Parents participate in an icebreaker at the grand opening of Juanita Gardine's Parent Room on April 6, 2016.
Smiles, laughter, and excited chatter filled Room 201 as parents attending the grand opening of Juanita Gardine Elementary School's Parent Room on April 6 participated in an icebreaker. The longawaited opening of the room, which was beatifully decorated with parenting tools and appealing bulletin boards, was the result of a special partnership between the school and The Strength Project, which is sponsored by The Village, a substance abuse rehabilitation center based on St. Croix.
As the the parents waited in eager anticipation for directions from Mrs. Elaine Gomes, parent facilitator at The Strength Project, the dreams of many PBIS meetings and the desire for greater parent engagement at the school came to fruition. “Untangle yourselves, but whatever you do, don’t let go,” Mrs. Gomes directed participants. As the parents crisscrossed their arms and maneuvered out of their intertwined positions, they held on tightly until the entire circle was made whole. The powerful message was then revealed--no matter what difficulties families may face, it's important to work through them, but never, ever let go of each other.
Juanita Gardine Elementary's partnership with The Strength Project was forged during the PBIS 60th Anniversary celebration of the Juanita Gardine Elementary School last fall, when Strenght Project workers, Ms. Kendall Tutein, project coordinator and Ms. Merle Wynter, program assistant were invited as special guests to make a presentation to parents who were honored with a mini parent fair. During their presentation, ideas were discussed as to the offerings of the program, and the PBIS Team and school administration began to formulate plans for a stronger relational bond. The Strength Project will introduce an evening family program in addition to its already-established "Parents with a Voice" Wednesday morning gathering where parents can share experiences, learn tips to overcome challenges, and gain insight into helping them and their children thrive.
At the grand opening of the Parent Room, greetings were shared by Juanita Gardine Principal Barbara McGregor; Miss Anna Marie Gordon, assistant principal and PBIS team chairman; Mr. Marvin Forbes, PTSA president and Mrs. Lorraine Benjamin-Matthew, district director of school community relations, who shared her commitment to supporting the school and parents in building better bridges between the school and community for the betterment of the children. In addition to giving greetings, Mrs. Benjamin-Matthew distributed brochures titled, “Keys to Effective Home and School Communication,” which offered tips for parents to become more actively involved with their children and their schools. Topics ranged from sharing parent responsibilities/skills to that of providing encouraging words that can be used to praise children.
