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School expands family outreach, tests parent cafes and considers on-demand workshops
Summary
Administrators said the new Family Outreach Coordinator has begun Spanish- and English-language parent cafes and the school is considering recorded, on-demand workshops, Zoom sessions and targeted topics like executive-functioning skills to reach busy families.
West Chicago Community High School leaders told the PTAC on April 16 that a newly created Family Outreach Coordinator position has begun in-person parent cafes in Spanish and English and that administrators plan more flexible, on-demand parent engagement options next year.
The coordinator — a district staff member formerly with District 33 — ran two small parent cafes earlier in April, one in Spanish and one in English, to let parents discuss topics at small tables. "It went really well," an administrator said, noting turnout was modest but participants reacted positively.
Parents suggested multiple formats to increase engagement: live sessions scheduled at varied times, Zoom sessions, recorded on-demand videos broken into short segments, Spanish- and English-language options, and short 15-minute modules parents can fit into work breaks. Several parents recommended practical subjects, such as executive-functioning and organization strategies, study skills, and parental controls for phones.
Students and parents also suggested using den announcements and classroom reminders to reach students and recommended administrators post short social-media-friendly clips so busy parents will see them. One parent recommended demonstrations of parental-control features (for example scheduled downtime) so caregivers can set boundaries at home.
Administrators said they plan to sustain the Family Outreach Coordinator role and try Zoom and recorded options next year; they encouraged PTAC members to propose topics and said they will share recordings and resources in multiple languages when possible.
Ending: Administrators asked PTAC members to suggest topics; next year’s parent-engagement plan will include both in-person cafes and on-demand resources to reach families who cannot attend live events.
