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Kristyn Lariviere

November 14th, 2017

ELED 641

Calendar Overview Rationale

I chose to have a cultural night for my schoolwide family engagement event. This event

provides an opportunity to learn and discover more about our community, our classmates, and

the diversity that makes up our school. According to Grant and Ray (2016), Activities that are

reflective of community values will increase families level of comfort and result in cultural

cohesiveness between school and home, (p. 314). It also allows families of other cultures,

religions, languages, and backgrounds to participate in a school event in a setting where they can

feel comfortable being themselves as we celebrate one anothers differences. When executed

properly, School-based family events can provide the impetus for families to gain confidence in

their ability to work with their children at home, (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 310). The purpose of

this event is to expose students, faculty, and other members of the community to each others

cultures and traditions, as a way to bring the community closer together and create trusting

relationships among teachers, students, and families. Life is more than just coming to school

we need to relate together as human beings, and as a [school] community we care about each

other very deeply and we will support each other, (Fairfax County Public Schools, 2015).

In one of my first efforts to ensure this event is effective in nurturing family-school

relationships, I plan to distribute a questionnaire to families regarding preferences,

accommodations, and suggestions for when, where, and how to set up our event. The first step

in planning a successful family event can be to conduct a specific needs assessment of families
concerning their demographic background, personal goals, and individual knowledge and

experiences, (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 312). Our event is scheduled for May 5th, 2018. I chose

this date for a variety of reasons. First off, May 5th is a Saturday. I chose to hold the event on a

weekend rather than a week day or week night to accommodate families that work full time

during the week (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 313). This also accommodates students who participate

in afterschool recreational activities. It is scheduled for the afternoon on Saturday because I find

that on weekends, nights are often filled with family dinners and plans with friends, while

mornings are usually when sports games that children participate in are scheduled. Because of

possible transportation limitations, I plan to use my family questionnaires to choose a convenient

location for this event (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 313). To accommodate my families that speak

languages other than English, I will provide information regarding the event in multiple

languages (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 313). In addition, I plan to include community members,

specialists, and translators throughout our planning process, as well as at Cultural Night, to keep

all families on board and included in the development of our event, as they, act as guides to

the various cultures found within a school setting, (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 314).

I will communicate with families prior to Cultural Night by utilizing a Family

Information Center (FIC) in the form of a school website (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 333). The page

will have all information needed including but not limited to a description of volunteer

opportunities, an option to sign up to volunteer, a description of the event (where, when, what,

why), and a space to submit suggestions for the event. This information will also be provided in

several languages to accommodate non-English speaking parents (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 333).

For parents without internet access, we will also have a bulletin board set up outside of our

classroom that provides information regarding important school events (Grant & Ray, 2016, p.
333). Letters will be sent home with students to invite families to participate in our Cultural

Night. To encourage family participation, I will call home to each family to personally

encourage their involvement in our event by asking for assistance and suggestions they may

have. Studies have found that families who have a low socioeconomic status, belong to an

ethnic minority, speak a language other than English as a first language, or have a child in

special education are less likely to volunteer, (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 337). For this reason, it is

vital to personally reach out to my families to encourage their participation in our event.

Trusting relationships do not happen without effort and require that teachers and

families actually spend time together, getting to know one another, and learning about one

anothers perspectives. One way this can occur is through schoolwide family engagement

activities, (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 310). Cultural Night, as well as everything leading up to it,

will help me to build strong relationships with all my students families. As I plan the event, I

will be working closely with parent volunteers to prepare. Recruiting parent guides to explain

and demonstrate customs and traditions that are pivotal in the daily life of community members

can lead to an openness, awareness, and acceptance on the part of educators and school

participants, (Grant & Ray, 2016, p. 320). I will also get vital information from them through

my questionnaires and surveys that will allow me to accommodate them to the best of my ability.

This ensures that even parents who are unable to volunteer during the planning of the event are

able to have their voices heard in the matter. During the actual event, I will immerse myself in

all of my students demographic backgrounds, which will grant me the opportunity to learn about

each of their cultures, religions, and family traditions. By incorporating the use of other

community specialists and public figures that different families relate to, I am showing my

interest in them and their feelings, which creates a positive, open relationship with them. This
event provides me with the opportunity to experience genuine interactions with my students and

their families in a comfortable atmosphere, and, In order to make all children successful we

have to [build] very, very strong relationships with children and with the families that support

our children, (Fairfax County Public Schools, 2015).


References

Fairfax County Public Schools (Producer). (2015, July 16). Teachers in the park with

Dranesville elementary school. FCPS News Hour. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To2Pxe8Fz54

Grant, K. B., & Ray, J. (2016). Schoolwide family engagement activities: Family events, family

resource centers, and volunteer programs. In Home, School, and Community

Collaboration: Culturally Responsive Family Engagement (pp. 309-341). Retrieved

from

file:///C:/Users/Kristyn/AppData/Local/Packages/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8b

bwe/TempState/Downloads/Grant%20and%20Ray%20School%20Wide%20Family%20

Engagement%20activities.pdf (CANVAS)

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