District 116 to host bilingual parent resource event Saturday
One hundred Round Lake Area Unit School District 116 community parents are expected to trudge through the snow and ice Saturday morning to attend the district's Bilingual Parent Summit.
The popular event is aimed at helping parents better support their children's education at home, which in turn helps students succeed in school.
"We believe student success starts with the family," said Mariel Doty, a language learners coordinator for District 116. "The partnership between the school and family is critical, so the more knowledge that we can empower our parents with the better."
Maria Colunga, a parent liaison in the district, said all the seats were claimed by parents less than two weeks after officials opened registration.
"We've had parents who have been at the school on a Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and, when it's over, they don't want to leave. They want to learn more; they're so sad it's over," Colunga said.
Last year there was a session based on the lessons of the popular book "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. The session was so popular that a group of parents organized a book club to discuss the book further.
The summit was started three years ago after members of the district's Bilingual Parent Advisory Council cited a need for opportunities for district parents to engage with school officials in the interest of helping their children, Doty said.
Dr. Fernery Ramirez, a Chicago-area psychologist who specializes in at-risk youth and families, will be the keynote speaker this year. Doty said his session was very popular last year.
"He takes our topic and theme and is able to tie it to real-life experiences with families he's worked with," Doty said, adding that he doesn't use clients' real names. "Families will come through inches of snow to see him speak."
Other presenters include Doty who, along with Luiz Cortez of United Airlines and the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, will discuss the lessons from "7 Habits of Highly Effective Families" by Stephen Covey. Miguel Mireles, a career programs coordinator at College of Lake County, will give a presentation on the college's trade and vocational programs, and Jesus Ruiz of the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science will talk about how important it is for parents to share their culture with children.
All of the presenters are bilingual and will speak mostly in Spanish at the event; Colunga said all 100 parents who signed up identified that as their preferred language.