
Parent Perusals
September 14, 2018
A Note from Kimberly
I hope this week's Parent Perusals finds you safe and staying dry! Be careful out there!
I have both of my daughter's parent teacher conferences this next week so I personally have been thinking about what questions I want to ask and information I want to find out. In this issue, I share some questions and resources to also assist you when you have your first parent teacher conference for the school year! I encourage you to be prepared with questions to ask. Ask the question, "What can I do to help my child at home?" Don't wait for the teacher to tell you, ask! Research is very CLEAR that when parents and teachers are working together to support learning in school AND at home, your child benefits in so many areas and their academic success increases!
This week kicked off our series of weekly parent trainings! I am so excited about all the topics we are offering. They are really important! Please check out the upcoming trainings happening the rest of this month!
If you are not able to attend face to face, we offer them via webinar. Consider this as an option!
Please reach out to me at any time if I can do anything to support you and your family!
Have a dry weekend!
Many blessings,
Kimberly Baumgardner
For Parents: Career Pathways Mini Summit
You are cordially invited to be a partner at a community conversation to design a regional Career Pathways approach to career readiness at the Career Pathways Mini Summit on Saturday, September 22nd from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
80 parents slots are still available to attend and participate!
Download the flyer below for more information!
Questions? Contact Ravae Shaeffer at Ravae.Shaeffer@esc20.net
Father Parenting Classes
Parent educators will work with fathers to enhance their parenting skills. Fathers get together in a group setting with other Fathers to build their knowledge and skills, which will help them, develop good, strong, and rewarding relationships with their children and family.
New Classes Starting!
Wednesday, September 19th, 10:00 a.m.--12:00 p.m.
Monday, September 24th, 6:00 p.m.--8:00 p.m.
Location: 1209 St. Mary's; SATX 78210
For more information call: (210) 212-2559 or (210) 212-2515
U.S. Census Bureau Jobs
The Census Bureau continues to ramp up field operations in preparation for a full and complete census count. In Bexar County, we're getting ready to hire for the partnership program as well as for field positions to staff our local Area Census Offices.
You can find two of the positions for the partnership program below:
Bexar County, TX
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/509419700
RCC2020DAL-2018-0238 (Internal)
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/509420100
RCC2020DAL-2018-0239 (External)
For all the field positions, the website is live at www.2020census.gov/jobs
Be Prepared for Your First Parent Teacher Conference
14 Questions to Ask at Your Parent-Teacher Conference
- What is my child expected to learn this year?
- How will this be evaluated?
- What are my child’s strongest and weakest subjects?
- What are some examples of these strengths and weaknesses?
- Does my child hand homework in on time?
- What types of tests and evaluations will my child have to take this year?
- How are my child’s test-taking skills?
- Is my child participating in class discussions and activities?
- How are my child’s social skills?
- Does my child seem happy at school?
- Have you noticed any unusual behaviors?
- Has my child missed any classes other than excused absences?
- Do you think my child is reaching his or her potential?
- What can I do at home to help support my child’s academic progress?
Taken from Reading Rockets.
Get Schooled on the Math Concepts Your Child Will Learn This Year
Taken from Scholastic PARENTS.
With school back in session, now is the perfect time to review the major math concepts your child will learn from preschool through to eighth grade. Seeing your child's year at a glance, and having a sense of the most emphasized math ideas your child will encounter this school year, can really help you plan different math activities at home and know where to spend the most effective time supporting your child with their school work. In each of the reviews linked to below, Scholastic highlights four major math lessons, and shares activities for you to do at home with your child.
Math Concepts for PreK/K
Your preschoolers or kindergarteners learns counting, simple geometry, basic addition and subtraction, as well how to use measurements and data to describe their world.
Math Concepts for Grades 1-2
In first and second grade, your kids expands their number sense by learning about place value and even/odd numbers. They'll also learn how to estimate length, and explore 2-D and 3-D shapes.
Math Concepts for Grades 3-4
These grades are game changers for many students. In third and fourth grade, your child is taught multiplication and division, as well as delving into fractions. If it's been awhile since you thought about fractions, you'll welcome this refresher!
Your fifth or sixth grader learns ratios and equations and finding the area of shapes. In these years, it's important for kids to see the real-world application of math.
Math Concepts for Grades 7-8
The building blocks learned in these grades, from numbers systems to functions, will be pivotal to your kids' overall understanding and success at the high school level.
Don't feel overwhelmed. Just focusing on a couple different math concepts to review at home is much more effective than trying to cover every single idea your child is learning in school. You can then take the lessons you've learned and create fun and successful ways to support your child’s learning at home.
Keep Kids E-Cigarette Free
Did you know that e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has compiled information explaining what e-cigarettes are, how they, work and how to explain their harms to kids.
Have you seen your kid’s USB flash drive lately? It could actually be an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) containing nicotine. E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students, and USB-shaped e-cigarettes are increasing in popularity. As parents prepare to send their kids back to school, take time to learn more about the dangers of e-cigarettes for young people.
