Engaging Parents for Strong Beginnings

Community School Coordinator Ms. Dylan Woloszczuk has the opportunity to collaborate with many staff members at CS 111Q each day to encourage family engagement. One such staff member is Mrs. Jenill West, Parent Coordinator at CS 111Q. Mrs. West has been with CS 111Q since March 2015. The Parent Coordinator role comes with many responsibilities. Mrs. West reflects, “[I] do workshops, hold meetings with the parents, assist the Parent Teacher Association, [and] create the school calendar, newsletter, and flyers to keep the parents updated with all school events.”

Mrs. West has high hopes for the level of Pre-K parent participation and engagement this year. She reports, “I believe this year we have had the most Pre-K parents involved [with the school], especially at the Scholar of the Month Award Celebrations.” Hosting the Scholar of the Month Celebrations, in which scholars are formally presented with a certificate, is one way that Mrs. West has engaged families this year. She also reports she continues to invite Pre-K parents to all school events, which she states has worked to engage families in the past. Mrs. West noted that involving Pre-K parents in positive, exciting school functions such as the Spring and Winter concerts makes, “[families] feel like a part of the school.”

She plans to continue to encourage Pre-K families to attend all school events for the remainder of the year. She said, “My ideal goals for Pre-K would be for 100% of the parents engaged and involved in all school events. I would love to see parents take the initiative to come volunteer [and] help in the classroom.” As for scholars’ futures, she states, “I think the level of dedication and commitment will carry throughout the years until the scholars graduate.”