William Penn Life, 1999 (34. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1999-09-01 / 9. szám
Talk to your children and teenagers—and listen to them. Talk directly to your children, especially your teenagers, about the dangers of drugs and alcohol,and the values you want them to have. Set a good example. And listen to what your children have to say. Such personal talks, however uncomfortable they may make you feel, can save their lives. Express high expectations for children by enrolling them in challenging courses. You can communicate to your children the importance of setting and meeting challenges in school. Tell your children that working hard and stretching their minds is the only way for them to realize their full potential. Expect and encourage your children to take tough courses like geometry, chemistry, computer technology, a second language, art and advanced occupational courses. Info Links To learn more about parental involvement in education and how you can take an active role in improving your child’s education, contact your child’s school and its PTA. More information is also available from: 3 National Parent Teacher Association Customer Service Department 330 N. Wabash Avenue Suite 2100 Chicago, IL 60611 1-800-307-4782 http://www.pta.org 3 U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue SW Washington, DC 20202 I -800-USA-LEARN http://www.ed.gov Make sure your children never settle for doing less than their best. Find out if your school has high standards. Your school should have clear, challenging standards for what students should know. For example, what reading, writing and math skills is your child expected to have by fourth grade? By eighth and twelfth grades? What about history, science, the arts, geography and other languages? Are responsibility and hard work recognized? If your school doesn't have high standards, join with teachers, principals and other parents to set these standards. Keep in touch with the school. Parents cannot afford to wait for schools to tell them how children aie doing. Families who stay informed about their children's progress at school have higher-achieving children. To keep informed, parents can visit the school or talk with teachers on the telephone. Get to know the names of your children's teachers, principals and counselors. Use community resources. Activities sponsored by religious and community organizations provide opportunities for children and other family members to engage in positive social and learning experiences. Family-oriented community resources may include health care services, housing assistance, adult education, family literacy and employment counseling. Families can reinforce their children's learning by going to libraries, museums, free concerts and cultural fairs together. Getting involved with your child's school and education isn't easy. It requires time, effort and dedication. "But," as the Pennsylvania PTA concludes, "it will be today's children, tomorrow's future, that will benefit from the effort." |WPL| Ideas that get parents involved Administrators, teachers, parents and students have come up with many ways to get parents more involved in their children's schools. Here are two of the best ones we've seen, courtesy of the Pennsylvania PTA. The Study Center Mount Lebanon (Pa.) High School runs the Study Center. The center is open to any student needing assistance with school subjects or study skills. It is staffed at all times during the school day Monday through Thursday. Members of the National Honor Society tutor their peers, parents assist with study and organizational skills, and teachers offer additional information to assist students. During the first 60 days of school two years ago, 1,540 students used this service. Twenty parent volunteers are needed to keep the center open. Reading with the Stars Third and fourth grade students at Whitehall (Pa.) Elementary School look forward to the annual "Reading with the Stars." Adults with interesting jobs or hobbies, or who are affiliated with local organizations (like a zoo or museum), are asked to read a story that reflects their interests. Most readers also bring displays or perform demonstrations. The evening includes refreshments and a drawing for prizes donated by local businesses. Each child wins a prize. Parents are asked to donate a half-dozen cookies. Some parents serve as chaperones for the event. In 1997,156 students participated and 65 adults were involved . William Penn Lite, September 1999 9