To learn more about the risks of e-cigarettes for kids, read the feature from the CDC.
Message in a Backpack™ Things Every Parent Should Know about Play
Play supports children’s learning in so many ways. Make sure your child has time to play to promote cognitive, language and literacy, physical, social, and emotional development.
Children learn through their play. Never underestimate the value of play! While playing, children learn and develop:
- Cognitive skills—like choosing the blocks to build a tower as high as possible
- Language skills—like learning the vocabulary words they need for different play scenarios
- Literacy skills—like writing an appointment in a pretend dentist’s office
- Physical abilities—like gluing a collage and running on the playground
- Social skills—like playing together in a pretend car wash with workers and customers
- Emotional skills—like waiting for a turn to be the pretend bus driver
Read more HERE: Children Learn Through Their Play
The World of Special Education: Do you know what IDEA is?
Every child deserves a quality education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures that all children with special needs have access to a “free appropriate public education” and they have the necessary tools to meet their educational goals.
The act governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to eligible children with disabilities, ages birth through 21.
Read An Overview of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Emergency & Disaster Preparedness: Accessibility and Disability Policy Webinar Series
In recognition of National Preparedness Month the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities is hosting two free webinars to help Texans with disabilities and their families better understand how to prepare for disasters.
Preparing for the Unexpected: Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Disabilities
September 27, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
This session will highlight the importance of being proactive with preparing and the specific steps to take to ensure that you are ready for the unexpected. The presenter will provide preparedness tips surrounding specific disabilities, such as blind/low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, cognitive disabilities, etc. There will be opportunities for questions during the webinar and at the end of the session.
Presenter: Christin Bradley, FEMA
Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1a3gjtpsQSSUSec0Ug1HXA
Disaster Preparedness and Family Members with Disabilities
September 29, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
When planning ahead for a potential disaster, it is important for families to take into consideration the specific needs of all the members of your family. This session will give attendees strategies and techniques to plan more effectively for their unique family needs.
Presenter: Liz Hong, Texas Parent to Parent
Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oJa6SSAhRSaZR_1NgqB3Jg
Upcoming September ESC-20 FREE Parent Trainings
Wednesday, September 19, 2018, 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Parent Information over RtI & Section 504
In order for parents to have the knowledge, skills and confidence to understand the educational setting and process of Response to Intervention (RtI) and Section 504, parents must have the information to empower them. This training will provide parents and community members with information about the RtI and Section 504 programs. Please join us to learn how both of these services can help qualifying students receive support to help them reach success in their areas of need.
**Interpreter provided by request. Call 210-370-5430 by 12:00 p.m. on Monday, September 17th. **
Session ID: 53075
Webinar Session ID: 53162
Thursday, September 20, 2018, 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Dares, Drugs and Dangerous Teen Trends
Are you really in the know about drugs, dares, and dangerous technology trends? This training is designed to increase drug, alcohol, and technology awareness for all members of the school community. Parents attending this training will learn the latest trends as well as dangerous apps and technology affecting the school community.
**Interpreter provided by request. Call 210-370-5430 by 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18th. **
Session ID: 52666
Webinar Session ID: 53167
Wednesday, September 26, 2018, 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Social Emotional Development in Preschool: Talking with Your Child
Young children’s social emotional development is vital to their overall well-being, affecting their success in school and their ability to learn in all subject areas. Join us as we explore strategies to encourage communication with children; a dynamic aspect of building relationships. Participants will experience conversation strategies that either promote or inhibit communication, learn how to use open-ended questions and observations with children, and how to converse with children to support social and emotional development. This will be an active learning, participatory training– come ready to have some fun!
**Interpreter provided by request. Call 210-370-5430 by 12:00 p.m. on Monday, September 24th. **
Session ID: 53076
Webinar Session ID: 53168
Thursday, September 27, 2018, 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Building Basic Reading Skills at Home- Make and Take Training
Join us for a fun, interactive and crafty training designed to guide you through creating engaging activities to support your child’s acquisition of basic reading skills. We will focus on the development of print concepts, phonemic awareness and phonics skills. This training is appropriate for parents with students in any grade level that require remediation for independent decoding. All materials will be provided.
**Interpreter provided by request. Call 210-370-5430 by 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 25th. **
Session ID: 53077
How to Register
New registration instructions!
To register to attend an ESC-20 parent training or to participate via webinar, you will need to register through CONNECT 20, our registration system at www.esc20.net.
You will find the parent training session ID and webinar ID under the parent training description in the catalog.
Download the Steps to Register for a Parent Training or Webinar Below
Family Engagement Program Manager, Education Service Center, Region 20
Email: kimberly.baumgardner@esc20.net
Website: www.esc20.net/parentresources
Location: 1314 Hines, San Antonio, TX, United States
Phone: 210-370-5431
Facebook: facebook.com/escregion20
Twitter: @ESCRegion20