Inspiring Examples: Partner With Families and Children All Year Round

Champions from the Start is a district sponsored, year-long family and two-generation program for parents of transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten (K) children designed to connect with families as soon as their children are enrolled in the school district. This initiative provides opportunities for families to feel welcomed as it gives them an in-depth look at services and resources available. The program alternates between virtual and in-person sessions, using Zoom for adult interests and hosting in person sessions for two generation, hands-on, playful learning.

The launch activity is a virtual Welcome to School webinar which includes greetings from the superintendent and the president of the school board. The webinar includes information about the parent advisory council, the structure of the school day, behavior expectations, the importance of attendance and school safety. Other sessions during the year focus on educating parents on how to work with their children on reading and writing, providing hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) family nights, dances and more.

The program averages 500 family registrations per event. The foundational conversation around the focus of attendance and the consistent parent and child participation of events throughout the school year provides a strong foundation for the student’s overall success. Qualitative data from parent surveys is available.