 Partners of Northshore Community Schools work in collaboration to achieve the following goals:
- Families are engaged to support their child's full potential.
- Students are on track for graduation and building a plan for college and career.
- Students and families have opportunities to pursue their interests.
- Community and school are interconnected.
Funding is needed for staff & supplies to continue this program that impacts more than 5,000 students and 2,000 families annually.
Northshore Community Schools services:
Hang-Time: A free afterschool program held at Northshore, Kenmore and Skyview Junior High Schools. Hang-Time is a safe, supportive and welcoming environment where students are encouraged to learn and discover new talents, participate in enrichment and fitness activities, complete homework, and increase their connection to school and community. Hang-Time meets each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 2:30pm to 4:30pm in the cafeteria.
Natural Leaders: A program which multi-cultural, caring and social families of the school community serve as a bridge between families, community and schools. Natural Leaders assist and provide outreach to families where English is a second language and cultural differences may inhibit parental communication and participation at school.
Mentoring Support: College and community mentors support the learning environment in classroom and small group settings during and after-school. Teachers and mentors work together to improve students' academic skills, sense of belonging, and confidence.
Student Assistance Team: This collaborative team meets regularly to identify and implement solution focused strategies and resources to address needs of students and families. By utilizing the skills and experiences of individual team members, the quality of interventions is enhanced.
Threads and Treads: A community clothing bank located at Canyon Park Junior High to provide Northshore families with free, quality-donated clothing. Clothing items include: school-appropriate clothing, sports wear, shoes, and accessories for youth to adult. Threads and Treads is open each Thursday during the school year, 4-6pm. No referral needed. |
The Community Schools program supports Northshore students by providing progams that remove barriers to learning. This collaborative program is a partnership of many community partners that band together to provide supportive learning opportunities for all students to achieve their full potential and build a strong community.
Your GIVEBig donation will help us support this vital program in our district. |
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ONLY 9 Days until GIVEBig
Community Schools remove barriers to learning.
GIVEBig to support Natural Leaders.
Can you imagine moving to a new country and putting your children in school with students and staff whose beliefs, social values and sense of normal were all different from your own culture's? In the Northshore School District almost 1000 students are English Language Learners speaking 55 separate languages.
The Northshore Schools Foundation funds the Natural Leader Program which bridges the gap between an English Language Learning family's history and their future. This program connects families to schools, support programs, and helps them understand how to best support their children in the American school system.
The Natural Leaders Program is a major funding priority of the Northshore Schools Foundation, as we aim to help these children excel in our communities. Next year the Natural Leaders Program will begin its 4th year in the Northshore School District.
Won't you help our students and families to succeed?
The Natural Leader Parent Mentors help newcomer and minority families feel at home with our district families. These bi-cultural parents help parents adjust to a new system, language and culture as their children enter our school system, allowing them to be better prepared to support their student in being academically and socially successful in the learning environment.
"Different cultures have different attitudes, traditions and upbringing. What might be perceived in one culture to be adequate personal space might, in another culture, be violating another person's personal space. If there are differences in education styles or attitudes towards education across cultures, this can be a barrier between the teacher and the student. Clear communication with the student and parents is recommended to avoid and overcome this barrier." Reference and more info here.
In Northshore our team of 26 Natural Leaders is currently supporting 7 schools across the district by providing services such as:
- Hosting Spanish open house nights.
- Translating announcements for PTSA and school-wide events.
- Helping with school enrollment, kindergarten presentation and more.
- Bridging the gap between parents and services such as clothing and food banks and access to nutrion and health classes.
- Facilitating home visits to ELL families before and after school.
- Extending personal invitations to parents to participate in their child's classroom.
The Community Schools program provides vital coordination for these efforts, supporting our parent mentors and connecting them with training programs offered at local schools. |
One Natural Leader's Story
 Ana Lilia Garcia came to this country with a good sense of values, a ninth-grade education and a desire to contribute. In 2004 she was invited to participate in Natural Leaders at her son's school.
"In the beginning, I did not know what it was, but when the coordinator explained to us that our job was helping families, I was interested. I realized that was important for our community to help families and volunteer," said Garcia. "I have been a Natural leader for almost six years and I am proud to be a part of this group. We have achieved alot. I remember how difficult it was to attract Latino families to the school... Now everything is different ... the families feel more comfortable. They know who we are and they know they can call us and ask for help when they need it."
Adapted from My Educational Journey: From Natural Leader to Parent mentor © Edmonds Community College.
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Sincerely,