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U46Engage Sessions to Welcome Parents of Early Learners to District
Dec. 5, 2017
ELGIN - School District U-46 will host informational sessions starting this week for parents and guardians of current and past Full-Day Kindergarten students. The sessions, called U46Engage, are designed to help parents confidently navigate their young learner’s educational journey through the state’s second-largest district.
The audience for U46Engage is parents of the Class of 2029 and Class of 2030, the first students to go through the District’s Full-Day Kindergarten program. Parents will learn about the various academic programs, services and opportunities available in the District’s K-12 schools, such as gifted programming and dual language education, as well as the various ways they can support their child’s education at home, school or at the District level.
“Parental engagement is one of the building blocks of student success,” said CEO Tony Sanders. “And with U-46 being a kindergarten through 12th grade district, we want to ensure we are laying the foundation for a long and productive relationship with these families. U46Engage is an important part of that relationship.”
The session will be provided in English on Wednesday, Dec. 6, and in Spanish on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Both sessions will start at 7 p.m. in the library of Elgin High School, 1200 Maroon Drive, Elgin. Childcare will be available.
The event will feature an expert panel made of a U-46 parent, student, principal and U-46 Board of Education member who will share tips for making the most of a student’s K-12 education. The panel will offer candid discussions about their experience and expectations as they travel their journey through the District. A roundtable conversation will then allow parents to ask questions and learn more about the District’s schools and programs. The roundtable conversations will be facilitated by administrators from the following departments: Dual Language, Early Childhood, Gifted and Literacy.
Ensuring parents are ready from the beginning of their child’s educational career is a priority at U-46, as reflected in the District’s Strategic Plan. Studies continually show that when parents are involved in their child’s education, they are letting their child know that school is a valued institution. Many studies show the relationship between improved literacy skills and active parent involvement.
The U-46 School & Community Relations Department created a Parent Volunteer Promise last year as a tool to inform and encourage parents to be involved with their child’s education, whether it is reading at home with their child, attending the school’s PTO/PTA or being a part of a District advisory group. More than a third of all full-day kindergarten parents last year submitted a completed Promise, agreeing to be involved in their child’s education for at least five hours this school year. To learn more about the Promise, please view this video: https://goo.gl/sE4B3H.
WHO: Parents and guardians of current Full-Day Kindergarten students and first grade students.
WHAT: Presentations on U-46 programs and how parents can become involved at the school or District level.
WHEN: 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6 (English presentation) and Tuesday, Dec. 12 (Spanish presentation).
WHERE: Elgin High School Library, 1200 Maroon Drive, Elgin.