Mahalo nui loa for your participation and support in the past school year!
As we enter our 4th year, we write to report what your support and participation have enabled. This past year, in addition to donations from our members, our national Parent for Public Schools organization and Hawaii-based The Learning Coalition generously supported our work. We hope to redouble our efforts to bring the voices of families to decision makers, to provide services and to partner with parents, toward effective, healthy, engaging education for all children in our State.
This support enabled us to recruit coordinator Sue Emley to expand our reach to schools, grow our Middle and Intermediate School Tours—work to make them replicable by schools throughout the state. Sue has enabled PPSHI to join in school and community events, increasing our contacts with educational organizations and supporting our legislative contacts.
Middle and Intermediate School tours – seven tours in Honolulu, Leeward and Windward
PPSHI partners with educators at local middle and intermediate schools to offer the Middle/Intermediate School Tours and Transition Nights. At these events, family members learn about middle school culture, how their children change mentally and physically, as they become adolescents, and how the schools are designed to address these changes. Parents meet and talk with school staff, learn what to expect when their child enters middle/intermediate school, and have the opportunity to tour their child’s prospective school campus. For the past three years we have partnered with schools to hold these tours and welcome additional schools joining our schedule. Feedback from parent attendees lets us know this is a valued service each year.
Middle and Intermediate School Transition Nights – 5 events—Honolulu, Leeward, Windward
Our popular Middle and Intermediate School Transition Nights offers families and school staff an evening event focused on the transition from elementary school, to meet the needs of parents who may not be able to attend a daytime tour, as well as others interested in more information. After a PPSHI presentation on early adolescence, families and school staff discuss concerns and school innovations in roundtable discussions.
1000 Voices Campaign
1000 Family Voices is a statewide community-organizing initiative to solicit the perspectives of families whose children attend public schools. Family members are asked to respond to four questions:
(1) What I love about my child’s school is . . .
(2) What has helped my child’s learning is . . .
(3) My biggest concerns are . . . and
(4) If I could talk to our state leaders, I would say . . .
Parents from various schools will be trained to collect the information from family members at their schools. PPSHI will share the information collected with the school principal and other community and educational leaders and will use it to direct policy advocacy and program development. Click here to help us solicit feedback from parents at your school!
Matching Grant — Double Your Contribution!
PPSHI is applying for a matching grant from our national organization to continue the work described above for the 2014-2015 school year. We need $5000 in donations by September 14, to qualify for this grant.
We hope that you will continue your support by clicking here to make a donation.
The Parents for Public Schools of Hawai‘i Board