How Can We Help Our Children Succeed?

Parents and caregivers, surely we all have hopes and dreams for our children and thoughts on how we can help them to succeed.

Well the Pottstown School District wants to hear from you.

A series of four listening sessions will be conducted next week as part of the $175,000 planning grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to determine how home/school partnerships can be strengthened; to find out what can be done to increase family participation; and to improve support for all children's growth and development from birth through grade 3.

(I wrote about the grant in March for The Mercury. Click here to read that story.)

 "What is learned from these conversations will be shared with other community agencies and used in designing and re-designing school district programs," according to a release from the school district.

The information will also be used as a basis for a major grant application to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation for a multi-year grant of more than $1 million which could result in additional investment in early childhood education and engagement.

These "Community Conversations" will occur at the following times and locations:

• Tuesday, May 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Pottstown Middle School, 600 N. Franklin St.;
• Wednesday, May 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Connections on High, 238 E. High St.;
• Thursday, May 29 from 1 to 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church, King and North Charlotte streets;
• Thursday, May 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Barth Elementary School, 467 W. Walnut St.

For this initiative to be successful, "participation from all social and ethnic groups is crucial," said the release. 

Your feedback, regarding ideas, including the kinds of programs and activities wanted, and what can be done to help participation, is needed, according to the release.