Upcoming International Community Event

Hello to those invested in international parent involvement,

Welcome back from Spring Break!  Did you know that April is the month of Action for Children (“Acción por los Niños”) in Latin America and U.S. Hispanic communities?  I hope this biweekly email newsletter is helpful to you and I welcome your suggestions for how to improve it.  I also encourage you to forward it to your colleagues.  Best, Laura 

Upcoming school-based international parent involvement events (it’s a busy 2 weeks!):

·         April 23, 6-7:30 pm: Community Resource Night, Annapolis MS (open to the whole cluster, flyer attached)

·         April 23 and April 30, 5-6:30, Leamos Juntos, Rippling Woods, ES

·         April 24 and May 8: Leamos Juntos at Maryland City ES

·         April 24 and May 15 at Tyler Heights: “You Make the Difference” workshop in Spanish on strategies to increase communication skills in young children.  RSVP to Gaston Gamez, (410) 279-9828. 

·         April 26: The **AACPS Hispanic Youth Mini Symposium** will take place at AHS from 10:00am-7:00pm.  It will be a day full of workshops, a Hispanic Heroes round table, and workshops on culture, college life, how to choose a career field, and more.  All Hispanic high schoolers in AACPS may attend!  Flyer attached.  Questions?  Email mostwind@aacps.org or call 410-263-6420.

·         April 30: Hispanic Family Night at Windsor Farm ES (open to the whole cluster!)

Information to give international families:

·         April 24, May 8, and May 13 – Info Sessions on Common Core.  Spanish interpreters at all sessions. 

·         April 26: School Board Outreach Event, 10-2, McGill Training Center on Fort Meade.

·         April 26: Dia Del Nino, for families closer to Baltimore.  Flyer attached.

·         May 8 (North County HS) and May 12 (Arundel Center) will be the County Council public budget hearings, which impact the funding for AACPS.  Please encourage international parents to attend!  A Spanish interpreter will be present both nights.  Please have parents contact me for more information.

·         May 3 – Discover College Workshop, AACC.  Spanish interpretation available.  Flyer attached.

·         May 31, Padre tu Puedes, Conference in Spanish for Parents of Children with Special Needs!  Flyer attached!  Transportation provided to families in Anne Arundel County!  Contact Zayli Bocanegra at zayli@ppmd.org or 443-306-8730. 

Professional development:

·         April 23, 11am-1pm, Community Conversation on Immigrant Family Reunification, Heritage Complex.  Will be recorded for school-based staff.

·         April 23, 2 pm, Webinar on Improving Outcomes for Hispanic Males, organized by The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.  Space is limited. To RSVP for the webinar, email whieeh@ed.gov with the subject line: “Improving Outcomes for Hispanic Males Webinar” and please provide your name and organization.

·         April 25, 8-4 pm, Silver Spring, MD.  The Silent Trauma of the Immigrant Experience: The Lasting Impact of Family Separation.  6 CEU’s.  Email Caitlin Tromiczak with any questions at ctromiczak@gmail.com.

·         May 21, MELLFIN’s 10^th annual conference!  It will include workshops on unaccompanied immigrant youth, immigrant family reunification, the impact of immigration reform on ELL families, and more!

Info for staff:

·         Children on the Run: Unaccompanied Children Leaving Central America and Mexico and the Need for International Protection, from UNHCR unveils the humanitarian impact insecurity has had on unaccompanied children from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico held in U.S. federal custody. The agency calls on Governments to take action to keep children safe from human rights abuses, violence and crime, and to ensure their access to asylum and other forms of international protection. Related news article: More unaccompanied minors arriving in the U.S. than ever before.

·         Federal Requirements to Provide Interpretation/Translation in Schools – anyone engaging with international parents needs to know this information!

·         Welcoming America: is a national, grassroots-driven collaborative that works to promote mutual respect and cooperation between foreign-born and U.S.-born Americans.  Maryland is not an affiliate (yet!), but there are loads of free webinars and resources on the site to help think through how we can be a more welcoming community to immigrants.

Laura Gardner, MSW

ELL Family & Community Outreach Manager

AACPS Office of School & Family Partnerships

lmgardner@aacps.org

Cell: (443) 624-8607

Office: (410) 224-7061

According to the U.S. Census’ 2012 American Community Survey, 10.7% of all children ages 5-17 in Anne Arundel County speak a language other than English at home.