01/18/2007 - "Take Your Family to School" Week Planned by District 428 in Partnership With EPAC
DeKalb School District 428 is inviting students to take their families to school during “Take Your Family To School” week from January 28th to February 1st. The event is sponsored and organized again this year by the Executive Parent Advisory Council (EPAC) for District 428. The event is also part of a national program promoted by the National Parent Teacher Association. Designed to connect families with their children’s school experience, the district has extended the invitation beyond just parents/guardians and immediate relatives this year to include members of the community as well. Please contact the school office to arrange a time for the visit.
“We are very excited to offer this opportunity to parents, other relatives, and members of the community to see our schools in action,” said Mary Hess, EPAC president. “It is very important for parents and significant caregivers to participate in the academic journey in partnership with classroom teachers and educational leaders. Student learning is a shared responsibility, and it makes sense to create an atmosphere that brings parents and school staff together,” Hess added.
Russ Fletcher, School/Community Relations Liaison for District 428 indicated, “A great deal of discussion has been taking place in recent weeks about the role of schools as a community asset. We believe, as do many residents throughout the three communities we serve, that communication and interaction among the school district and the communities we serve is a vital and healthy component for a thriving community educational atmosphere. “Take Your Family To School Week” is a great opportunity for persons who do not currently have students in schools, or don’t have a direct connection with a school, to experience a brief time in our current school setting,” said Fletcher.
“There is a tremendous amount of research,” said Hess, “that indicates the benefits of parental involvement in relation to academic achievement. The outcome of this research is clear and consistent: students, educators, and schools all perform better when parents are actively involved,” Hess added.
Each school in the district will celebrate the week in its own manner. Some schools plan to invite parents for lunch and classroom time on specific days. Others will host parents and community members throughout the week on an appointment basis. All visitors will be required to follow security procedures during the school day. In order to minimize disruptions to the school day, principals ask that younger siblings not be brought to school.
Char Messmore, principal of Littlejohn Elementary School indicates that several dozen families have already contacted the school office to set a time to visit. In addition to the school day visits, Littlejohn is hosting a Family Literacy Night at the school called, “Passport to Reading”. Families will rotate between five classrooms where they will learn about five components of literacy. At each stop they will have their “passport” stamped before moving on to the next location.
Lincoln Elementary School is inviting parents to join their kindergarten through second grade students on Tuesday, January 29th at 8:15 a.m. for a light breakfast followed time in their child's classroom until 9:30 a.m. If unable to attend the morning session, K-2 parents can bring a sack lunch at noon and visit the classroom until 1:30 p.m. The same schedule will be repeated on Wednesday, January 30th for the parents of third, fourth, and fifth graders. All Lincoln families are invited back to the school in the evening of Thursday, January 31st for Movie Night at 6:30 p.m. The movie "Hoot" will be shown.
EPAC is a parent-created and parent-led organization. It was founded in October 2006 as a means of improving relations between all school groups in the district. EPAC is composed primarily of parent members active in their respective Parent Teacher Association or Parent Teacher Organization. School district officials and board of education and principal liaisons attend EPAC as ex-officio (non-voting) members.
The purpose of EPAC is to ensure that parents have an organized voice in the school district, that parents are involved in decision-making processes as appropriate, and that parent needs, concerns and issues are regularly communicated to and addressed by the DeKalb School District 428 Board of Education. In addition, EPAC members share information and resources relating to operating an effective PTA/PTO. For more information about EPAC or “Take Your Family To School” week, contact Hess at mhess@netzero.com.
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