PARENTS REACHING OUT GRANTS
Lincoln Avenue Public School, Ajax
East meets West
Acknowledging and celebrating the cultural diversity of the community has opened doors for parents at Lincoln Avenue Public School . Serving two dominant populations – East Indian and West Indian – the school invited parents of all cultures to participate in an afternoon of workshops tailored to their distinct needs, concerns and interests. The event began with a meal featuring East Indian, West Indian and International Foods, for which parents paid a small fee. This highly successful event has been a catalyst for building new bridges between the school and the communities it serves, and has improved both parent engagement and teacher-parent communication.
At-a-Glance
- Parents are invited to attend a series of elective information workshops.
- The event begins with a meal featuring East Indian, West Indian and International cuisine, attended by parents, students and staff.
- Invitations and registration forms are sent to all parents, indicating that a small fee will be charged to offset the costs of catering and craft supplies for student activities.
- Some 175 parents register for the event, which is held in the school, on a Saturday, from noon to 3:00 pm.
- A one-hour luncheon and 'meet and greet' event is followed by five elective workshops for parents, and five elective activities for children.
- Parent sessions are provided by experts in the school and community, many of whom have themselves arrived in Canada as immigrants, and understand the needs of new Canadians.
- Parent reaction has been extremely positive, resulting in improved school-community relations, and enhanced parent familiarity with, and engagement in, the life of the school.
Learn more:
- Quick Facts: The Program
- Ideas into Action: How we Did It
- Building Participation: Getting Parents Involved
- Contact: School, board and contact information
