Parent Involvement Critical to Development

Crisman-Elementary-School-LogoWritten by Scott Hufford, Principal

On March 1, 2012, Crisman Elementary kicked off the month with a Parent Reading Night. Crisman welcomed approximately 350 people to our building.

After enjoying a meal together, our parents were invited to attend sessions on reading skills. Teachers prepared and presented 20-minute reading sessions which equipped parents with skills that could be utilized at home to help their children improve at reading. Each of our parents in attendance was able to attend two different sessions.

While parents were learning from our teachers, students were welcomed into five separate sessions to enjoy reading games. Each of the games or activities was connected to our Dr. Seuss theme in honor of his birthday on March 2. Our students received books that were selected for their grade level and also were able to select books of their choice. Every student left Crisman with three new books that evening.

March 2 was Read Across America Day. As a school, we chose to involve our parents in a field trip to celebrate reading. Our student body, teachers and 50 parents boarded buses that morning to attend the opening of "The Lorax." This event provided us another chance to spend time building relationships between parents and Crisman School. Parents are an integral part of the school community.

Parent Involvement is just one of 40 developmental assets identified by Search Institute. The assets are 40 values, experiences, relationships, and qualities that bring many benefits to the young people who have them. Research indicates that if our youth have developed more than 20 of these assets, then they have at least a moderate chance of succeeding in their quest to achieve happiness - to thrive - to live well. Crisman has identified five of the 40 assets that we will focus on during the 2011-12 school year.

Our teachers have begun identifying what we currently do as well as things that we could do to build upon these assets. The five assets that Crisman is working on this year are: Parent Involvement, Caring School Climate, School Boundaries, High Expectations and School Engagement.

At Crisman, adults are intentionally helping young people gain more assets; this is called ‘asset building'. By working to build these assets in our youth, we are increasing the likelihood that our students will be successful in the future. Search Institute has found that these assets are powerful influences on adolescent behavior. It is important to note this is not the job of the school alone, but the entire community. As a community, every adult has the ability to become an asset builder. Our children and students need the support of the generations that have come before them.

Take the time to learn more about the developmental assets. Information is available at the Search Institute website www.search-institute.org . Additionally, the Crisman website (www.portage.k12.in.us select Crisman School) has a power point presentation that Crisman teachers presented to our PTO parents.

This presentation clearly explains the purpose of developmental assets. As parents and community members, it is crucial that we recognize the impact we can have on children in our community. By taking the time to read with a child, play catch, or simply greet him or her with a hello, we are building important relationships in the lives of children. Asset-rich children take fewer negative risks and are more likely to be successful academically, socially, and emotionally than children who lack those experiences and qualities. Join Crisman, become an ‘asset builder'.