News from Talladega, Alabama: Janet Cumbee and Vicki Oliver, principals in Talladega, recently brought the presentation "The Cornerstone Initiative: Literacy in England and Alabama, Learning Together" to the Alabama Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, Winter Conference. They shared their observations from a week in London schools last summer and noted the comparisons of their schools' literacy practices to those in British schools.

 

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Parents Share at Southern Regional Conference - January 2002

 

Active participation in the parent sessions at the Regional Institute last week contributed to the conference's success, and in turn, to the progress of Cornerstone work in the schools. Here are plans, goals, and activities in our Southern Cornerstone schools:

Virginia Braden - Lake - Jackson - Director of Parent Center

• surveyed parents - learned parents were interested in computers, test taking skills, assisting in classrooms, understanding the curriculum, handling bullies and fighting, how to help grandchildren, teachers learning to teach test taking skills;
• ordered materials - videos, booklist, shelves, coffee pot;
• identifying volunteers to work with Center;
• obtained a list of all third graders at risk of failing test - teacher prescription sheet for the assistance needed by each child - invite parents in or go to their homes
  

• sent home School Climate survey - learned that communications and attitude were key issues;
• instituted Muffins for Moms, Donuts for Dads, Pastries for Grandparents;
  
• Read Across America - parents read in school;
  
• Student and Parent of the week display;
  
• day for parents to spend in the classroom;
• parent grant proposal for canvas book bag for children and parents to read aloud, parent seminars
  

• Family Night with book give-aways;
• Mystery Readers on Fridays - parents come in and read in classrooms;
• business donations solicited for a book for take-home collections - pennies for books;
• parent grant - home visits to struggling readers with make of materials and Family Literacy Night with storytelling and creating story collections
  

• lead Cornerstone parent workshops before each monthly PTA meeting, sent home newsletters and distributed tip sheets, project ideas (shared materials with Institute);
• distributed draft Parent Story Collection;
• Bag of Books proposal;
• Leadership Jackson partnership
  

• work with a lot of teachers and parents of special ed students

Nearline Hoskins - Williams - Greenwood - Teacher and parent, community person

• reading corners,
• classroom environment,
• literacy practices
  

Diana Miller - Williams - Greenwood - Parent

• looking to get parents involved, into classrooms, reading to children, library books
  

Sylvia Greer - Threadgill - Greenwood - Parent

• Superintendent's Parent Taskforce monthly meetings;
• speaker during career month;
• tried to utilize ideas with 2nd grader
  

Iva Taylor - Threadgill - Greenwood - Teacher, representing Shelia Tyler Parent Center director who couldn't attend

• Shelia has begun ordering books and videos and making a comfortable environment for parents;
• district-wide parent day;
• idea to have students, parents, teachers paint a mural in the hallways;
• Iva's classroom - call parents, home visits, invite into room
  

Annie Fomby - Sycamore - Talladega - Parent and substitute teacher

• come to school and read;
• read aloud at home;
• help teacher in classroom
  

Patti Pullen - Sycamore - Talladega - Parent (school bus driver and studying to be substitute teacher)

• Senior Citizen reading program;
• seniors and parents read aloud on Fridays, may have to change day of week

Goals for the next period (with own child/at school)?

Allia Jackson
With own child: set up bedroom as a reading environment, bean bag, lamp, etc;
With school: work more closely with the teachers, network with other Jackson schools (Jocelyn, Marilyn, Virginia), meet with parents and share about the Institute (Framework)

Patti Pullen
With school: give topic to each child to draw and write stories/little books

Diana Miller
With school: parent/child day - parents spend day in school and work with a child;
With child: reading aloud

Sylvia Greer
With child: miniature library/reading room in her room;
With school: begin in child's classroom - parents come in and read, bring snack; write to parents about Cornerstone

Marilyn Terrell
Short term: Parents in the classroom day is February 20; newsletter/newspaper;
Longer term: get more volunteers in school; try to have parents in the classroom every day, visible

Nearline Hoskins
As parent: work with 10 year old using techniques;
As teacher: canvas tote with materials to take home; community of readers; team up with parents

Virginia Braden
Put up rain gutters outside Parent Center to display take home goodies, book display; work with families of third graders at risk of failing, visit their homes; set up schedule for Parent Center; create materials for parents articulating level of learning expected at each grade level; test taking skills

Sheila Hudson
Help parent coordinator implement ideas; survey parents for what they want from the Parent Center; Parent/Child of the month idea