"Successfully Engaging Georgia's Parents" Parent Engagement Newsletter "Gearing Up!" National Young Readers Week is November 12-16, 2012! Try to read for at least 15 minutes before going to sleep. Carry your favorite book in your backpack. Talk to your friends and family about the book you're reading. Take your time! You don't have to hurry when you're reading for fun. Ask your parents, siblings and friends what books they like and recommend. Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent Welcome to the 20122013 school year! Most students have been in school now for well over a month. Many parents worked over the summer to prepare their children for a successful school year because we know that education begins at home. At the Georgia Department of Education, our vision is simple Making Education Work for All Georgians. We are focused on providing the highest level of learning for every student, in every classroom, at every school. Your partnership is essential to seeing this vision become a reality for every student. You can best accomplish this by ensuring that your child attends school every day, staying informed about your child's progress in school and by remaining involved in your child's school life as an advocate. Never underestimate the difference your involvement makes in your child's education. In the weeks and months ahead, you will be hearing more about the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards and how you can support your school's effort to implement these standards. I know that with your help, the transition will be smoother. This is going to be an exciting and rewarding school year and I thank you for making learning a top priority in your home. Sincerely, State School Superintendent Best GET INVOLVED Parent Moment... There is no better way to inspire parents to get involved then by sharing other parents' success stories. Last year, the GaDOE's Parent Engagement Program began collecting and compiling such stories from parents. One story will be published in each quarterly newsletter to be shared statewide. My best GET INVOLVED moment was when... In January of 2000, I was overjoyed to hold my first-born; he was healthy and growing normally. However, when he turned two, I began to worry and talk to his doctor about his language development. The doctor had told us that since we spoke several languages at home, it probably was taking him time to process, and that he would eventually catch up. The following year, he was enrolled in an early intervention program at Partee Elementary. He had to remain in Special Education because the school thought that he was not going to be able to read as soon as the other kids his age; in fact, they had said it would probably take him several years. During the summer of 2006, my child and I spent a lot of time reading. Once school started back up, my child could not only express himself but could read as well. Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent September, 2012 Page 1 of 2 All Rights Reserved After some evaluations and meetings, my son was able to make the move from Special Education to the mainstream. He was transferred to Rosebud Elementary soon afterward. Even after he was placed in general education, he still had to be pulled out of his classes for language instruction along with other resources. Day after day, I encouraged my son to work harder, I helped him prepare for the CRCT Exam and as a result, he did well and was not only promoted to 5th grade, but he is also taking all of his classes in general education with his peers. Murinagie Nooy Rosebud Elementary School Helping Your Children Develop Healthy Friendships Research has found that many young people feel alone although they may be surrounded by their peers or "friends." As children transition from elementary school to middle school and beyond, meaningful friendships become an intrical part of their lives and can greatly impact their academic achievement, for better or worse. Parents can and should play a key role in helping their children develop meaningful friendships at school and in the community. To no surprise, a major hindrance in developing meaningful relationships is the overuse of social media. While it has proven to be a great resource for keeping in contact with friends and family, it has also created a barrier to obtaining meaningful friendships built on the solid foundation of trust and knowing a person for who they really are. It would be a good practice to create opportunities for your children to interact with their peers outside of school and in a personal setting. Inviting their friends over for a meal or planning weekend activities together can help them develop healthy, solid friendships. You can also model what a good friend is by your own interactions with your children. It is also important to be willing to give your son or daughter constructive criticism when necessary because they cannot be expected to miraculously change negative character traits they are not told about. When helping children evaluate who their true friends are, it would be good to ask them, do your friends help you reach your potential, or do you have to lower your standards to fit in with them? Ultimately, healthy friendships are those that make you grow and become a better person. Instilling those facts in your child will help them tremendously. Volume 3, Issue 1, Fall 2012 PARENTS, DID YOU KNOW... Talking with your children about the positive experiences you had developing friendships when you were their age will lessen their anxiety and build confidence. Remember to block off these important dates! National Family Day September 24, 2012 Family Health & Fitness Day September 29, 2012 World Teacher Day October 5, 2012 National Bus Safety Week October 15-19, 2012 Lights on After School October 18, 2012 Red Ribbon Week October 23-31, 2012 Parent Engagement Month November, 2012 Program Staff Michelle Sandrock, Parent Engagement Program Manager msandrock@doe.k12.ga.us 404-232-1148 Lakeita Servance, Parent Engagement Specialist lservance@doe.k12.ga.us 404-656-2633 Outreach Programs Division 1862 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, SE Atlanta, GA 30334 Vision Statement The Parent Engagement Program believes that parents, schools, families, and communities working together can create meaningful partnerships that ultimately lead to significant gains across the board in student achievement. Calling All Parents! Have an idea to contribute to the newsletter? Send your parent involvement ideas and articles to us through your Parent Involvement Coordinator or e-mail us directly. If your idea or article is published, your name will appear in the newsletter! Have a Question? AskDOE 404-656-2800 askdoe@doe.k12.ga.us We're on the Web! http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/AskDOE/Pages/Parents.aspx http://www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/Federal-Programs/Pages/Parent-Engagement-Program.aspx Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent September, 2012 Page 2 of 2 All Rights Reserved