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Parents Get Involved In Learning Process

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 6, 2008

Updated: 02/04/2008 04:56 pm

BRANDON - Heather Rouse treated her classroom to Hawaiian night. The children listened intently as reading coach Debbie Rosete recited the Hawaiian version of The Three Little Pigs.

Down the hall, kindergarten teacher Linda Norris offered handouts to give parents a leg up on how to help their children succeed as readers.

The subject matter was more intense in fourth-grade teacher Susan Donnelly's classroom, where concerned parents learned what their children are expected to know before taking the dreaded Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT.

"It's a high-stakes test," Donnelly said. "Parents have anxiety, and children have anxiety."

Hundreds of parents and students converged on Colson Elementary School on Jan. 21 for its first Academic Night, learning how to better prepare for testing and stay up to speed on their lessons.

Teachers in each grade level designed educational activities and packets for parents. Students also got the opportunity to show off the school's new computer lab.

"It's all about getting parents more involved in their children's education and giving parents the resources they need to help their children with academics," Principal Karen Lynch said.

Julie Duncan accompanied her children, Lydia, 3, and Carson, 6, a kindergartener at Colson, traveling first to the multipurpose room for a barbecue dinner and several drawings, then to Carson's classes.

"He's my first in school, and I'm learning a little bit more about the state requirements, what he needs to know and when he needs to know it," Duncan said. "And I'm just trying to be here to support the school. I only wish they'd had this closer to the beginning of the school year."

Elaine and Felix Chan sat in a first-grade readers' workshop with their 6-year-old son, Danyael, as he read aloud, with his dad helping him sound out words.

"He's getting there," Danyael's mom said. "He's doing pretty well."

Lynch said she was pleased with the evening's event.

"I really think we got out of it what we had hoped," getting parents to seek more information on how they can boost their children's progress, she said. "We had a very good turnout in the primary grades, and I feel like we accomplished a lot."

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 657-4532 or at yhammett@tampatrib.com.

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