HE’E Planning Meeting
October 8, 2013
The Learning Coalition Office, 841 Bishop St. Suite 301
9:00-11:00am
Agenda
Attendees: Cary Miyamoto (HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union), Mark Adato (Learning 1st), Melly Wilson (PREL), June Kawamura (Honolulu District PCNC), Gordon Miyamoto (DOE), Margaret Higa (HIDA), Kanoe Naone (INPEACE), Chris Jackson (EOEL), Sue Emley (PPS), Kathy Radcliffe (DOE College of Education), Christina Simmons (PACT), Jennifer Dang (DOE), Mary Weir (FACE), Jacee Mikulanec (GBA), Lauren Baer (TLC), Kathy Bryant (HE‘E), Cheri Nakamura (HE‘E)
9:00-9:10 Welcome
9:10-9:20 Margaret Higa: HIDA
Margaret Higa briefed everyone HIDA’s latest activities. October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. In honor of Awareness Month, Assets School and towns around the nation are hosting of a screen of the movie “Dislecksia: The Movie. It will be held at Consolidated Kahala Theater and tickets can be purchased at the box office. Also, there is a free presentation by HIDA in collaboration with the Assistive Technology Resource Center of Hawaii (ATRC) for students and their parents, teachers and tutors on November 4, Monday, from 6:30-8:30pm at the Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union Community Room on 1259 A’ala Street.
9:20-9:30 Chris Jackson: EOEL
Chris Jackson passed around draft flyers regarding the change in Kindergarten age for 2014-2015 year. At the start of the school year, a child has to be born before July 31 to enter Kindergarten. The previous rule was a child needed to be born before Dec 31. The information sheets list resources for parents and service provides on where to go. When the information is finalized, it will be listed on Gov’s Executive Office of Early Learning Website http://earlylearning.hawaii.gov
Cheri Nakamura pointed out that due to funding, it would be difficult to translate the materials into multiple languages. Melly Wilson from PREL mentioned that if it was simple text like what is on the poster, their staff could help translate to the Micronesian languages.
9:30-10:30 Gordon Miyamoto: Family School Partnerships
Gordon gave a presentation about all the DOE initiatives concerning Family-School Partnerships. Presentation is listed here.
The group commented on various aspects of the presentation.
The group asked, how to parents directly engage in schools?
PJ Foeher emphasized that communication was key. Parents will always try to communicate with their own schools. However, there isn’t always a process by which schools engage with parents or the converse, parents with schools.
Kanoe Naone gave an example of a process going on now at Waianae Intermediate. The community and school are gathering to tackle chronic absenteeism. The principal was open enough to bring the families and community in to try to understand the problem and find solutions together. So far, the joint meetings have been positive.
Michael Adato, a teacher, recognizes the need for parents and community to be engaged. However, he stressed that teachers/administrators/schools have so much on their plate that it is difficult to add another task.
Kanoe pointed out that if the schools engage with families/community, the weight will be lifted, as families/community as partners can help alleviate some of work/issues that schools have to deal with.
10:30-10:45 Announcements
Sue Emley shared about PPS’s event on Oct 12 from 9-12pm at UH Wist Hall called “Finding Family-School Solutions.” RSVP at 222.ppshi.org
Meeting adjourned 11:00am