Pottstown Schools Invites Parents of Young Kids

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Pottstown School District. 

The Pottstown School District wants to hear from Pottstown families with children elementary age and younger, what they need to better connect with other families, the schools and the community.

Families are invited to get connected at a new series of Let’s Talk community conversations.

This season the Let’s Talk community conversations will be held at each of the four elementary schools to make it easier for more families to come out and participate.

The conversation topic will be: Building Connections for Our Children. 

In addition to great conversation with other parents, Let’s Talk includes dinner, child care, raffles Spanish interpreters and children’s entertainment.

We invite you to come out, meet with other Pottstown School District families and share your thoughts on any of these dates:

Wednesday November 2, 5:30 to 7:30 at Elizabeth B. Barth Elementary School, 467 W. Walnut St
Thursday November 3, 5:30 to 7:30 at Franklin Elementary School 970 N. Franklin St
Monday November 7, 5:30 to 7:30 at Rupert Elementary School, 1230 South St or
Thursday November 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 at Lincoln Elementary School, 461 N. York St.

While the adults talk and network, children will be entertained with arts and crafts and story time by the Pottstown Regional Public Library and, new this year, Jeff Swider Magic Show. 

Mr. Swider is a Pottstown resident coming out of his magic show retirement just for this one time series of events so; you don’t want to miss the opportunity for your children to see this show.

And besides, your kids REALLY want to go.

Don't take our word for it, just ask them:



For this movement to be successful, Pottstown School District family participation from all social, cultural and ethnic groups is crucial. 

Your participation is valuable. We invite you to come out, 

Let’s Talk, have your voices heard and be part of Our kids…Their Future.

The Our kids…Their Future or Let’s Talk conversations are supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the University of Pennsylvania Penn Project for Civic Engagement. 

The grant has enabled the school district to work with the community-particularly families, as well as the local agencies and community leaders who serve them- to determine how the home school partnership 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 elementary school.

Talking About Children's Success

Photo by Evan Brandt

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Pottstown School District.

The PEAK partnership and Pottstown School District, supported by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Project for Civic Engagement, is continuing its series of discussions with our parent partners about early education in Pottstown.

All residents are invited to the discussions where lessons from the conversations in May will be discussed, along with plans for moving forward and how additional feedback will be sought.

The next input session is Monday, Sept. 15th from 1 to 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church or 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Pottstown Middle School.

Or, there is another on Thursday, Sept.18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Barth Elementary School. 

In relaxed conversational settings, parents will have the opportunity to talk with other parents, enjoy a meal and win raffle prizes. Child care and Spanish interpreters will be available.

Parent engagement is critical for helping all children to succeed

Go to http://www.gse.upenn.edu/pcel/programs/ppce/our_kids_their_future to view the reports from May conversations, along with an interview videotaped at the Barth Elementary School's conversationhttps://www.youtube.com/v/M9PmM-SAqyo%26autoplay=1.

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.