Parent 2 Parent Magazine Winter 2016/17

WINTER 2017

Choosing

YOUR WORDS WISELY WITH YOUR

Children

Remembering

Roberto Clemente Powered By

PUT AN

END TO

Bullying THE

Powerful IMPACT OF

AFTER

School

MATTERS

W

elcome to the winter edition of P2P: Parent2Parent Magazine brought to you by the

Chicago Public School’s Office of Leadership and Learning. P2P is written for parents by parents. In collaboration with the TrueStar Foundation, parents participate in a journalism class, offered in one of our five Parent University locations across the city.

The final product of this class is our quarterly P2P Magazine, available in English and Spanish in both print and digital formats. P2P is designed to keep caring adults within CPS abreast of current educational trends and best practices in supporting student learning. It is our hope by keeping our parents informed they will serve as positive stewards in their child’s education.

In this edition, our parents provide helpful advice on the importance of growing up in a multicultural environment and ways in which your child can learn about other cultures. In addition, parent contributors share useful information to get children started on the right foot and thinking about real life issues like choosing a university/college, preventing childhood obesity, and combatting bullying.

Our cover story highlights Roberto Clemente, baseball Hall of Famer and the namesake of Roberto Clemente Community Academy located in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Our P2P parents write about his legacy on and off the field and the award presented in his honor each year.

We look forward to taking this educational journey with you. It is our hope that in each edition you will find at least one nugget of wisdom, words of encouragement and best practices that you can utilize.

If you have good news stories, events, programs or other information parents should know about, please send us the information by visiting http://goo.gl/forms/pz8822aZfa or email us at parentuniversity@cps.edu.

fadaf

Best,

Dr. Shawn L. Jackson Chief Officer, Office of Leadership and Learning

“Parents are children’s first heroes. Your influence matters. Wield it wisely with passion and purpose.” -Anonymous

Contributors

Left to right: Brenda Rivera, Maria Isabel Santos and Evelyn Crespo. Not Pictured: Jenny Garcia

Special Thanks Forrest Claypool, CEO of Chicago Public Schools Dr. Janice Jackson, CEdO of Chicago Public Schools Denise Little, COO of Chicago Public Schools Frank Bilecki, Chief Officer of Public Policy of Chicago Public Schools

True Star Foundation Executive Directors DeAnna McLeary Sherman & J. Na-Tae’ Thompson Managing Editor Marti Parham Editorial Instructor Deysi Caves Art Direction Design & Illustration Angel D’Amico-Bauer

Table of Contents ACADEMICS 6: What University Are You Rooting For? By Jenny Garcia 7: Hour of Code and the Importance of Technology By Maria Isabel Santos 8: The Powerful Impact of After School Matters By Evelyn Crespo

SCHOOL & HOME ENVIRONMENT 12: What You Say Matters: Words Of Encouragement Can Improve Your Child’s Self-esteem

By Jenny Garcia 14: Get Cultured! By Brenda Rivera

COVER STORY 16: The Life and Legacy Of Roberto Clemente By Evelyn Crespo & Maria Isabel Santos

PARENT SUPPORT & INVOLVEMENT 18: Volunteer Programs By CPS Staff 20: Zero Tolerance For Bullying By Brenda Rivera

PROMISING PRACTICES 24: Community As A Campus By Evelyn Crespo 25: Preventing Childhood Obesity - What Can We Do To Help Children Lead Healthier Lifestyles?

By Evelyn Crespo 26: Savor The Flavor: Healthy Winter Recipes By Evelyn Crespo 27: What’s Your New Year’s Resolution? By Brenda Rivera 28: The Advantages Of Growing Up In A Multicultural Environment By Maria Isabel Santos

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ACADEMICS

What University

Are You Rooting For?

BY JENNY GARCIA, HURLEY ELEMENTARY

S

unday is a day to get together with friends and family and enjoy a good game of football.

We teach our children - even before they can walk - to root for our favorite team. Jerseys are purchased and banners are hung on their bedroom walls, and eventually they become diehard fans. You may even recall the first time you took them to a game.

offers the program your child is interested in.

