Description & Goals:

Join us for a book launch party to learn about a new resource from CRS Publishing, Strengthening the Parent-Teacher Partnership. Author Jane Cofie will be joined by three educators from across the country for a discussion about the rewards, successes, and challenges of establishing strong partnerships with students’ families and caregivers. The panel will share strategies for bridging the gaps of communication, language differences, and unique technologies to help you meaningfully connect with students’ families at the beginning of the school year.

 

Participants will:

  • Explore successful practices for connecting with parents at the start of the school year
  • Examine the concept of knowing parents and learn strategies for building the foundation of those relationships 
  • Learn about the impact of cultural pluralism and the unique opportunities it presents
  • Hear some key takeaways from experienced educators on how the adjustments made during the pandemic will be carried into the school year to strengthen partnerships

 

Speaker:

Jane Cofie

Jane was an elementary general education teacher in Fairfax County, Virginia, for 20 years and is currently a curriculum and instructional designer for Center for Responsive Schools. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and later went on to pursue a master’s in teaching at the University of Richmond. She has taught pre-K through fifth grade in private and public school settings.  Jane is the author of a new book called Strengthening the Parent-Teacher Partnership.

 

 

Panelists:

Melanie Barbas

Melanie is the lead teacher for Classroom Culture in the Colonial School District in northern Delaware, and a consulting teacher for Center for Responsive Schools. Melanie taught for 19 years in Maryland and Delaware before becoming an instructional coach focused on helping teachers develop positive classroom communities. Melanie lives in New Castle, Delaware, with her husband, Michael, and their two children.

 

Patricia Cano

Patricia is a 2/3 teacher at the Missoula International School, a Spanish Immersion and an International Baccalaureate organization, and a Responsive Classroom consulting teacher. Patricia has over 20 years of bilingual education experience. She is originally from Colombia, where she taught English as a Second Language for seven years. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga, dancing, and exploring the outdoors with her husband and two children.

 

Ivette Robles

Ivette is a Responsive Classroom curriculum resource teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools and a consulting teacher for Center for Responsive Schools. Ivette has been in the field of elementary education for 25 years. As an elementary school teacher for 23 years, she had the privilege of working with diverse student populations. In her current position, Ivette enjoys visiting schools and classrooms as she coaches educators in the use of Responsive Classroom practices. When she is not supporting schools, Ivette enjoys dancing, hiking, reading, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

 

Moderator:

Kristen Vincent

Kristen is the Assistant Director of Marketing for Center for Responsive Schools and has over 20 years of experience working in education. Kristen is co-author of Closing Circles: 50 Activities for Ending the Day in a Positive Way and The Joyful Classroom: Practical Ways to Engage and Challenge Students Students K–6, and Make Learning Meaningful: How to Leverage the Brain’s Natural Learning Cycle in K–8 Classrooms.

 

 

Register Here: