Clover Park Schools to Host Parent Seminars to Promote Student Success

Parents of students in the Clover Park School District have an opportunity to participate in a pair of free workshops to learn new strategies to support their students’ success.

The parent institutes are Oct. 1 at Evergreen Elementary School on Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Oct. 8 at Lakeview Hope Academy. They will focus on helping children with homework; math and reading strategies; and how to prepare for life after high school.

This is the second set of such district wide events to be held since the program launched during the 2010-11 school year, and free lunch and childcare for children ages 3-12 will be provided. They are open to any family in the district from pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade.

“There is so much that families can do to support learning at home even before their kids get into school,” said Sarah Fairweather, family and community partnerships coordinator for the district. “This is a chance to get those strategies and to ask questions and connect with families that could be going through the same things.”

Fairweather said that about 45 people have signed up so far and that they are hoping for even more.

Among the sessions are 3-hour workshops on getting children ready for kindergarten – Fairweather said that session is particularly hands-on and parents will make things to take home and use with their kids – and on how to support students once they graduate from high school. The latter is sponsored by GEAR UP. The Lakeview institute is presented in partnership with the City of Lakewood’s Parks and Recreation Department.

“We recognize that parents are our kids’ first teachers,” Fairweather said, “and this is an opportunity to provide them with strategies to support that.”

There will also be 45-minute sessions on such topics as helping kids with homework, supporting math and reading at home, and helping children get off the couch, away from the TV and leading an active life.

“I’m excited about that one,” Fairweather said. “We have people coming in to lead them in games and show them activities.”

A few community organizations will also have booths, including the Pierce County Library System and some health-service partners.

“It should be a day where people can get a lot of resources,” Fairweather said.

For more information, or to register, call 253-583-5043 or visit the Family and Community page on the district website to register online. Registration forms are also available at all CPSD schools.