If your child is not sure of what they would like to pursue, look for their strengths or interests and find programs that suit these things. Or perhaps a general visit to different universities might just awaken a new interest in your child.

But when was the last time you took them for a visit to a university? Just as we instill the tradition of sport in our children, we can get them used to the idea of attending a university or college.

Perhaps, this tradition can begin today.

Go On An Outing Visit a school with your child and make it a family outing. Take a tour of the campus and visit a class that falls within the interests of your child. This will allow them to familiarize themselves with college life and will make them feel more at ease.

Start Them Young Many children have an idea of what they would like to be when they grow up. Perhaps, their

Make it more fun by going to a school game or visit during school festivities. Most schools offer tours and other activities for visitors.

interests will change as they grow older; but now is a good time for them to start thinking about their careers. It’s never too early to begin talking to your child about the possibility of furthering their education.

Search For Schools You can begin by searching for a college that 6 Parent 2 Parent

Make It A New Tradition Take an annual trip to a university. Visit different campuses and make it fun! Buy the school’s gear and encourage your child to pursue higher learning. It is never too early to start!

Hour Of Code AND THE

Importance Of Technology

BY MARIA ISABEL SANTOS, GREELEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

W

ould you like to learn about programming? This is your chance! Don’t just settle for playing video games or using the applications on your smartphone. Learn to create these things yourself and design your own programs through www.code.org.

Code.org is a non-profit organization, which organizes an annual campaign called the Hour of Code. It was initially designed for schoolage children, but can be done by anyone. No experience is needed.

According to Andrew Rasmussen, Computer Science Project Coordinator at Chicago Public Schools, “This campaign is important because technology is part of our daily lives. It really trickles into everything in our society. By the time kids are in fifth grade they decide whether or not they’re good at something, so we want everyone to have the opportunity and to understand what computer science is.”

The Hour of Code is an introduction in computer science and teaches one about programming in a fun and easy way. Tens of millions have

participated in the Hour of Code campaign in more than 180 countries and in more than 40 languages. Of these, 49 percent are women.

“There are a lot of stereotypes that girls are not welcome in the program industry and that’s not true,” said Rasmussen. He continues, “That’s an attitude that a lot of people still have. There are some programs in Chicago like Girls Who Code and Black Girls Code; those are organizations working to try to change that attitude.”

Learning code is like learning a new language and when we learn to master this language we will be surprised with what it will allow us to create, such as virtual games, web programs and applications for different devices. In short, there is a world of possibilities to explore in computer science.

We know that no one can become a computer engineer in an hour, but it will serve as an asset to discover your computer skills while learning how to create new things. You will discover that anyone can code because there are different levels of progress. After the hour is up, you will be interested in continuing to learn. For more information or to get started visit www.code.org.

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The Powerful Impact

OF After School Matters

BY EVELYN CRESPO, CLEMENTE H.S.

B

eing a teenager is challenging sometimes.

Our teenagers have to deal with things like peer pressure and negative outside influences. That’s why Michael Crowley, Senior Director for After School Matters (ASM), thinks it is important for teenagers to have a positive outlet when school is out. Not only does the program provide fun activities that the kids actually enjoy, but it also keeps children safe and interested in school.

P2P interviewed Mr. Crowley about how these programs have impacted youth.

What is ASM? Why is this program so important?

After School Matters is one of the largest and most successful organizations of its kind anywhere. We provide high quality after-school and summer programs to more than 15,000 Chicago high school teens each year. We 8 Parent 2 Parent

believe that teenagers matter – that they are important and deserve to be valued for their many strengths. Our programs help teens to explore their interests, discover their passions, build their skills and break down barriers to achieving success both now and for their futures. We are currently celebrating our 25th anniversary. We began in 1991 – thanks to the inspiration of Chicago’s former First Lady, Maggie Daley – in one location serving 260 teens and now we run programs at hundreds of locations throughout nearly every community in Chicago, providing 24,000 opportunities across three program sessions this year.

What kind of programs does ASM offer?

