Schools
Farmington Schools Rolls Out the Welcome Wagon
Only 60 families attended the district's program for new families, but organizers hope to attract more next year.
Every year, some 500-600 new students start attending , uncertain about what is expected of them, academically and socially.
That uncertainty is the suspected reason that new students disproportionately face suspension and expulsion, school officials said . In hopes of easing their adjustment to a new school, the district launched a new family orientation program, with the first sessions held in September.
“My grandmother always told me that when somebody new is coming you really need to be hospitable,” said Lasenia Jones, who along with Mary Beth Sikora serves as a parent/community coordinator for the district. “Our new families allowed us to do just that.”
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Jones and Sikora told the board of education Dec. 6 that 60 families attended sessions held at different times of day to accommodate various family schedules. Representatives from all 16 of the district’s schools, as well as the Proud Dads, PTA and other community groups, attended the orientation meetings and welcomed new families.
Parents received packets of essential information, like how the district uses technology, the desired culture in the schools, and information on the positive behavior intervention support program, combined with the student code of conduct. Also included were guides to athletic programs and school calendars.
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Parents also received tips for helping elementary-, middle-, and high-school students succeed in school.
“One of the things we hoped the families received from this is knowing that they are part of the village,” Jones said. And it may have worked. She said she received a comment card from one parent that read: “Glad to be a new part of your community. I’m looking forward to our future together.”
“We have always felt that if we could get to people, to parents, as early as possible,” board trustee Howard Wallach said, “that would lead to a better experience for the students.”
Jones said she hopes that next year more families will participate. Organizers plan to start earlier in the spring.
