Parents perform for their children after a workshop about Reader’s Theater at Legacy, September 2018.
Community Nights are the cornerstone of our family engagement programming. We take great care in preparing these evenings with interesting programming for both parents and students. Our parent workshops revolve around one specific and engaging topic that parents learn to apply to at-home learning. For the 2018-19 school year, these topics include: Reader’s Theater, Social Awareness, Artistic Literacy, STEAM Nights, Author Visits, and Family Fitness.
Setting Up For Victory
The day before a Community Night, Turning the Page (TTP) staff have a game-plan meeting to go over the contents of the evening. Preparedness is one of our core operating principles and our creative, get-it-done spirit is balanced with a high level of attention to detail. Here’s how a typical Community Night breaks down into its different components:
- 3:20 – 4:30 PM: TTP staff arrive at the partner school and begin to set up the welcome table as well as pre-designated workshop rooms. One staff member assists with picking up Junior Workshop Leaders (JWLs). Another staff member picks up fresh cooked food from our partner caterer. At this time, our Student Workshop Leader (SWL) supervisor helps to set up student workshops. At the close of setting up, volunteers begin to arrive.
- 4:30 – 5:00 PM: SWLs, JWLs, and volunteers have a dinner and a huddle to discuss logistics for the evening. TTP staff begin to check in any early arrivals at the sign-in table.
- 5:00 – 5:20 PM: Volunteers join at the sign-in table, help serve dinner, and supervise the cafeteria. Families arrive and eat a hot meal until it is time to disperse into workshop groups.
- 5:20 – 5:30 PM: The Parent Workshop Leader announces plan for dismissal – cohorts of Pre-K – 1st graders, 2nd – 4th graders, and 5th – 8th graders follow their designated SWL. Dinner-line workers assist in making late-plates. This guarantees that late arrivals still leave with a hot meal at the end of the workshops.
- 5:30 – 6:45 PM: Workshop time! Parents and students engage in topics about identity, social awareness, the arts, and more.
- 6:50 – 6:55 PM: Book giveaway time! Students can choose from a plethora of age-appropriate books and parents leave with the book they read during their workshop.
- 6:55 – 7:00 PM: Families reconvene at a designated location in the school and head home. TTP staff make sure everything is clean around the school and pack supplies to bring back to the office.
Parents learn about Social-Emotional Awareness at a Kellman Community Night in October 2018.
Beyond The Night
And that’s that! For a more in depth look at our Community Nights, make sure to bookmark our Flickr page, which we update after every round of Community Nights. You’ll also want to check out this presentation that Partnership Manager Jasmine Jones gave at the Chicago Literacy Alliance last month. Lastly, if you’re ever interested in volunteering at a Community Night, learn how you can get involved!