There is literally something for everyone. If you are a high school teen in Chicago and you have

an interest in a particular area, we probably have a program that will give you a chance to do just that. From dance to robotics, aquaponics to opera, graphic design to stadium management, and much more – our programs give teens the opportunity to build their skills in these particular areas while gaining confidence and building their 21st century skills in things like critical thinking, collaboration, leadership and public speaking.

What kind of effect do you think ASM has had on students?

We’ve seen that our teens’ success rates – across metrics like Freshmen On-Track, attendance, graduation and college enrollment – are higher than [those] teens that do not participate. We believe our teens have inherent strengths that they deserve to discover, to explore and to share. We really do believe that an After School Matters experience makes a difference not just for today, but for a young person’s future.

Give us an example of how the program has impacted a student?

One of our teens told us that his glassblowing program was keeping him from joining a gang, but that he was still getting a lot of pressure from various facets of his life. We doubled down on him and showcased his work at our gala, had him come to speak at one of our board meetings, which led to him gaining a professional mentor.

Now we’re working to reconnect him with his program in an assistant instructor capacity.

What advice would you give a student that is thinking about applying to an ASM program?

Jump in! We are now accepting applications for our spring program session that begins in late February. We will have 7,000 opportunities, but they will fill up quickly. We have a Teen Applications Specialist available to help guide teens through the process. We have a fully translated Spanish application and dedicated section of our website. We have advanced program search functions to help you find the program that is right for you – by location, content area, skill level and much more. Visit afterschoolmatters.org and get started!

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SCHOOL & HOME ENVIRONMENT

What You Say Matters: WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT CAN Improve YOUR CHILD’S Self-esteem

BY JENNY GARCIA, HURLEY ELEMENTARY

A

s parents, we strive to guide our children into a path of success, but the one thing we might be neglecting is our words. The words we use every day can seem insignificant to us, but they are more powerful than we can imagine and can have a great impact on our children’s future. The impact of words is so immense that it helps create who we become as adults.

It is never our intention to hurt our children, but as parents we don’t always realize we are being hurtful. Sometimes it is force of habit or stress that makes us neglectful of the things we say. It is up to us to be more mindful about the many different ways we transmit a message. Below are some positive ways to get your message across.

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Keep Your Cool & Teach Respect Do not scream or use profanity. It only creates more tension between you and your child and can be damaging to them. If you feel like you’re losing control, step away for a moment before continuing. It is never wise to speak to your child while angry. Teach your child that there are ways of communicating without screaming or swearing.

Common Mistake: “Shut up!”

“Be quiet!”

Better Alternative: “Can you please give me five minutes?” or “Keep your voices down.”

Listen, Explain & Communicate Always explain why. Why do you want your child to pick up his toys? Learn to have real conversations with your child. Children understand better when you take the time to explain and listen, instead of ordering them around. Also, try not to ignore them. Everything they tell you is important to them. Take the time to listen.

Common Mistake: “Because I said so.”

Better Alternative: “We don’t do this because (fill in the blank with the reason why).”

This form of communication is one of the best ways that children learn the cause and effect of their actions.

Love, Not Criticism We often make the mistake of judging our children and making those judgments verbally in front of them. Whether it is directly to them (“Don’t eat so much; you’re getting fat.”) or indirectly while talking to a friend (“Tommy is too quiet. He has such a hard time making friends.”), what you say can come off as a critical statement. As parents, we worry about

our children and we want what’s best for them, but there are better alternatives than criticism.

We all have imperfections and addressing those things in a positive manner is the best way to handle them. Teach your child to love and accept themselves while allowing room to grow and improve.

Common Mistake: “Stop being such a baby!”

Better Alternative: “Let’s be more mature.” or “Your behavior is inappropriate.”

Let your child know you are listening and paying attention to them without responding in a harsh way. Many times this is all you will need to calm your child down.

Remember to use your words to teach love and respect to your child, because self-esteem begins at home.

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Get CULTURED!

BY BRENDA RIVERA, TALCOTT F.A.M.A. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

W

e live in a melting pot and globalization is here. With a city as ethnically diverse as Chicago, chances are you or your child will have to interact with people from other cultures. Give your child an advantage by allowing them the opportunity to learn about other cultures now. Below are six ways to get you started.

