything that involves Detroit youth and education, I’m in!” said Rebecca Nadis, City Year Volunteer. “This program is very important to our organization, and serving the youth of Detroit is very important to me. I can’t think of a better way to spend my day than with these children. They’re so cheerful and just happy to be learning.”

City Year has about 80 17-24-year-olds who have dedicated a year of service through targeted intervention programs to keep students on track to graduate. Nadis said her program promotes the “ABCs of Learning”—Attendance, Behavior, and Course Work.

“I love working with students,” Nadis said. “The Learning Fest is giving students the opportunity to get extra learning and have extra fun. It’s a wonderful program and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

During the six days of the Fest, DPS will run a Service Response Center for volunteers or parents who have questions regarding the Holiday Learning Fest at 313-578-7100.

Media:

TV 20:  Schools Stand to Lose Millions if Kids Aren’t Immunized 

WWJ: DPS Offers Immunizations, Health Screenings

Post your stories, tidbits, photos of the Fest on the Official DPS Facebook Fan Page or email them to communications@detroitk12.org