Latino PEG Meeting Report

December 15, 2016

Before break we had our well attended Latino Parent Meeting. Only 3 families were absent. Meeting started immediately with a book giveaway! Thanks to Franklin Teacher, Kari Augustine for donating and putting together book bags for families to take home! Meeting topic points:

  1. ACCESS TESTING – English Language Learners testing letter to parents and dates read and handed out.
  2. TECHNOLOGY G2 – Franklin letter to parents read and handed out.
  3. MADISON PATH TO CITIZENSHIP –  Information read and handed out on a collaborative effort among community organizations that offer free citizenship education, legal consultation, and citizenship application services for lawful permanent residents (people with green cards) who want to become U.S. citizens.
  4. REPORT CARDS – Parents received information on the new report cards. An MMSD video for parents in Spanish was shown. A copy of each student’s grade level standards was handed out, along with a new report card sample.New reports card was reviewed. Parents were informed of two new sections on the report card, Social Emotional, and English Language Development for students whose native language is not English.
  5. WINTER BREAK – dates announced.

The following questions from the group were answered:

  • Do all ESL students take the ACCESS test?
  • How many times a year do ESL students get tested for their English proficiency?
  • Will ACCESS scores be on the new report card?
  • Is Randall also getting new technology resources for students?
  • Will each student get a device?
  • Will schools continue to send paper forms for parents who are not computer literate?
  • Will schools send homework online only?
  • Is Social emotional section graded using same performance indicators (letters) as the rest of report card?
  • How are Special Ed. Students graded?
  • When do schools close for inclement weather? When is it too cold  to go out for recess? Who determines these guidelines? Can guidelines be changed if parents don’t agree with them? What do we need to do to change them?
  • Do students get an unexcused absence when parents decide to keep them home when they believe it is too cold to be outside waiting for the bus?
  • What happens with students who have too many unexcused absences?
  • Do students go out to recess when it is too cold?
  • Can my daughter stay inside for recess when I believe it it is too cold, if I send a written request to school?

After the meeting we proceeded to the gym for our Posada. Parents prepared delicious traditional food that included of tamales, Spanish rice, refried beans, salsa, chocolate caliente, champurrado, atole, buñuelos and more! We all ate together as a big family! It was a wonderful opportunity for parents to socialize and bond. Kids had a blast hitting the piñatas while singing the traditional chants of the season…Dale, dale, dale, no pierdas el tino!