1. Take your child to one of the city’s cultural museums.

•National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture: The only self-standing museum in the nation devoted to showcasing Puerto Rican arts and cultural exhibitions yearround.

•National Museum of Mexican Art: Explore 3,000 years of Mexican history through ancient, colonial and contemporary art.

•DuSable Museum of African American History: Gain an appreciation of the achievements, contributions and experiences of African-Americans through exhibits, programs and activities.

•Chinese American Museum: Exhibitions, education and research relating to Chinese-American culture and history.

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•Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center: Learn about the history of the Holocaust and explore interactive exhibits.

•Mitchell Museum of the American Indian: Learn about Native American life through hands-on activities and engaging exhibits.

•Czechoslovak Heritage Museum: Experience the culture and tradition of Czech, Slovak & Moravian heritage through colorful folk costumes, dolls and puppets.

•Polish Museum of America: This is the crown jewel of the Polish-American community in Chicago and one of the nation’s first ethnic museums.

•Swedish American Museum: Children can experience immigration firsthand by learning how to milk a cow or by climbing aboard a 20foot immigration steamship.

•The Oriental Institute: Visitors get the opportunity to see mummies from ancient Egypt up close and personal.

•Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture: Kids can visit a middle age castle and early 20th century Lithuanian farmhouse.

•Ukranian National Museum: Explore paintings, sculptures and the folk art collection, which is one of the most important collections outside of Ukraine.

2. Try a new restaurant with food from a different country.

3. Learn a word from a different language or pick a song from a different country and learn it with your child.

4. Celebrate a holiday outside of your culture.

•Martin Luther King Jr. (January 16) •Greek Independence Day (March 25) • Mexican Independence Day (September 16) • Pakistan Independence Day (August 14) 5. Get a pen pal for your child. Have your child either email or write letters to a child in a different country. This way they gain a friend and learn all about another country and culture in a fun way. Find out how by visiting www.studentsoftheword.info.

6. Take your child to a cultural festival.

•Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade (February) •Mole de Mayo Festival (May) •Lincoln Park Greek Fest (June) •Highland Games & Scottish Festival (June) •Scandinavian Midsommar Festival (June) •Puerto Rican Festival & Parade (June) •Highland Games & Scottish Festival (June) •African/Caribbean International Festival of Life (July) •Irish American Heritage Festival (July) •Chinatown Summer Fair (July) •India Independence Day Parade (August) •African Festival of the Arts (September) •Taste of Polonia (September) •German Day Festival & Von Steuben Parade (September) By exposing your child to any of the different cultural experiences that the city has to offer, you are preparing him or her for a world of understanding, acceptance, comradery and ultimately unity.

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COVER STORY

The Life and Legacy

of Roberto Clemente

BY EVELYN CRESPO, CLEMENTE H.S. & MARIA ISABEL SANTOS, GREELEY ELEMENTARY

A

t the end of last year, Chicago was hit with World Series fever. After seeing the performance of several players that contributed to the success of their team, it’s hard to forget about the successful baseball player, Roberto Clemente, who made a great impact on and off the field.

Clemente was born in San Antón, Carolina, Puerto Rico on August 8, 1934. When he was 18 years old, he was offered a contract with the Cangrejeros de Santurce, a winter league team and franchise of the Puerto Rico Baseball League.

In 1955, he was recruited by the Pittsburgh Pirates where he faced many disadvantages; he was the first Latin American and Caribbean player and knew very little English. Because of this, Clemente was frustrated at the racial tension he faced with some teammates and local media.

Clemente was awarded Most Valuable Player of the National League in 1966 and again after the World Series in 1971. In addition to his baseball achievements, he also joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1958 and served a six-month active duty commitment at Parris Island, South Carolina, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. In December of 1972, he died during a mission to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

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A year later, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and is remembered each year through the Roberto Clemente Award, which was renamed in his honor. The award is given annually to the major league player who “best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions both on and off the field,” according to MLB.com.

Each year a panel of baseball dignitaries selects one player from 30 nominees, one from each club. The winner of the award receives a donation from the Major League Baseball Charities to donate to his charity of choice.

This year’s recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award is 35-year-old Curtis Granderson.

