Just ten minutes of talking with Principal Dawn Moore, principal of Paul L. Dunbar School and Ms. Haydee Delgado, School Improvement Support Liaison at Dunbar School, shows how much heart goes behind connecting with families at Dunbar. Oftentimes people think that all it requires to have family engagement at schools is monetary resources, but Principal...
We asked Crystal Edwards, principal of William D. Kelley in North Philadelphia, to say a few words about the value of volunteers in the overall family engagement programming of the school. Check out her energizing thoughts below! The educational journey of a child begins with their first educators, their parents. Parents bear the first responsibility...
There is a variety of reasons that families choose to volunteer at their children’s schools. Jennifer Cullen, a volunteer at A.L. Fitzpatrick in Northeast Philadelphia, has a LONG list of why she chooses to stay involved! Ms. Cullen has been volunteering at Fitzpatrick for the past 12 years and has seen the effects of being...
Oftentimes when we think of the things that can brighten a school environment, we think about many large changes or initiatives, but Ms. Agnes Parrish, parent and volunteer at Samuel Gompers School in West Philadelphia, feels that small gestures can make a big difference. Ms. Parrish has been volunteering at Gompers since 2011, and one...
This month, we’re showing our gratitude for a group of people our schools cannot do without — volunteers! Our family, parent, and community volunteers make a tremendous difference in our schools, and we don’t know what we’d do without them! As School Advisory Councils work to achieve various goals, there are ways that SACs can...
Parent volunteers, members of the "Bethune Brigade" We know that everyone in your school is VERY busy, especially as the end of the school year nears! There are many ways to celebrate volunteers that don’t require a lot of time or money but can really go a long way to make your school’s volunteers feel...
School Advisory Councils (SACs) have three major goals: supporting academic achievement, improving school climate and culture, and strengthening family engagement. A big academic goal for most schools includes advancing literacy skills for all students. This month’s SAC Tip of the Month gives some ways that your SAC can discuss, promote, and improve literacy at your...
Families practicing with their children at a Literacy Night at Mayfair Elementary School in 2018. Many schools in Philadelphia are catching wind of hosting literacy events as a way of underscoring the importance of literacy, sharing literacy skills, and bonding the school community together around such an important academic topic. Have you been wondering how...
Have you ever struggled with modeling good behavior for your children? Do you know the difference between emotional and social intelligence? Self-awareness and self-improvement is tough work, so we’ve brought in The Folke Institute for Transformative Learning to host two different workshops on the subjects as a part of Family Academy: Courses and Training (FACT)....
A full-house for a SAC Meeting at Furness High School in South Philadelphia. (Photo credit: @FurnessHigh on Twitter) The FACE Office receives many questions about boosting family engagement but getting more middle and high school families involved tops the list. It’s a tough one; family engagement at ALL grade levels can be challenging work, but family...
