New Haven Independent

Parental involvement | October 6, 2008

Latino Parents: Speak To Us In Spanish

by Caroline Berson | October 6, 2008 2:32 AM | Permalink

Nilda Aponte saw a mother who "looked lost." She realized that the mother couldn't understand the English being spoken at a mandatory orientation session of her child's school, Celentano Museum Academy.

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Parental involvement | September 23, 2008

Grandma, What a Big Role You Have!

by Allan Appel | September 23, 2008 12:14 PM | Permalink

April Gareri is a grandmother who has been to every rehearsal and every performance of New Haven's Alliance Theater company for the past, oh, 11 years. And not only as a spectator and admirer of the theater arts.

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Parental involvement | September 2, 2008

Preschool: Public Policy Gets Personal, Early Childhood Resources and Research

by Staff | September 2, 2008 8:22 PM | Permalink

By Josiah Brown

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Parental involvement | August 26, 2008

34-Plus Hugs for Departing Parent-Involver

by Allan Appel | August 26, 2008 9:12 AM | Permalink

"Parents are a school district's best friend, and we need to keep working at reassuring them how important they are." Such was the parting advice of Patti Avallone, the beloved districtwide parent involvement coordinator for New Haven's schools.

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Parental involvement | August 26, 2008

Parents Want It In Writing

by Allan Appel | August 26, 2008 8:45 AM | Permalink

As the new school year is poised to begin, a parent advocacy group that has clashed with the Board of Ed made nice -- then found its latest request blocked.

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Parental involvement | August 2, 2008

Family Learning PACKED In

by Allan Appel | August 2, 2008 10:04 PM | Permalink

That's Sandy Malmquist directing one of the 15,000 curious guests she welcomes every year, many of them under two feet tall. She is the director of the Connecticut Children's Museum, one of New Haven's quiet treasures. Just who is this little fellow and was Director Malmquist successful? Follow along, and we shall see.

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Parental involvement | July 28, 2008

Enseñen Nuestros Niños

by Allan Appel | July 28, 2008 9:03 AM | Permalink

Latino parents -- and grandparents, like Jose Malitasig -- were the focus as "Teach Our Children" hit the streets of Fair Haven.

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Parental involvement | July 1, 2008

Teens Begin Summer of Savings

by Sarah Vanderbilt | July 1, 2008 8:30 AM | Permalink

Fourteen-year-old Tyler Washington wants to be a pediatrician. This summer, he will get the chance to learn more about medicine while putting dollars in the bank -- a head start on all those medical school bills.

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Parental involvement | June 23, 2008

How A Dad & A School Made It Work

by Allan Appel | June 23, 2008 2:18 PM | Permalink

The school doesn't rely on emailing parents. And James Via doesn't make it to many Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) meetings. Still his family, and the school, wrapped up a model year of a parent's involvement in his children's education.

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Parental involvement | June 17, 2008

Parent Power Tool: Email

by Allan Appel | June 17, 2008 9:26 AM | Permalink

Brandon Hogan lost his coveted blue shirt in the second week of June -- for some disrespectful responses to teachers and for hanging out with the silly kids. Not having that shirt had serious consequences for Brandon at home: no TV, no friends allowed to his house, and no use of his cell phone, until the behavior changed and the blue re-earned.

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Parental involvement | June 13, 2008

Parents Unite in Parking Lot

by Allan Appel | June 13, 2008 2:18 PM | Permalink

Virginia Cordero and her sixth-grade daughter, the marvelous Xena, arrived early for school at St. Martin de Porres Academy. Xena, a member of the Hairspray Club, dedicated to studying and performing the eponymous musical, was going to New York to see the real thing. Her mom had to rush off to finish up the first full house remodeling she and her sons' fledgling company had undertaken.

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Parental involvement | May 14, 2008

The World's At King/Robinson's Door

by Allan Appel | May 14, 2008 1:30 PM | Permalink

Jameisha Via has made a new friend at school this year: Nur Amalina Amir-Hamzah, who hails from Malaysia -- as well as another friend, Mahmoud, who's from Egypt.

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Parental involvement | May 13, 2008

Parents Give Schools Thumbs Up

by Allan Appel | May 13, 2008 8:26 AM | Permalink

The public schools asked 800 parents if they feel welcomed when they visit their kids' schools. Surprise! 96 percent answered in the affirmative.

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Parental involvement | May 2, 2008

Mom's Business Grows, Along With Xena

by Allan Appel | May 2, 2008 12:29 PM | Permalink

Xena's hitting puberty and working on the clarinet. Mom's planing boards. Their busy lives intersect at school.

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Parental involvement | April 28, 2008

Parents Confront Mayo

by Allan Appel | April 28, 2008 8:40 AM | Permalink

(Updated) After hours of public wrangling, New Haven's schools chief gave angry parents more than they asked for.

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Parental involvement | April 7, 2008

7 Parents Get Their Own "Head Start"

by Allan Appel | April 7, 2008 7:43 AM | Permalink

Head Start is not just for kids anymore.

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Parental involvement | March 28, 2008

Moonlight Readers in West Rock

by Allan Appel | March 28, 2008 11:31 AM | Permalink

Barbara Averna is a master reading teacher of her K-second graders at the Clarence Rogers School in West Rock. Not until this year did she realize what an additional -- and profound -- contribution she could make by teaching their parents how to be better reading partners to the kids.

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Parental involvement | March 17, 2008

Joshua's Parents Take Him To "Foie Gras" Service

by Allan Appel | March 17, 2008 9:55 AM | Permalink

"What they do to these ducks..." said 12-year-old Joshua Blumell as he stood with some 25 other protesters on chilly Chapel Street outside the Union League restaurant. "What they do..., and his sentence trailed off, the second half of it conveyed by a pained facial expression and an averted glance at graphic posters of ducks with metal tubes inserted through their opened beaks.

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Parental involvement | March 11, 2008

Parents Question Skittles Suspension

by Allan Appel | March 11, 2008 5:00 PM | Permalink

Shelli and William Sheridan's special education 8th grader Michael was suspended from school because he bought candy from another student -- a punishment the parents said "crushed" their son and made him consider leaving the school.

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Parental involvement | February 26, 2008

Parents Want Say On Suspensions

by Allan Appel | February 26, 2008 12:07 PM | Permalink

As schools chief Reggie Mayo spoke of new efforts to handle a growing number of students with "serious emotional difficulties," parents lined up to demand more of a role in crafting policy.

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