Hello Everyone,
Welcome to December's Nevada Family Engagement Newsletter! There is a lot of great content this month so apologies if the newsletter is a little long this time. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season. Enjoy this month's newsletter.
P.S. Please feel free to reach out to me if there are additional resources you are looking for that are not covered in this newsletter. My contact information is located at the bottom of the newsletter.
Sincerely,
Alberto Quintero
Education Programs Professional | Family Engagement
Nevada Department of Education
albertoquintero@doe.nv.gov
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Grandfamilies Resource Hub
The Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center has launched a new Grandfamilies resource hub. Relatives who provide care for minor children are referred to as kinship caregivers, and grandfamilies are one of the forms of kinship caregiving. The GrandUnderstandings project provides resources to assist grandfamilies and educators. One of the resources, School Family Engagement with Grandfamilies in Mind, provides research-based strategies for educators engaging grandfamilies.
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PBS Reno for Families Provides Curated Resources for At-Home Learning
PBS Reno is continuing to grow its library of free, online resources for parents, caregivers, and teachers. PBS Reno for Families is the newest installation! This new online landing page is the result of a partnership between PBS Reno and Washoe County School District’s Parent University. It provides a curated collection of information relating to health and safety, nature, the outdoors, libraries and learning, and family fun. It is designed for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and teachers who share similar goals of providing a strong educational foundation for the children within their families. You are encouraged to check it out and share this information with your students and families.
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myON Digital Library: Winter Resources for Educators and Families
Congratulations to Nevada students who have accessed 3 million books and read 25 million minutes since May using myON! A winter resource kit, Cozy up With Good Books is available to download. The information provided is available in both English and Spanish. The resource kit is designed to help educators engage students and families as well as support a strong home-school connection.
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Department and Office Updates
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To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, most Department personnel are working from home. The family engagement office will still operate between the hours of 7:30 am – 4:00 pm (PDT) Monday – Friday. Please note that the family engagement office has full access to email and voicemail and will respond to you as soon as possible. Other offices within the Department may have slightly different operating hours but also still have full access to email (preferred) and voicemail.
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The Advisory Council for Family Engagement is currently not scheduled to meet until further notice.
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Family Engagement Tools and Resources
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COVID-19 Resources for Children from Birth to Age 5
The ED-funded Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center developed a COVID-19 website with resources for states and local programs serving young children with disabilities and their families. As a result of COVID-19, many states are having to determine a child’s eligibility for Part C services of IDEA remotely using a variety of approaches, such as by teleconference, videoconference, and sharing information and video synchronously and asynchronously.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Presentation Materials
The Parent Center Hub has curricula you can use for training families and professionals on both Part B and Part C of IDEA 2004, including an updated (2020) module on Disproportionality and Students with Disabilities. Each individual module includes:
- slide decks;
- Trainer’s Guides explaining how the slides work as well as the content of the slides; and
- handouts for participants (available in English and in Spanish).
These foundational resources are easy to adapt to include state-specific information and for presentations in a variety of formats (virtual, video, etc.).
Understanding Child Trauma and Resilience: For Military Parents and Caregivers
This new resource offers military parents and caregivers information about childhood trauma, supporting their child after a traumatic event, and resilience. Included is a checklist to assist parents with keeping track of behaviors their child or adolescent may be displaying, as well as tips for initiating conversations with children of all ages. The development of the document was a collaboration between the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Military and Veteran Families Program, Alaska Child Trauma Center, and Child and Family Services at Alaska Behavioral Health.
Explore the Family Engagement Playbook
The Family Engagement Playbook is a collection of promising research-based approaches to strengthen individual competencies and organizational support. Explore the Playbook here.
Charter Schools and Students Experiencing Homelessness
An increasing number of students experiencing homelessness, particularly students of color, are enrolled in charter schools. Understanding their needs and improving the practices of charter schools to meet them is a vital part of addressing the growing child and youth homelessness crisis. In a new report, SchoolHouse Connection shares what they learned from charter schools through a nationwide outreach, site visit, and interview process. The report offers case studies highlighting best practices in serving students experiencing homelessness across charter schools and networks and poses key questions and recommendations for charter school educators, administrators, authorizers, support staff, and others to consider as they look to improve their implementation of the McKinney-Vento Act. Read the report here.
Lost in the Shuffle: Lost in the Masked Shuffle & Virtual Void: Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Amidst the Pandemic
New survey data suggests that an estimated 420,000 fewer children and youth experiencing homelessness have been identified and enrolled by schools so far this school year – despite evidence of increasing homelessness, and despite proactive identification efforts by many school district homeless liaisons. This report summarizes findings and offers recommendations for policy and practice. Read the report here.
Supporting the Engagement and Participation of Multicultural, Multilingual Immigrant Families in Public Education in the United States: Some Practical Strategies
This scholarly journal article does a fantastic job of weaving together theory with many practical ideas. Click here to read.
Parents Guide to Keeping Families Safe
The pandemic has put a lot of stress and anxiety on families. Children are struggling with mental health needs such as depression. According to the Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention suicide is the first leading cause of death for Nevadans ages 12-19 and the second leading cause of death for ages 20-44. In these stressful times, parents might want to think about Suicide Proofing their home. This brochure offers tips and ideas for keeping your family safe.
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Family Engagement Webinars and Trainings
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Early Childhood Connection - Las Vegas Urban League Virtual Trainings
All trainings will take place virtually using the Zoom app. To register in advance, send the completed registration form to ECCTrainingProgram@lvul.org. Click here to see the trainings calendar and the registration form.
Immigrant Connections ft. Laura Gardner
Laura Gardner, of Immigrant Connections, was recently interviewed by Nancy Angevine-Sands on her podcast Schools Don’t Own Education: Why Family Engagement Matters. Take a listen!
Nevada Ready
Nevada Ready is a statewide initiative that provides students with an equitable, technology-rich education that supports high standards, and a engaging learning environment. Join this month's panelists in a conversation that focuses on what families can expect from educators to support diverse learners. Click here to watch the panel recording.
Save the Date: 2021 Virtual Parent Camps
The ParentCamp experience is defined as the hybrid “unconference” for parents by parents to come together and discuss what is best for kids. Bring your family, school, and community together to discuss different topics selected by parents on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT for the virtual ParentCamp experience. Free registration, future dates, and resources are available on the ParentCamp webpage.
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Family Engagement Articles
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Family Engagement Professionals Become First Responders, Develop Creative Ways to Connect with Students and Parents
Parent liaisons are among the most creative and nimble staff members in the school community. And while no one could have predicted the upheaval the pandemic has caused in students’ learning and district operations, these staff members haven’t missed a beat. Not only quick to respond to families’ basic needs, they’ve used virtual formats to develop new methods of staying connected that will likely outlast this current crisis.
The first in a series of new posts, this latest feature showcases the multiple ways liaisons and coordinators — from New York to San Francisco — have turned a horrendous year into an opportunity for growth and for valuing the relationships between schools and families. Read about Parent Liaisons here.
Communicating Through Change: How a CA District Is Supporting Families in the Year Ahead
As schools navigate the challenges ahead—and with parents and guardians stepping in as learning coaches and facilitators in remote and hybrid environments—communicating with families is playing an outsized role in successfully adapting to this nontraditional school year. Click here to read more.
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Alberto Quintero
Education Programs Professional | Family Engagement
Nevada Department of Education
Phone: 702-668-4334 | Email (preferred): albertoquintero@doe.nv.gov
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