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A u g u s t, 201 6 Is s u e 8 V O L . 6

TABLE OF CONTENTS Starting the Year off Right 1 Director’s Comments 2 PREP Resources 2 PREP’s Reading Tips 3 Sponsors Acknowledgment 4

NEWSLETTER A P R O G R A M O F

T H E L A W Y E R S ’

C O M M I T T E E F O R

C I V I L R I G H T S

As the summer comes to an end, consider following these few steps to make sure the school year starts on the highest note possible! The beginning of the year can be a cause for anxiety for both you and your child, particularly if the last school year was negative. Luckily, there are a few tips you can follow to make sure you child is excited and ready for a great year!

1) Create a LIST OF GOALS with your child before the first day of school.

These should be a set of academic, social, and extracurricular goals that are realistic and will challenge your child to become a better student.

Some examples are: Improving your grades by the first term, treating other students with respect, and practicing a sport or activity at least twice a week.

Write these goals down and hang them up in a visible spot.

2) Help your child get ORGANIZED. Buy colorful notebooks and folders for each of your child’s classes.

Sit down with your child before the first day to go through the supplies and label them for each of the classes that s/he is in. Consider color-coordinating.

Encourage your child to take pride in his/her organization! Completing homework is much easier when you are not dealing with a backpack that is oozing random sheets of paper.

3) COORDINATE with TEACHERS. Considering reaching out to their past teachers. These teachers know your child best and they may offer some helpful advice for improvement.

Consider reaching out to your child’s new teachers as well. Let them know that you’re excited for the upcoming school year, and would appreciate getting feedback on your child throughout the year. Starting the year with open communication with your child’s teachers can be very helpful, particularly if problems arise later on.

4) REWARD positive behavior. Let your child know when you are proud of him/her. Figure out a way to reward positive behavior so that you encourage your child to repeat these trends. This will also boost your child’s confidence and teach him/her that hard work pays off.

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Online Video Tutorials

Now Playing: Educación Especial, Parte A (Secciones 1, 2, 3,y 4) Special Education Part B Section 1: Individual Education Program (IEP) Meeting Section 2: Special Education and School Discipline Section 3: Special Education and Harassment/ Bullying Section 4: Special Education Transition Services Educación Especial, Parte B (Secciones 1, 2, 3, y 4) Parent Advocacy (Sections 1 & 2) Abogacía para padres (Secciones 1 y 2) Navigating the school system (Sections 1, 2 & 3) Navigating the school system- Section 3– Discipline Issues Section 3– Discrimination Section 3– Special education issues Section 3– English Language Learners

Upcoming Videos: English Language Learners: Unit 1 Students’ Rights Unit 1 Section A: Identification Unit 1 Section B: Exiting the Program Unit 1 Section C: Undocumented Students’ Rights *Also available in Spanish

Find all videos on the PREPparents Youtube Channel:

www.youtube.com/PREPparents at www.PREPparents.org.

Webinars: Advocacy & Mobilization /Abogacía y Movilización Para

Padres Special Education I/ Educación Especial I Special Education II (IEP) / Educación Especial II English Language Learners/ Estudiantes Aprendiendo

Inglés Find all webinars on our website:

http://prepparents.org/webinar/.

PREP Resources

The beginning of the school year can be one of stress and fear, or energy and excitement. Starting the year off right is critical to your child’s overall performance throughout the year. If your child has a positive first couple of weeks, they will feel more encouraged to keep up the good behavior and hard work. Empower yourself to become your child’s greatest advocate and take control over the upcoming year!

All across the country, there is a growing number of initiatives to help parents become community leaders and advocates for their children. A new report from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, a policy-research organization working towards improving the conditions of urban public schools, suggests how these initiatives can set off a ripple effect to activate change. Parent leaders are vital members of the community, offering valuable information about how public policies can be improved. When public officials and parent leaders work together on community issues and public officials view parent leaders as assets, real policy change can gain momentum. By sharing first-hand experience and taking collective action, parents can be the greatest civic change agents for greater equality and opportunity across race and class to bring democracy into the communities that they come from. In this way, a ‘positive ripple effect’ is catalyzed, eventually revitalizing democratic participation in the community. The Parental Readiness and Empowerment Program (PREP) needs your vote! We want to share our work at the SXSWedu Conference this March by presenting a panel about the importance of individualized learning for parents and its potential impact in a child’s education. Panelists will discuss best practices to individualize services for parents to understand their rights and their children’s rights and how to best reach underserved families via technology and in-person events.

Please vote herehttp://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/65500! (You will need to create an account. )

Natasha Quiroga is PREP Manager and Senior Counsel on the Education Opportunities Project www.PREPparents.org

Director’s Comments

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Teaching Your Child to Love School Parents can encourage their children to develop a passion for reading by following these

tips. Imagine your child being excited to open up a new book!

PEP TALK FROM PREP!

Pick a book with your child and dive into it together! If you are passionate about characters and plotlines in a

book, it will rub off on your child!

Make reading an activity by going to the library! If your child associates reading with a fun family outing,

he/she will be more motivated to read.

If the thought of a thousand little words on a page scares your child, consider offering them a graphic novel.

Graphic novels are less intimidating and offer equally good literature!

It may be worth considering an incentive (like a penny a page, or a treat at the end of a chapter) to help motivate your child.

Book series are a great way to get your child hooked on reading.

1. Read with Your Child

2.The Library

3. Graphic Novels

4. Penny a Page

5. Book Series

#GetPREPed

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PREP’s work is possible thanks to our generous supporters. For more information about how to

donate or volunteer, please visit our website at www.PREPparents.org