× EXIT Opening the School Gate | Planning for engagement Allocating resources The resources required for greater engagement by migrant and refugee families in your school will depend on the strategies you choose. Many strategies are not particularly costly. For example, interpreting services which fall within DoE guidelines are provided free of charge to NSW public schools. As well as this, many of the documents which provide parents/ carers with important school information are available in up to 35 languages on the NSW Public Schools website. Take the time to see what translated documents are available and download any relevant information in the required language. Newly arrived parents will probably not have the resources to do this for themselves. More intensive, longer-term strategies may need to be separately funded. Estimate the financial cost of the activities or meeting you are planning. Make sure you budget for things such as catering, childcare, transport and staff time. Consider: What financial assistance can the school provide? Can a partner organisation provide other resources such as a worker’s time? Does the school need to source additional funding? Multicultural festivals Some schools hold multicultural festivals, music and dancing events, or art and craft displays to attract parents/carers and community members from culturally diverse backgrounds to the school and acknowledge its cultural diversity. Although these activities may promote cultural pride and harmony, they can become tokenistic, failing to address the core underlying concerns and barriers parents face with regard to their children’s education. If selected as a strategy, multicultural festivals should not be used in isolation to engage families (or students), but as a first step towards developing purposeful relationships and an entry point into deeper discussions or activities about cultural diversity and intercultural understanding. Resources 0 Course menu Introduction 1 Welcome tour 2 Getting started 3 Overview 4 Benefits of engaging families 5 Issues for migrant and refugee families 6 Issues for schools Planning for engagement 1Overview 2Involving key staff 3Identifying the target groups 4Targeting communities 5Working with community partners 6Setting objectives 7Allocating resources Planning meetings & events 1 Overview 2 Deciding on a format 3 Setting the agenda 4 Seeking parent and student input 5 Choosing an appropriate time 6 Finding a suitable location 7 Arranging childcare 8 Arranging catering 9 Arranging transport 10 Inviting families 11 Translating information 12 Arranging interpreters Meeting management 1 Overview 2 Arranging seating 3 Preparing and managing interpreters 4 Greeting parents 5 Keeping the discussions on track 6 Building trust 7 Exploring expectations about school involvement 8 Explaining practical systems and roles 9 Seeking feedback from parents 10 Sustaining parent involvement Ongoing support 1 Overview 2 Creating a welcoming environment 3 Seeking consent 4 Addressing parent concerns about camps 5 Catering for cultural dietary needs 6 Discussing welfare concerns with parents 7 Addressing discipline issues 8 Reporting on student progress 9 Holding parent-teacher meetings 10 Creating opportunities for meaningful involvement Acknowledgements 1 Acknowledgements Resources 0
× EXIT Opening the School Gate | Planning for engagement Allocating resources The resources required for greater engagement by migrant and refugee families in your school will depend on the strategies you choose. Many strategies are not particularly costly. For example, interpreting services which fall within DoE guidelines are provided free of charge to NSW public schools. As well as this, many of the documents which provide parents/ carers with important school information are available in up to 35 languages on the NSW Public Schools website. Take the time to see what translated documents are available and download any relevant information in the required language. Newly arrived parents will probably not have the resources to do this for themselves. More intensive, longer-term strategies may need to be separately funded. Estimate the financial cost of the activities or meeting you are planning. Make sure you budget for things such as catering, childcare, transport and staff time. Consider: What financial assistance can the school provide? Can a partner organisation provide other resources such as a worker’s time? Does the school need to source additional funding? Multicultural festivals Some schools hold multicultural festivals, music and dancing events, or art and craft displays to attract parents/carers and community members from culturally diverse backgrounds to the school and acknowledge its cultural diversity. Although these activities may promote cultural pride and harmony, they can become tokenistic, failing to address the core underlying concerns and barriers parents face with regard to their children’s education. If selected as a strategy, multicultural festivals should not be used in isolation to engage families (or students), but as a first step towards developing purposeful relationships and an entry point into deeper discussions or activities about cultural diversity and intercultural understanding. Resources 0 Course menu Introduction 1 Welcome tour 2 Getting started 3 Overview 4 Benefits of engaging families 5 Issues for migrant and refugee families 6 Issues for schools Planning for engagement 1Overview 2Involving key staff 3Identifying the target groups 4Targeting communities 5Working with community partners 6Setting objectives 7Allocating resources Planning meetings & events 1 Overview 2 Deciding on a format 3 Setting the agenda 4 Seeking parent and student input 5 Choosing an appropriate time 6 Finding a suitable location 7 Arranging childcare 8 Arranging catering 9 Arranging transport 10 Inviting families 11 Translating information 12 Arranging interpreters Meeting management 1 Overview 2 Arranging seating 3 Preparing and managing interpreters 4 Greeting parents 5 Keeping the discussions on track 6 Building trust 7 Exploring expectations about school involvement 8 Explaining practical systems and roles 9 Seeking feedback from parents 10 Sustaining parent involvement Ongoing support 1 Overview 2 Creating a welcoming environment 3 Seeking consent 4 Addressing parent concerns about camps 5 Catering for cultural dietary needs 6 Discussing welfare concerns with parents 7 Addressing discipline issues 8 Reporting on student progress 9 Holding parent-teacher meetings 10 Creating opportunities for meaningful involvement Acknowledgements 1 Acknowledgements Resources 0
