East New York

Learning Leaders group promotes parental involvement

Middle School Success program reaches nearly 400 families

June 10, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Judy Nivet and her son Leon, a student at P.S. 213, take part in a workshop. Photo courtesy Learning Leaders
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The key to a successful student is to have a parent who is fully involved in the child’s education according to Learning Leaders, a non-profit organization that seeks to get moms and dads engaged in what goes on in the classroom.

Six Brooklyn public schools are currently taking part in the Middle School Success Program, a city-wide initiative sponsored by Learning Leaders to provide help and guidance to families so that kids can succeed in middle school and beyond.

Under the program, Learning Leaders works directly with families of students from fifth to eighth grade at a series of after-school workshops to tackle achievement gaps that might emerge during these grades. The program focuses on family engagement and is unique in that it works with students and parents together, according to Learning Leaders.

The participating schools are: P.S. 203 in Flatlands, P.S. 213 in East New York, P.S. 221 in Crown Heights, Middle School 50 in Greenpoint, P.S./I.S. 262 in Bedford-Stuyvesant and the Van Siclen Community School in East New York. The program is reaching nealry 400 families, according to Learning Leaders.

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Pauline Forbes, parent coordinator at P.S. 213, said the program has been very valuable to parents and students in her school.

“The workshops provided information that empowered parents to feel more comfortable about continued involvement in their children’s education, and will ensure a smoother transition and better middle school experience for the students,” she said.

Learning Leaders typically selects schools for the program that receive federal aid for free school lunches or have a high proportion of English language learner students. A total of 1,250 families are involved in the program across the city.

The fifth grade students and families have attended workshops guiding them through the middle school application process and the transition to middle school to help kids adjust to the new learning environment. The sixth graders have also covered the transition to middle school. Other sessions focus on helping kids develop study skills.

Seventh grade families will attend an advanced reading workshop that teaches reading as a learning tool. In other sessions, the parents will learn ways to support the child’s study and organizational skills, and how to navigate the high school application process.

Eighth graders have already received support on applying to high school, as well as tips on how to successfully transition to the next level of their education.

The participants receive tailored support materials and have access to parents who have already gone through the middle school experience with their children.

The families who complete the program will receive a certificate of achievement and attend a celebration event held by their school. The initiative is funded by a grant from the Pinkerton Foundation.

Jane Heaphy, executive director of Learning Leaders, said middle school grades (six, seven and eight) are critical to a child’s educational development. “Parents tend to take a step back at this stage, but it’s as important as ever that they remain involved. However, parents need to be given information on navigating the school system, and approaching a balance between their children’s growing independence and continued need for support and students need to be informed too,” she said.

For more information, visit www.learningleaders.org.

 

 


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