Ladson, SC
Charleston County School District
Vanessa Smith, Family Service Advocate
vanessa_smith@charleston.k12.sc.us
Donuts and Dreams with Deputies and Dads
The Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) and Family Advocate at Ladson Elementary School are working to increase the participation of students’ dads and other male figures in their lives. Last year, Donuts and Dreams with Deputies and Dads was a worthy and tasty activity. There were several goals—e.g., to meet the dads in students’ lives, welcome them to the school, and provide useful information on how to become more active partners at school and at home in their children’s learning and development.
They focused on a set of students who needed a bit of extra family support. The Family Service Advocate on the ATP contacted the parents of these students and asked them to select a key male figure to attend Donuts and Dreams. A bilingual colleague contacted the Spanish-speaking families. Teachers were concerned about support for students whose dads were not at home or not available to come to school. The invitations, then, were open to dads, grandfathers, uncles, and other important male figures in students’ lives.
At the gathering, community partners presented dads with information, stories, and advice on building positive relationships with their children. These included a local pastor, deputies from the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, and an expert on financial planning. The school’s group called Ladson Elementary Dads welcomed new partners to the group. Students participated, too, by giving the welcoming address in English and in Spanish, and by reading a poem about the student-dad relationship. The selected students attended the sessions with their dads.
Community groups and the school district set up tables with information about their services and distributed resources for dads and school supplies for students. These included backpacks, pamphlets, dictionaries, Bombas socks, school supply kits, and gift bags with two books to encourage students and dads to enjoy reading together at home.
About 95 dads, grandfathers, uncles, and others attended along with 131 selected students, and about 50 educators and community partners. The evaluations were very positive. Teachers believe that more dads and community partners will volunteer to help the school, and feel more comfortable about attending student activities through the school year. They expect the selected students will improve their attitudes about school, classwork, and homework.
Read more about Donuts and Dreams with Deputies and Dads in Promising Partnership Practices 2023.
Celebrating, Empowering, and Engaging Our Hispanic Families
Ladson calls its community of families with different racial and cultural backgrounds “a place of beauty.” The school is always working to strengthen school, family, and community partnerships with all families. Last year, the Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) and Family Advocate planned Celebrating, Empowering, and Engaging Our Hispanic Families. They knew that there were untapped talents and strengths among the school’s Hispanic families. They wanted the school’s Hispanic families to feel welcome, respected, and a sense of belonging. They also wanted to know what these families wanted the school to do to meet their needs and interests.
To help Hispanic families feel comfortable, the gathering was conducted entirely in Spanish. The ATP and planning group worked closely with the district-level leader for partnerships, who served as MC, hostess, and translator for the activity. Students participated, too. One student read a poem in Spanish. Others assisted with sign in. A student and family danced the Macarena and taught the others to dance along. The principal and district leader shared information with parents about what it means to be a Title I school, parents’ rights to be involved in school decision making, and what programs and resources are available to their children.
One highlight was a performance by a community dance group—El Grupo de Dance-Viva Mexico! Parents reported that the group was awesome—“asombroso!” A local Mexican restaurant and many parents contributed delicious food for the event. A Community Engagement Specialist from the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office read a book in Spanish and played the Hand Pan (i.e., a version of a steelpan) for a musical treat. Another officer spoke about how the Hispanic families in the community affected her, personally, since the beginning of the COVID crisis. Each family took home backpacks and gift bags containing books, reading packets, and ideas to encourage their children’s reading and learning at home.
Over 70 parents and family members, 40 students, and 60 teachers and community partners participated in the celebration of Hispanic families. Parents completed a Spanish language evaluation, noting their satisfaction with the event. Wrote one, “We feel more at ease knowing the school is communicating with us and celebrating our culture.” Lots of meaning and lots of fun—a winning combination. Say it again? “Asombroso!”
Read more about Celebrating, Empowering, and Engaging Our Hispanic Families in Promising Partnership Practices 2023.
