Actively Involving Parents—The Key to Success
Ralph Fry, Co-Author, Parent Project, CA

In this interactive in-depth session, we will learn tools to actively engage parents of strong-willed or out-of-control children as part of the solution. We’ll look at the problems parents face, discuss strategies to motivate and retain parents’ involvement, and look at several skills we can quickly teach moms and dads to help them to support their children’s school attendance and performance.

Strand: Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–12

Children Change the World: Student Empowerment & Leadership
Diana Martinez, Outreach Consultant; Theo Scott-Femenella, Student Council President, 6th Grade; Selene Scott-Femenella, Student Activist, 4th Grade; Northwood Elementary, North Sacramento SD, CA

This shining star school team will impart strategies for empowering young students to make a difference in the world through a facilitation model of leadership. A brother/sister team present Northwood Student Council’s successful grant writing, global service learning, and community involvement. Paragon School, serving SED students, will share how they create positive change and healing through this strength-based approach.

Strand: Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–6

The Missing Piece: The Parent Component— New Session
Janie Hamilton-Marchini and Marla Lowe, Teachers, Pearson Elementary School

Awarded the Promising Practices Citation from CEP and the "Golden Ruler" Award from ICCE, this interactive presentation includes weekly parent-child activities for families to develop meaningful dialogues supporting character education, social skills and curriculum. Parent-student sample assignments focus on developing character traits such as responsibility, respect, compassion and service learning. These topics, translated into Spanish, validate how parent participation builds a strong relationship between home and school, as well as embracing the community as a learning tool. K-6.

Strand: Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–6

Reaching and Teaching Homeless Students
Kate Bishop, CWA Coordinator/CSS Field Colleague, North Sacramento District Office, CA

Learn how to comply with NCLB regulations and provide quality services to homeless students and their families. This session will focus on identification of homeless students, staff training, community collaboration, and providing appropriate services to children. Children living in homeless situations do not have to repeat the cycle. By focusing on resiliency-based strategies, these students can and do succeed!

Strand: Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–6

The Missing Piece: The Parent Component— New Session
Janie Hamilton-Marchini and Marla Lowe, Teachers, Pearson Elementary School

Awarded the Promising Practices Citation from CEP and the "Golden Ruler" Award from ICCE, this interactive presentation includes weekly parent-child activities for families to develop meaningful dialogues supporting character education, social skills and curriculum. Parent-student sample assignments focus on developing character traits such as responsibility, respect, compassion and service learning. These topics, translated into Spanish, validate how parent participation builds a strong relationship between home and school, as well as embracing the community as a learning tool. K-6.

Strand: Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–6

The DREAM Project: Developing Resiliency through Education, the Arts, and Mentoring
Kate Bishop, CWA Coordinator/CSS Field Colleague, North Sacramento District Office, CA

Are you ever frustrated by the lack of sports, art, music, and other enrichment programs in impoverished schools? Kate Bishop and a dedicated committee of school employees and business partners have raised over $100,000 in three years to benefit students. Learn how to raise funds to provide the programs your students need to become bonded to and excited about school.

Strand: NEW!, Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–12

Governmental Relations Update & Crafting Your Message to get the Legislative Support You Need
Xavier Del Buono, Educational Consultant, Del Buono & Associates, OK

Join Xavier Del Buono, for an update on how the legislative efforts on behalf of the CSS program are proceeding. Xavier will share what messages are key to communicate to your legislators at this time and what legislative initiatives are on the horizon that could help or hinder your program. Learn how to best contact, communicate and connect with your legislators so you win their support. School Leaders and Program Advocates won't want to miss this session which will include time for questions and answers from our program's founder and writer of the original SB65 Legislation.

Strand: NEW!, Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–12

Actively Involving Parents
Ralph Fry, Co-Author, Parent Project, CA

In this session, we will learn tools to actively engage parents of strong-willed or out-of-control children as part of the solution. We’ll look at the problems parents face, discuss strategies to motivate and retain parents’ involvement, and look at several skills we can quickly teach moms and dads to help them to support their children’s school attendance and performance.

Strand: Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–12

The CalServe Initiative: A Pathway to Student Success
Terry Shorey, Ph.D., Education Program Consultant, CDE: Learning Support & Partner Division; Bette Weinberg, Volunteer Service Director, Volunteer Center Orange County, CA

Participants will learn how to design service-learning initiatives that will improve student achievement and increase attendance and graduation rates. This session will identify resources to create and stimulate high-quality service-learning programs in school districts. Tool kits show how to recruit partnerships, parents, and community members to benefit the school and the community. Resources include tips on funding.

Strand: NEW!, Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–12

(PAT) Parents As Teachers
Rebecca Lindquist, Principal; Victor Lemus, Outreach Consultant, Sun Empire Elementary School, Kerman USD, CA

Parents as Teachers is a program designed to bring parents and teachers together to help students succeed in early literacy. Teachers model best practices for developing reading skills to parents. Parents use skills with students as they build confidence in reading under teacher supervision.

Strand: Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–6

Mindfully Resolving Conflicts: Facilitation for Diversity Issues
Rainbow Markell, Diversity Trainer, Stir Fry Seminars & Consulting, CA

Explore what it takes to develop authentic and meaningful relationships, even in conflict, using role-play, training vignettes, and discussion, and addressing issues such as racism and cultural differences. Learn skills to train others in group process, conflict facilitation, and a variety of cross-cultural communication techniques. This workshop benefits teachers, teacher educators, administrators, counselors, and student leaders.

Strand: Marketing Session, Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–12

Meet the Youth Café
Al Rodriguez, Manager, Orange County Youth Café, CA

This session will demonstrate an extremely successful career and academic support program for high school students that pulls together the best of community and school resources to create outstanding results for the youth involved. The leaner and meaner Orange County Youth Café is the Atkins version of a One Step Center— more protein and fewer carbs. See how the Youth Café uses its protein-based Success Ladder Model to keep both older and younger youth interested, involved, and engaged. If you want to learn about dropout prevention strategies, put down the donut and attend!

Strand: NEW!, Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: 9–12

Probation and School Success
Donna Cummings and Rick Wise, Probation Officers, Yuba County Probation; Doug Escheman, Principal, Covillaud Elementary, Marysville Joint USD, CA

The Probation and School Success Program (PASS) has five site-based officers who deal with over 60% of the total district student population. This preventive program focuses on violence reduction, truancy issues, child abuse reduction, reduction in referrals to the criminal justice system, and a coordination of resources at the school level.

Strand: NEW!, Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–12

Insiders vs. Outsiders: Building Successful School/Community Partnerships
Sheril Smith, Director, Office of Dropout Prevention, MS

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has found that a quality dropout prevention plan cannot be completed without developing a strong and vibrant partnership with grassroots community organizations and faith-based groups. This session will look at how the MDE was able to successfully develop this partnership and provide best practices for other states seeking to do the same.

Strand: NEW!, Family and Community Collaboration
Grade Level: K–12