Courtesy Photo: Running in support of Chaparral Elementary.
Working together ensures student success
By Erica Martinez-Maestas
I write this from a place of deep love, care, and commitment for our local students, families, and educators. I’m born and raised in Santa Fe, and my roots are deep and my desire to see our community thrive is strong. I’ve had the absolute pleasure of serving as a public-school educator for the past 25 years. From the start of my career, as a first-grade teacher in Albuquerque, it was clear to me that students with involved families not only performed better academically but were also more well-adjusted kids. I think back to one family that I had the honor of serving 20-plus years ago. Both mom and dad worked, and they had four young children. Their hands and hearts were full, but they always made sure they were engaged. I can fondly remember an outdoor field trip where one of the grandmothers accompanied us and taught our students about traditional uses for plants. Not only was this precious grandma beaming, but so was her granddaughter and the rest of us were in awe. My biggest takeaways from this experience were the need for a village and the need for us to embrace the entire family.
Fast forward to my current position, as an elementary school principal, and the need for strong family and school partnerships is increasingly evident and needed. What does this look like? Is it parents organizing a fundraiser? How about volunteering in their child’s classroom or attending conferences? Homework help? My answer is, yes. It’s all these things. It’s parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and school staff talking before and after school, working together at school family events, and volunteering and fundraising. But it is also ensuring that your child reads every night and helping them with homework. It is also sharing meals as a family with no devices and going for a walk in the evening.
I call my school a gem in the heart of our community because it is just that. On any given day, you will find parents eating lunch with their Firebirds and volunteers reading with kids. You’ll find sixth graders helping kindergarteners and first graders learning from third graders. This certainly did not happen overnight. I’m proud to share that my staff, families, and I have been working at this for seven years. We’ve taken the time to get to know each other, to form trusting relationships with each other and we are absolutely committed to ensuring that the needs of our students are met every single day. I tell our students that we love them and care about them every single day. We meet our students and families where they are at. Sometimes that means providing a food bag or a new coat and other times that means watching a child’s dance recital or basketball game.
Courtesy Photo: Students, staff, families and community members gathered for a fun family game night.
One family that comes to mind is led by a single parent. When I think back to just two years ago, when we met this sweet family, I can recall the distant stares, the mistrusting glances and the at times abrasive comments and conversations. The parent appeared wary and had built a strong wall around his children and family. The extended family had an even thicker wall. Over the past couple of years, we have respectfully chipped away at the wall. We’ve loved them on their good days and embraced them on their not so good days. What began as unreturned hellos and good-mornings became “How are you, Mrs. Maestas” and “They have snack for their class today.” From a family that barely made it to school most days to a family that attends many of our events, the transformation has been an amazing one. It’s been one that has taken time, but most of all it has taken open arms and open hearts. I’ve been at this for a long time, and I know that while some families take a little more time to be engaged than others, all parents want the best for their kids.
Parents are juggling many hats, as are our educators. Together, we have the potential to support our most precious children as they become strong, productive adults. It is said that it takes a village and this is truer today than ever. So, where do we start? Well, as educators we need to ensure that we are not only saying that families are welcome in our schools, but that we are actively and intentionally providing opportunities for families to be engaged. Whether it is a designated time to enjoy lunch together or a music performance, families must be welcome and invited at the school site. We must move beyond simply attending parent teacher conferences and into planning events together and having hard conversations about proficiency levels and daily attendance. From the first day of school until the lights are out in May, families need to have opportunities to be actively and authentically engaged. Families: Read all the notes, ask all the questions, and ensure that you are kept up to date about your child’s school. Take the time to not only check in with your child’s teachers but to also thank them for loving your baby. Prioritize engaging in school family events such as game night. And literacy night and above all, read with your child every night.
The recipe for student success is actually quite simple. Engaged families support happy, healthy, and strong kids. In our home, our own kids are now adults, and we are entering into a season of grandkids. Being a parent of young kids can feel very far away, but it’s not hard for me to remember the nights of juggling homework, dinner, baths, and bedtimes. It takes prioritizing and turning an eye on the pile of laundry. It takes missing a show in your favorite series to sit and read a bedtime story. And it takes putting away all devices to enjoy a conversation over dinner. Our educators are ready to invite kids into our classrooms and we’re ready to teach them to become stronger readers, writers, mathematicians, and scientists. Above all, we are ready to help them become productive and kind citizens, prepared to take on the world. The kids in our classrooms today are tomorrow’s electricians, teachers, nurses, and lawyers. Without hesitation, I am sure that strong family and school partnerships have the potential to not only support our students today, but also for the many years to come.
Courtesy Photo: Planning the family events for the upcoming school year.
Erica Martinez-Maestas is the proud principal of Chaparral Elementary. Born and raised in Santa Fe, Erica has served as a public school educator for 25 years.