Granderson grew up in Blue Island, a suburb of Illinois just south of Chicago.

Granderson won the award while playing for the New York Mets, where he was building his baseball career while giving back to his community. He began a foundation, called Grand Kids, which aims to combat childhood obesity. He also donated $5 million toward a new baseball complex at the University of Chicago at Illinois, his alma mater. It helps inner city kids play baseball and build their skills.

In a video on MLB.com, Granderson says that he learned how to give by watching his parents give. “I remember seeing my mom and dad when I was younger, having people over just to have food or drinks, taking the clothes I had outgrown and passing them out at schools, giving teammates of mine rides who didn’t have rides,” Granderson said. “At that time I didn’t think of it as their way of giving back, but that was an

experience early in my lifetime. Hopefully I’m able to do just a fraction of what they did.”

Clemente’s legacy goes beyond the baseball field. He passed away while trying to provide help for those in need. Clemente and Grandson both learned valuable lessons from their parents.

Now, Grandson is taking that example and using it to help others.

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PARENT SUPPORT & INVOLVEMENT

The Impact OF Volunteering

BY CPS STAFF

T

he Chicago Public Schools Volunteer Program is an integral component of the CPS system. CPS volunteers work in every aspect of school operation, from classroom to the field, one-on-one tutors and mentors, to organizing and manning special events and extracurricular activities. We believe that at volunteerism’s core are relationships and their potential to enhance the well-being of students, adult learners, and entire communities.

WHY IS CPS’S VOLUNTEER PROGRAM SO IMPORTANT? Volunteerism is aimed at building social cohesion, dual-generational learning experiences, and mutually beneficial partnerships. Today, maybe more than ever before, these acts of learning, caring and sharing are a necessity.

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Dr. Shawn Jackson, Chief Officer of the Office of Leadership and Learning explains, “When we engage parents and community in the support of our schools, students gain greater access to learning opportunities and resources. Schools flourish when a variety of stakeholders take a vested interest in our students.”

Dr. Carol Wilson, Principal of Brunson Math & Science Specialty Elementary School, states, “Volunteers support many of the day-to-day functions of my school such as field trips, recess, and student dismissal. Teachers and students appreciate having them in our building, and they serve as an essential part of our school community.”

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Volunteer Programs

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Facebook and I’m doing that stuff off-site. And so, I’m not at the school, but I’m with the school.”

We had the pleasure of speaking with Katie Magnuson, the Assistant Principal at Skinner North, to find out more about Volunteer Programs inside a CPS school. Katie explained that they make volunteering easily accessible.

They understand that people are busy and they are willing to be flexible. There are many different areas to volunteer in and CPS staff will help you find what is best suited for you.

Various organizations volunteer within CPS. SitStayRead is a company that brings their teams of trained volunteers and Certified Reading Assistance Dogs into CPS schools in some of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods. The volunteers support the children’s process of reading to dogs, which strengthens confidence in their literacy skills.

Magnuson stresses, “Our volunteers are incredibly impactful to our school’s community. We wouldn’t be able to do everything we do without our volunteers. They provide more support for the kids.” Volunteering creates a feeling of connection to the school and to the kids.

When speaking with some of the volunteers, they all illustrated their noticeable impact that they make, as well as their yearning to create the best school environment. Volunteers Michelle Burgess, a volunteer at Suder Montessori Magnet School for eight years, says, “You volunteer for the children. But you also volunteer for the teachers. And you volunteer for the staff and the administration.” Brent Larson has been a CPS volunteer for five years. He explains that there are many ways to volunteer. He states, “I have a full time job, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t contribute on a daily basis. But I do. There’s a lot of communications that go out via email and

When speaking with Kate, the program director at SitStayRead, she expounds that there is a strong sense of community between the volunteers and the families that they are helping. Volunteering is instant gratification. You can see the change, difference and excitement in one visit.

VOLUNTEERING AND DIGITAL BADGING CPS has partnered with Chicago City of Learning, CCOL, to allow volunteers to earn digital badges for volunteering. In an effort to celebrate the investment, volunteers make at their individual schools, the schools have an opportunity to be awarded special prizes based on the collective number of digital badges earned that month by all of the volunteers.

