Title I Parents Matter

The Title I grant offers numerous opportunities for parents and families.

How Parents Matter - Featured Story

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has named June as Fatherhood Awareness Month. As part of the proclamation ceremony on June 7, 2016, Supervisor Kathy Hudgins (Hunter Mill District) communicated why fathers are important and how identifying Fatherhood Awareness Month is critical to increasing community awareness of the role of fathers in children’s development. Moses Cobb, parent from Bren Mar Park Elementary was invited to officially accept the proclamation on behalf of all fathers in Fairfax County and to share his comments with the Board of Supervisors.

Welcoming New School Communities

FCPS welcomed two new Title I schools in 2016-17: Bailey’s Upper Elementary and Springfield Estates Elementary. Additionally, two more schools will be joining Title I in 2017-18: Forest Edge Elementary and Lake Anne Elementary.

The Title I central staff look forward to working with the principals, staff, and families at these new Title I schools as they leverage the Title I grant to help in making a strong and lasting impact for the children and families in their communities.

School in the Spotlight

In collaboration with FCPS Family Resource Center (FRC), Riverside Elementary celebrated the grand opening of their own PRC. The Riverside Elementary PRC will support families in navigating FCPS and provide access to division and community resources and workshops. For more information, please contact the Riverside Elementary Parent Liaisons, Meg Turkson (English, Twi) at 703-799-6037 or Claret Becerra (English, Spanish) at 703-799-5562.

If you would like your school’s event to be profiled in an upcoming Parents Matter School Spotlight, please contact the Title I central team at 571-423-4700 or via email at [email protected].  

Recommended Resource

Parents can use their influence to help children navigate childhood and adolescence in the digital age. During infancy through elementary years, children look to their parents for support and encouragement, which makes this the best time to have conversations about the internet, how to use it appropriately, and how children should react when they encounter explicit content. Resources for developing digital citizenship and internet safety are available for parents to access and use with their children.  

Family Fun

The Title I grant sponsors family field trips each year for selected schools to build shared learning experiences among parents and their children. Individual schools may also choose to arrange their own family field trips.

In these past two school years, Coates, Clearview, Crestwood, and Lynbrook elementary schools took part in field trips to the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington D.C. These trips focused on “Exploring Stories of Art”. Families took a tour of child-friendly exhibits then completed a hands-on art activity together. The trip highlighted art as a form of creative communication and served to further develop students’ creative talents.

Also during these past two school years, Brookfield, Bucknell, Parklawn, Westlawn, and Woodburn elementary schools took part in field trips to the Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. Participating families had the opportunity to explore the museum at their own pace to learn about the Earth and its inhabitants.

Advisory Committee Updates

This year, the Title I Parent Advisory Committee (TPAC) has focused its attention on understanding the vast resources available to schools, parents, and families, and forming recommendations on how to better leverage these resources to meet schools’ and families’ needs. The committee will be presenting their annual report to the School Board at a work session on May 31, 2017. Below is an overview of each of this year’s committee meetings.

  • The March 2017 meeting offered a look at FCPS services available to support schools who are seeking additional grants to fund local initiatives. A FCPS parent also shared her experience starting a food donation program at her local elementary school.
  • The February 2017 meeting featured FCPS resources to support connections between business and community organizations and schools that need their help. A FCPS student-run volunteer organization also shared the process they used to establish and grow their service model.
  • The January 2017 meeting highlighted technology tools for communication between schools and parents and for learning at home. FCPS staff also gave an update on efforts to expand low-cost and reliable internet service and technology access for families.
  • The November 2016 meeting highlighted ways in which FCPS staff can connect families to division and community resources that will meet their specific needs.
  • The October 2016 meeting launched the year with a look at collaborative partnerships between the TPAC, schools, Title I central staff, and the FCPS School Board.