Jefferson County Public Schools International Family Orientation: Sixth Annual Immigrant Parent Conference

By Gwen Snow
ESL Middle School
Instructional Coach

Balancing plates of fruit and pastries and cups filled with coffee or juice, parents scouted Flex room B for an empty chair. A loud multilingual buzz pervaded the room as hundreds of attendees for the sixth annual Jefferson County Public Schools International Family Orientation (IFO) waited for the program to begin.

This year, the IFO was at the Gheens Academy on March 22, 2008. It was organized by Abraham Solano, Intake Specialist, Mary Hamilton, Intake Center Resource Teacher, and Rachel Segretto, a Vista volunteer working with the JCPS ESL office. Thousands of invitations were sent to the families of students who speak languages other than English. The workshops at the orientation were designed to be useful for parents of primary through twelfth grades.

As attendees ate their breakfasts, a well-dressed group of teenagers from the Shawnee Newcomer Academy moved to the front of the room. The tallest stood behind a keyboard and began to play it. Music came from the sound system, and he started to play along with it on the keyboard. As his companions began to move spiritedly back and forth to the music, he stepped in front of them and sang in Swahili. Thanking the teachers and parents for attending the Orientation, he sang about how getting a good education helps one to succeed in life.

Following the Burundi group, another teen from the Newcomer Academy performed a dance from his native Congo. His lively steps set the tone for an exciting day to come.

After the entertainment and breakfast, children were invited to participate in a variety of activities while their parents attended their sessions. Many children played board games, watched movies, and did arts and crafts activities. Over 500 children were in attendance at the 2008 IFO!

As their children transitioned to their activities, parents moved to either Flex room A or B. Between the two large rooms, over 350 parents occupied every available seat. The presentations in Flex room B were interpreted into Spanish. Next door, the presentations in Flex room A were interpreted into Arabic, Russian, Swahili, French, Somali, Mai Mai, Chinese, and Vietnamese via the help of walkie-talkie headsets (facilitating several languages to be interpreted simultaneously.) The presentations switched in-between Flex A and B, allowing both groups of parents to access them in an accessible language. In between sessions, parents could visit booths with information including the public library, adult education.

The presentations parents attended that day were:

Importance of Your Child’s Education

Helmer Duverge, a local educator, explained to parents why it is important to be involved in their children’s education. Such things as knowing who their teachers are, and what their students do in school everyday help to empower parents in guiding their children toward success.

He also emphasized how reading (in any language) is the key to keeping up with peers. Once students get behind their classmates academically, they often find other means of competing (and often, these are not positive.)

Social Studies Curriculum

Rick Daniel, a specialist with Jefferson County Public Schools, shared the Social Studies curriculum with parents. He was Assisting him was Social Studies resource teacher Anetria Brownlee. Mr. Daniel provided an overview of the curriculum that is taught in JCPS. He began with the elementary curriculum, (communities, Kentucky Studies, and American History.) Then he discussed the recommended courses for middle school, including World Regions, World Civilizations of the Past, and early US History. The high school curriculum includes modern World Civilizations, modern US History, and a new course to be taught in the 9th grade, entitled “Exploring Civics: Facing History and Ourselves.”

Positive Discipline

Maria Scharfenberger, from the Prevention division of Seven Counties Services, and Connie Martinez, PhD, who is an Immigrant Family Advocate for the Center for Women and Families, presented a workshop on Positive Discipline. After providing a well-received relaxation session for all the participants, the two presenters emphasized the importance of addressing stress in a positive manner. They also addressed the need for parents to talk to their children on a regular basis. The “4 Rs” were reviewed (Recognize and accept feelings, Routine, positive Reinforcements, and Repetition.)

Jefferson Community and Technical College

ESL teachers and administrators from Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC) explained about college programs in the US, and specifically outlined how interested attendees could enroll in their programs. They also discussed how to apply for financial aid, and what requirements were needed to attend college. The benefits of having a college degree were shared, as well as the specific programs offered at JCTC.

As the sessions came to an end, children were escorted from their activities to share a pizza lunch with their families. Some families stayed after the Orientation to meet with Maxine Walker and Allene Gold, representatives from the Early Childhood program, to register three and four year olds for 2008-2009 early childhood programs.

Jefferson County Public Schools’ English as a Second Language program is delighted with the success with the program. Planning has already begun for next year’s International Family Orientation.

Last Updated

9/18/08
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