For Hutchinson Elementary School, parents are an untapped resource in their students development. "We really want to bridge that gap between school and families and make them feel a part of our school," Principal Judith Baldwin said.
To Jackie Bulanow, 1st grader teacher, the connection between parent and educator puts the child in a better position to learn. "The parent is the child’s first teacher, really."
Parent Liaison Maria Michlik – who works with the large Spanish populations in the community by providing translation – points out that many don’t own a computer, which limits their job search.
That’s why teachers and administrators want a parent-community resource room in the school right next to the main office. They want a place that parents can call theirs, where they can feel comfortable and can communicate with their child’s teachers.
"I guess what we are doing is bridging the understanding of how they can be involved in the school and how they can support student leaning through coming in, volunteering [and] having a place to gather – it’s a comfort level for them," Baldwin said.
Some challenges remain before the room comes to fruition. Many of the parents are foreign nationals who are from Central American countries and the Middle East. Baldwin acknowledges that there "might be a reluctance on some parents to come into the school because of the language barrier." To address that fear, school staff are making the room as resourceful as possible. Along with the computers and the Internet, the room will have a television with VCR and DVD, a teacher on staff to provide reading assistance and possibly a photocopier. With a couch, a coffee maker and some toys for the children, the parents might find the room indispensable.
"One of my goals," Baldwin added, "is to have a children’s book section were they can take home books and read it to their children if they’d like."
However, at this moment the room is merely an idea. Baldwin has formed a committee from her staff and administration to explore the room’s viability. Those involved include — along with Michlik and Bulanow — Assistant Principal Ann Gwynn, technology specialist Terry Gautesen-Borg, Diana Davis, the writing resource teacher, and Mary Fagerland, who works in the Stepped Up Language Arts program. At this stage, the committee is exploring ideas for the room prior to presenting it before the teachers on their return Aug. 30.
Bulanow has taken the opportunity to research other rooms like this around the country in conjunction with a project she is doing for her graduate class, Literacy and Community in Family Arenas, at Eastern Mennonite University. One of the programs she has researched is based in Chicago and cites how the parent rooms result in "long-term positive effects" for the children whose parents regularly visit. While not one specific program or school is a model for Hutchinson, Bulanow’s research has underscored how the room needs to be designed to fit the school’s and community’s distinctiveness.
"It has to be really responsive to your particular community," Bulanow adds. "This is such a beautifully diverse school, [and] that diversity is an incredible resource for the school." Bulanow explains that many of the children at Hutchinson are "third culture kids." The expectation for Bulanow and others is that the room could be a place where parents dealing with children going through the same cultural changes can interact and communicate with each other.
If all goes well, the room will be open and running by November. At this stage, the committee is exploring all possible options. When they inform the teachers, they expect to discuss many new ideas and narrow down others.