If you are interested in becoming a CPS volunteer, visit www.cpsvolunteers.org or call 773- 553-1544.

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Zero Tolerance

FOR BULLYING

BY BRENDA RIVERA, TALCOTT F.A.M.A. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

W

e don’t think about mental and emotional health until it touches our lives. We all run to the rescue when our children get physically hurt, but how fast do we run when our children are hurt emotionally as a result of bullying?

Bullying is behavior that hurts or humiliates a student, either physically or emotionally, and can happen while at school, in the community or online. Usually, bullying happens over and over. According to the 2015 National Center for Educational Statistics, 64 percent of children who were bullied did not report it. When it comes to bullying, there is typically an imbalance of power, like size or popularity and purposeful intent to harm or humiliate (physically or emotionally). Some examples of bullying include: fighting, threatening, name-calling, teasing someone repeatedly and over time, and hurting another person to get something. Victims of 20 Parent 2 Parent

bullying may experience moodiness, nightmares, declining schoolwork and withdrawal from friends and activities.

According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), if you think your child is being bullied, you can help by talking to your child’s teacher about it instead of confronting the bully’s parents. If the teacher doesn’t act, talk to the principal. You can also try teaching your child non-violent ways to deal with bullies, like walking away, playing with friends or talking it out.

Don’t encourage your child to fight. This could lead to them getting hurt or getting in trouble.

Bullying prevention starts by shifting behavior and attitudes. Claire Schu, a specialist from CPS Office of Social & Emotional Learning, says, “Parents should focus on teaching your child empathy.”

What do you do if YOUR child is the bully You are one of the best resources to help your child stop bullying and start interacting positively with their classmates. Here are some things you can do:

3Take it seriously. Don’t treat bullying A recent report by the NCPC estimates that 6 out of 10 children witness at least one bullying incident in school a day. Bystanders are also found to exhibit negative consequences. This is alarming since bystanders are the biggest group affected by bullying.

According to Jaana Juvonen, a professor at UCLA, “The most tormented children – those facing bullying several times a week – can be helped by teaching bystanders to be more supportive.”

You can help by asking your child what they would do in certain situations; give feedback about their responses and give advice about different ways to handle the situation.

as a passing phase. Even if you’re not concerned about long-lasting effects on your child, another child is being hurt.

3Help build empathy for others.

Talk to your child and help them understand how it feels to be bullied.

3Have a conversation with your

child to find out why he or she is bullying. Often, children bully when they feel sad, angry, lonely or insecure and many times major changes at home or school may bring on these feelings.

Remember, we are all part of the same story. The end of bullying begins with you.

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Will Your Child Learn Computer Science (CS) This Year?

Besides offering access to 20,000+ high-paying jobs in IL, a CS education teaches essential problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration skills that are useful in all walks of life.

CS4All is spreading CS throughout Chicago.

Our students are empowered to use and create the technology that is shaping our future.

find CS4All schools at map.cs4all.io

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Turning Chicago into a Citywide Campus

By Bringing Together the City’s Great Learning Opportunities

Free & Affordable Activities

Hands-on Events & Online Challenges

Parks, Museums, Libraries & Community Organizations

Earn Digital Badges

Digital Badges Make All Learning Count

ChicagoCityOfLearning.org

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PROMISING PRACTICES COMMUNITY ACTION COUNCILS:

Bringing Parents

& The Community Into Schools

BY EVELYN CRESPO, CLEMENTE H.S.

C

ommunity Action Council (CAC) is an organization from Chicago Public Schools that brings parents and community members together.

There are currently nine CAC chapters across Chicago, in communities like Englewood, Hyde Park, and Humboldt Park. They are comprised of volunteers and their purpose is to advance and enrich the quality of education for local schools in Chicago. Parents and community members work together to improve schools through school meetings and community dialogues.

One facet of the CAC is the Humboldt Park Community as a Campus. In the Humboldt Park community, the focus has been on Roberto Clemente Community Academy and the local grammar schools.

The CAAC includes different CPS community programs like Parent University. Parents are encouraged to get involved and help enhance their education. The goal is to educate parents so they can help their children acquire a better education.

