Back to School
Summer is almost a wrap and the impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt as we head into the new school year. There are many unknowns, competing priorities, responsibilities, and concerns. Districts will be implementing their reopening plans, and these will vary by town, county, and state. A given district’s vision for reopening may differ from the actual resulting re-opening implementation, both of which may differ from our own personal beliefs. Be Strong Families feels it will be beneficial to give this important and somewhat delicate subject room for discussion, perspective, and understanding. So, beginning next week, Be Strong Families is dedicating two weeks of both of our daily English and Spanish Staying Strong and Positive / Manteniéndonos Fuertes y Positivosto webinars the theme of "back-to-school." We know that together, we will be able to grapple with the questions, learn from one other, share strategies and feel stronger and more positive as a result of coming together as a community to hash this out.
We’ll start each week grounded in conversation and then, through the week, explore multiple aspects and different perspectives among them: responding effectively and respectfully to children and families with high needs and low resources for meeting those needs, how online and hybrid learning is affecting kids psychologically and how to mitigate the negative impact, pointers for parents on promoting their children’s academic learning and sustaining motivation, and partnerships between parents, teachers, and school administrators.
Along with this, we want to give a shout out to one of Be Strong Families' good friends and webinar regulars, Lori Sanchez from El Paso, Texas, for volunteering to organize content and inviting presenters for the Spanish back-to-school webinar series. Lori serves as Eastlake High School's Parent and Family Engagement Liaison, and her concern is making sure parents are fully involved, prepared, and supported as their children go back to school this year.
In the Spanish webinar series, on August 20 and 27, the focus is introducing participants to a 6-week program Lori has been doing with parents titled De Mujer a Mujer (from woman to woman) about recognizing and responding to the physical aspects of depression. On August 26, the topic is Padre, Provedor y Ahora Maestro—Que Sigue?? (Parent, Provider and now Teacher: What's Next?), a guided discussion on the challenges and opportunities of remote learning. On August 28, Adelante con el Aprendizaje: Una Maestra comparte su vision para el ano nuevo escolar? (Let's Move Forward and Learn: One Teacher Shares her Vision for the New School Year) featuring Ana Vazquez, an Eastlake High School Math Teacher. Ms. Vazquez plans to share her personal story as a child who immigrated to the United States and her journey from student to teacher of the year—giving participants insight on how teachers have been preparing diligently to ensure the educational success of students. Lori will co-host that webinar and share resources for parents.
Let's strategize together to make the most out of the school year. Register for our webinars here.