Local schools receive grants for new parent programs
Posted Mar 5, 2010 By Kimberly Lochhead
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Tweet ThisEMC News - In an effort to encourage parents to become more involved within their school community, the province awarded 46 schools with funding in the form of Parents Reaching Out (PRO) grants, designed to assist engaged programming. Local schools, including Farley Mowat Public School, Pinecrest Public School and D. A. Moodie Public School all received grants this year towards parent-geared programming for those who may face challenges in becoming active participants in their children's schools because of language, income level or newness to Ontario's education system.
"The types of projects seem to be similar among the different school councils but this year the speaker series seems to be more popular and that could be because they've heard of successful stories at other schools," said Cheryle Watson, policy analyst at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. "I would say there is huge success because you see schools re-applying year after year."
Farley Mowat PS is one of the schools that has routinely applied for a PRO grant each year. Last year, the school used the funds to run a program focused on nutrition.
"The PRO grant is one facet of many things we do to try to involve our community in the school and our parents in the school," added Judy-Anne Brush, principal at the school. "It's important to have as many productive ways to do this because we know it benefits our kids and their learning. We have a very active school council and huge volunteer contingent. Our parents are great and really involved."
At Farley Mowat PS, the grant will help facilitate a "Kids and Drugs" awareness program, aimed at educating parents about drugs and how to keep their children, aged eight to 12, safe.
"The age range is a good fit for our school and we have a good connection to this program," said Ms. Brush. "I think it's the kind of thing parents are interested in being proactive about."
A facilitator will conduct the national program, which was developed by Alberta Health Services in collaboration with the RCMP. Over four sessions, parents will participate in workshops covering parents as role models and identifying risk factors as well as using community resources, how to start conversations and respond to situations, helping kids make good decisions and build self-esteem as well as establishing rules and boundaries.
At the end of the program, participants create a personal action plan to fully implement the information into their daily lives. Currently, Farley Mowat PS is identifying interest among parents and if there is enough, they may hold two sessions, beginning in April or May.
School councils are eligible to receive $1,000 each in the PRO grants.
klochhead@thenewsemc.ca
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