Be sure to visit the Family Involvement Web site.

FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

A. ABOUT FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

At the Clerc Center, we believe family involvement is critical to students’ having a successful educational experience. Supporting our students gives them a better chance of succeeding academically and socially. It is through your participation that we can make a difference. We incorporate the family involvement model* developed by Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University as a way to promote parents’ or guardians’ involvement in their children’s education. Epstein’s model suggests six different types of involvement for parents:

• Parenting
• Communicating
• Volunteering
• Learning at home
• Decision making
• Collaborating with the community

*You can find additional information on Epstein’s model on the Family Involvement website: http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/FamilyInvolvement/.

There are many ways in which families can contribute to the school program:

• Stay involved with your child and with the teachers and staff who work with him or her by maintaining contact with your family educator and developing a relationship with those teachers and staff.
• Help the instructional program prepare for educational celebrations.
• Help the Residence Education program prepare for special events.
• Donate items.
• Attend the parent-school organization meetings or stay involved by phone or e-mail; assume leadership responsibilities within the organization.
• Participate in family-school activities.
• Continually work on improving your sign language skills. Even longtime signers can use refresher training every so often!
• Share skills, hobbies, and experiences.
• Ask the teachers and staff who work with your child about ways you can assist.
• Remain informed and active in the educational experience of your child.

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B. FAMILY EDUCATORS

Family educators work with the family of each MSSD student. The family educator is a liaison between the school and the home. Family educators have regular contact with the families, work with students in the educational environment, and coordinate a newsletter that is sent home on a monthly basis. They have other forms of communication with families as well. Your child is assigned to a family educator, and he or she will work with that particular family educator until graduation.

“It takes a village to raise a child” is a motto that the Clerc Center takes to heart. Our schools and families work together closely and form a partnership. Families As Partners and the MSSD Parent Support Organization, described below, are the formal ways in which parents or guardians are active partners in the program. We look forward to having you involved!

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C. FAMILIES AS PARTNERS (FAP)

Families As Partners (FAP) comprises officers from the MSSD Parent Support Organization, parent or guardian representatives from each of the grade levels, family educators, and other staff, teachers, and administrators. The purpose of FAP is to enable the school and families to work together to develop programs, plan events, and provide services to support each other and our students. Meetings are held at MSSD approximately once per month.

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D. MSSD PARENT SUPPORT ORGANIZATION (MPSO)

The purpose of the MSSD Parent Support Organization (MPSO) is to promote the school through organized activities. The MPSO gathers students and parents to provide support for students’ educational and social needs through fund-raising activities. The MPSO welcomes and encourages all parents to participate to strengthen the school community. The MPSO and FAP work together to develop programs, plan events, and provide services to support each other for our children.

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E. FAMILY SIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAM

Fully accessible language and clear communication are critical to a deaf student’s success in life. We encourage all parents, guardians, and other family members to learn sign language and to continually improve their skills. For those families living within commuting distance of MSSD, sign language classes are offered free throughout the year at KDES. MSSD families are more than welcome to participate in these classes. Contact your family educator for more information.

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F. MSSD FAMILY WEEKEND

Each year the Family Involvement team sponsors a Family Weekend comprised of workshops of special importance to families of deaf teenagers, as well as social activities and fun for the whole family. More information can be found online: http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/MSSD/Families/.

If you have ideas for topics that you would like addressed during this weekend, please let us know. This is your time and we want it to be meaningful for you and to meet your needs. Contact your child’s family educator for more information.

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G. SERVING AS A PARENT VOLUNTEER

Studies have shown that parent involvement has a significant impact on student success. Parent volunteers, in particular, make a difference. By the time a child has reached high school, the nature of parent involvement may have changed a bit. The ways you contributed to the school when your son or daughter was young may not be the ways in which you contribute now. Nevertheless, your involvement is still crucial.

Besides helping to build up the Clerc Center, volunteers are leading by example and teaching young people the enjoyment and responsibility that comes with serving one’s community. Children whose parents or guardians have volunteered may one day serve their own community as volunteers. We hope you will consider volunteering your time and talents to MSSD this year. Contact your family educator if you are interested in serving as a parent volunteer.

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H. CHECK OUT "ESPECIALLY FOR MSSD FAMILIES" ON THE WEB!

In an effort to provide families with quick and easy access to information about MSSD through the Internet, we have created a web page especially for families: http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/mssd/Families/.

We hope this becomes your one-stop shop for staying updated about MSSD news and events.

For families who do not have Internet access, we will continue to share information via telephone or mail. Please make sure your student’s family educator knows your preferred ways to be contacted.

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