Parent Programs
Parents Step Ahead participated in five parent programs in the year 2014. Parents Step Ahead partnered with local school districts, corporations and community organizations to offer school-based seminar programs for parents throughout the year. Educators, motivational speakers, community volunteers and experts present seminars on parenting and school involvement, computer and digital literacy, underage drinking, internet safety, health, finance and other topics.
Each school-based program included a free meal, childcare and gift raffles that culminated with a raffle of personal computer systems donated by corporations and other supporters. This year featured parent programs at:
Urban Park Elementary School (Dallas ISD) February 20, 2014
Apollo Junior High School (Richardson ISD) May 1, 2014
Timberline Elementary School (Grapevine ISD) May 15, 2014
Lamar Middle School (Irving ISD) October 23, 2014
Month of the Family
Schools, community organizations and businesses can also get involved by developing a series of messages and activities that focus on family unity throughout the month of March. Parents Step Ahead held two days of beautification projects in different campuses at Irving and Northside ISD for the month of March, “Month of the Family.”
Irving ISD, March 1, 2014
Lady Bird Johnson Middle School chose to divide up their project into 3 mini projects done. Outdoor clean up, Improvement on the school’s Parent room and lastly create a uniform exchange room, where children could trade their lightly used uniforms of the previous year for bigger.
Johnston Elementary School’s project was to supplement their existing teachers’ lounge with an improved Teacher Resource Room. The day ended with volunteers, teachers, and parents participating in a campus wide clean up.
Hanes Elementary School to establish a Parents Resource room, where parents could go for help on upcoming school events, schedule teacher parent conferences and even use the computer located in the room
Pierce Early Childhood School’s project was to clean and renovate their outdoor learning site.
Northside ISD, (San Antonio, TX) March 22, 2014
John Jay High School’s project was to improve their Library Courtyard. Furniture was bought and assembled on site and the project ended with the installation of several new trash cans and a thorough cleaning of the schools grounds.
Cable Elementary School project was to create an Outdoor Learning site. The school falls along a path which monarch butterflies take during their migration south. The new Native Plants Bird and Butterfly Garden Outdoor Learning Site provides a learning site for all students, their families and staff.
Anson Jones Middle School’s project was to renovate their Theater Arts Program. By creating a new work shelves for the students to design their future projects, as well as create and stock several new costume closets for the students to use in their upcoming productions.
Teacher Ambassador Leadership Experience, September 9-13, 2014
Parents Step Ahead along with six teachers and school administrators serving as Teacher Ambassadors from Dallas and San Antonio schools in Texas, travelled to Washington, D.C. from September 9-13 for its 4th annual leadership development experience. Thanks to the support of ETS, NEA and Southwest Airlines.
The 2014 PSA Teacher Ambassadors were:
Donna Lewis- Secondary Reassignment Center, Irving ISD
Daniel Sias- Urban Park Elementary School, Dallas, ISD
Pat Strawn- John Jay High School, Northside ISD
Martin Hernandez- Urban Park Elementary School, Dallas ISD
Adriana Bonilla- Urban Park Elementary School, Dallas ISD
Carole Bagnoche- Cable Elementary School, Northside ISD
9th Annual “Parent of the Year” Awards Gala, December 5, 2014
Parents Step Ahead honored parents from different school districts throughout Dallas-Fort Worth with an end of the year celebration. Honorees selected based on program participation, school nomination, and an essay written by them and their about the importance of parental involvement. In addition to this recognition, the honorees received an award and a brand new computer system.
On December 5, 2014, Parents Step Ahead honored nine individuals.
“Parent of the Year” award recipients:
Nicolas Gomez (Timberline Elementary School)
Tracey Huffman (Apollo Junior High)
Laura Morales (Otis Brown Elementary School)
Maria Montes (La Voz de Anciano)
Glenda Range (Lamar Middle School)
Sandra Torres (Urban Park Elementary School)