Some of the initiatives in the Humboldt Park Community include: Youth leadership Institute (Clemente College Project), Teachers/ Administrator Institute and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center Safe Passage Program, which I was a part of.

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This program hires people from the community to safeguard CPS students as they are walking to and from school. Some of the feedback I received from students and some parents was that children felt safe and secure knowing someone was keeping an eye on them. Having a familiar face from the community makes them feel more comfortable.

I have been involved with Parent University since its inception and have taken a journalism class and a healthy cooking class. They have given me the ability to expand my views and share ideas with others. They have also helped my confidence grow.

Besides my experience as a community member, I have witnessed other parents participate in GED classes and college prep classes. One goal of the Community Action Council is to bring different components of the community together in order to provide a better support system for students. It also helps parents feel empowered by giving them a voice in their children’s education.

Preventing

Childhood Obesity WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP CHILDREN LEAD HEALTHIER LIFESTYLES?

BY EVELYN CRESPO, CLEMENTE H.S.

Y

uck! This is the first thing some children think when healthy eating comes to mind. But obesity and healthy eating is a problem in the U.S. According to statistics, one-third of children in the U.S. are overweight or obese and this number is continuing to rise.

This places them at risk of developing chronic diseases in the future, such as heart disease and diabetes. They are also more likely to develop stress and depression.

Children become overweight for a variety of reasons, which include high calorie and low nutritional diets, such as consuming too many sugary drinks and junk food and not enough vegetables or homemade meals.

Many children are also not getting enough exercise, but if parents and educators give children the right tools, they will help them create good habits. One way adults can help is by serving children food that is nutritional and satisfying. For example, they can try broiling or baking foods as a healthier alternative to frying.

Action for Children, “Drinking lots of water and fewer sugary drinks is very important.”

Another way children can stay healthy is by staying active. In the summer children can ride a bike outside or go swimming. “Children should get 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity throughout the day,” said Torres. One way to do this is to “play music and let your children dance.

Parents can also join their children in activities such as going for a walk after dinner.

These are simple ways to get kids up and moving.”

Children can also exercise in the winter. With the proper clothing they can play outside and enjoy fun activities such as sledding or ice skating.

Fruits, vegetables and milk can be given with meals too. You can even serve carrots, broccoli and celery with dip as an alternative to chips.

Do your best to lead by example. If your children see that you are physically active and having fun, they are more likely to be active and

According to Marlyn Torres, Childcare Facilitator and Nutrition Advocate at the Illinois

stay active for the rest of their lives. For more information on portion control, eating healthy and staying active visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

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Savor The Flavor:

HEALTHY WINTER RECIPES

BY EVELYN CRESPO, CLEMENTE H.S. & BRENDA RIVERA, ALCOTT F.A.M.A. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

A

re you looking for new ways to spend time with your family? Trying out a couple of new tasty recipes can be a creative and educational way to engage your children.

This bonding experience with your family can be an invaluable time without the distraction of any electronics. In addition, children can practice their math skills by reviewing measurements numerically and visually. Many children also gain a sense of confidence as they put together individual ingredients and create a tasty dish people enjoy.

Serve up these two quick and easy dishes for your next meal and watch the members of your household come back for seconds!

Simple Lemon Herb Chicken Makes two servings Ingredients: 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1 lemon 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 pinch of dried oregano 2 sprigs of fresh parsley for garnish Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Cut lemon in half, and squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon on chicken. Season with salt to taste.

Let sit while you heat oil in a small skillet over medium low heat.

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When oil is hot, put chicken in skillet. As you sautĂŠ chicken, add juice from other 1/2 lemon, pepper to taste, and oregano. SautĂŠ for 5 to 10 minutes each side, or until juices run clear. Serve with parsley for garnish.

Pumpkin Squares Makes 15 squares Ingredients: 1 1/8 cups of whole wheat flour 2/3 cups of enriched all-purpose flour 1/2 tbsp. of baking powder 1/2 tbsp. of ground cinnamon 1/4 tbsp. of baking soda 1/3 tsp of kosher salt 3 eggs 1 1/4 cups of pumpkin puree 1 1/4 cups of graduated sugar 1 cup of vegetable oil Directions: Preheat conventional oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a full sheet pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin puree in another bowl.

Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well (do not over mix). Scrape mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and spread evenly.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (15 to 25 minutes).

What’s Your

New Year’s Resolution?

BY BRENDA RIVERA, TALCOTT F.A.M.A. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

W

ith a new year comes new hopes and dreams. P2P asked parents what they were hoping to teach their children in 2017. Here are their answers: “This coming year, I would love for my son to learn about a new culture. He loves to read so maybe we can read a book on a different country and their way of life. There are so many different cultural museums in our city so it would be very fun to follow up with a visit. And of course, the best way to learn about other cultures is to go out and meet new people. Make new friends and learn about their culture. Our next generation will have much more interaction with people of different backgrounds, so it’s very important to teach our children about others.

We should all make it a point to get cultured!”

-Jenny Garcia, Hurley Elementary School “To be better people, to love themselves and accept the consequences of their actions. To be more independent, respect others and to have more responsibilities at home.”

-Magdalena Del Toro, Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy “Not to take things for granted, and that includes your mom. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us; so this new year, we will start every single day we have together with our 100-second morning hug.”

-Brenda Rivera, Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy

“To be more organized!”

-Jeffrey Shanley Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy “One of the things I’m determined to accomplish this year is to show my children that reading can be fun. It’s a lifelong, needed skill to be able to read, so I want them to enjoying reading at an early age. For me, reading became fun after high school and it makes me feel lucky to be able to understand how much having strong literacy skills has supported me professionally. Now, as a parent, knowing the benefit of being a skilled reader tells me I must help my children enjoy literacy at a young age. By making reading a fun pastime for my children, I know I can shorten my children’s ‘Learn to Read’ time, and give them the opportunity to increase their ‘Read to Learn’ time for the rest of their lives.”

-Juan Maldonado, Clemente High School “To spend more mother and daughter quality time.”

-Nydia Moreno, Mitchell Elementary “To always answer questions with the truth.”

-Maria Ofelia Claudio, Rowe Charter School “To start reading more books and report to me what the book is about.”

-Ron Alexander, Clemente High School “To speak Italian.”

-Matteo Lo Bianco, John Mills Elementary Parent 2 Parent 27

APPENDIX

The Importance

OF GROWING UP IN A

Multicultural Environment

BY MARIA ISABEL SANTOS, GREELEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

H

one language can have many advantages but also disadvantages, which may confuse a child.

In this country where people from different continents are united, it is becoming more common to see people with different cultural backgrounds, leading to an increase in bi-cultural and multicultural children. These children grow up in homes where they speak more than one language and adopt two or more cultures. Being born in a home where parents speak more than

When I arrived in this country, the language was a wall that did not allow me to advance.

My daughters also did not know the language; however, when they began to study at a young age, they quickly adopted the culture and language of this country. This allowed me to establish a bridge where my family and I can cross from one side to another, giving us the opportunity to work on emotional, social and cultural development.

ow can you change the wall of cultural and social barriers that you have dealt with and turn it into a bridge that leads to different cultures and languages for your children?

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Diane Poulin-Dubois, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Concordia University, reports that after analyzing 63 children aged 2 years old, research showed that bilingual children not only have intercultural benefits, but also develop skills by switching from one language to another. According to the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, a 40 year-old scientific study of bilingualism advocates “speaking two languages ​​streamlines the mind.”

As children grow up, they discover that their parents speak another language and that they have family here and in other countries with another culture. These same boys and girls discover a mostly monolingual society that can adopt or reject them as they are emotionally prepared – as these children often have problems with pronunciation and writing that can be seen as a disadvantage. However, these problems will become opportunities for the future if as parents we support them and we agree on how to educate our children, respecting moral principles and customs.

IF WE CAN MERGE THIS SUPPORT, OUR CHILDREN WILL BE BI-CULTURAL, BILINGUAL AND AT THE SAME TIME BE MORE RESPECTFUL, TOLERANT AND CONNECT FASTER WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF SEX, RELIGION OR RACE. Parent 2 Parent 29

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