Aliyya Swaby Photo
Students were at first hesitant to eat one parent’s homemade Puerto Rican pasteles, but soon gobbled them down along with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey — part of a Fair Haven school’s continuing quest to involve kids’ families.
The students, along with their moms, dads, siblings and other relatives, crowded into the second-floor classroom at Clinton Avenue School to share a multicultural pre-Thanksgiving luncheon and see firsthand their children’s progress in learning English.
In a school like Clinton Avenue with low rates of parent participation, teachers have to pursue creative ways to get family members involved. This was one of those efforts, involving students in the bridge class for students who primarily speak Spanish.
Yesenia Velez, the school’s boost coordinator, donated a turkey to a parent, who then cooked it and brought it. She taught the bridge class last year and started the tradition of a pre-Thanksgiving luncheon.
Three-fourths of the school’s 620 students are Latinos, including many immigrants from Latin American countries. A day after President Barack Obama’s announcement to allow four million undocumented parents of U.S. citizens to apply to work and stay in the country, Clinton Avenue parents showed up for their kids.
“They’re not afraid to come here,” Velez (pictured) said.
Kelly Carbajal’s mother Elsa (pictured at top right) took the day off to help out with the lunch. She carved the turkey and made sure everyone who wanted a piece got one.
“It’s not just mom and dad when we help a student. Everyone is involved — sometimes an aunt or a babysitter,” said bridge teacher Ingrid Cuevas.
Only a couple of family members attended the last Student Governance Council meeting, intended to spark conversation between parents and staff, said Clinton Avenue Principal Ana Rodriguez. Often parents do not want to draw attention to themselves, afraid the exposure will affect their legal status, she said.
Rosalia Sanjurio has two children at Clinton Avenue. Hher son Jashua Gonzalez is in Cuevas’s bridge class. She goes to as many council meetings as she can, and takes advantage of workshops at the school that help her better assist her children with their homework.
Many parents cannot do the same because they work, or perhaps do not realize the importance, she said.
Cuevas said that making it easier and more comfortable for them to interact with teachers and administrators benefits the whole community.
“Spanish speaking parents have something to contribute. Sometimes we just put them to the side,” she said.
Previous coverage of Clinton Avenue School:
• Teacher “Bridges” Language, Culture Gap
• Clinton Avenue Gets Fluent