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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2017)
Page 8 The Skanner August 16, 2017 BACK TO SCHOOL PPS Off ers Transitional Program into Kindergarten School News Briefs Outcomes show higher literacy and attendance rates Champions Barbering Institute Holds Back-to-School Cut-a-Thon By Melanie Sevcenko Of The Skanner News Champions Barbering Institute, Inc., will hold a back-to-school cut-a-thon, off ering free hair- cuts and styles for all students, as well as school supply giveaways, food and fun, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 29 at Champions Barbering Institute at 424 NE Killingsworth. To make an appoint- ment, call (503) 477-5616 or visit www.cbi.life. P Celebrate Reading at the North Portland Library’s Children’s Book Fair PHOTO COURTESY OF PPS ortland Public Schools is making strides in attendance rates and reading skills with a program it started as a pilot back in 2010. Called Early Kindergarten Tran- sition (EKT), the three-week sum- mer program equips little ones with the skills they need to settle into kindergarten; from self-regu- lation and social-emotional behav- ior to building routines and get- ting familiar with their new school environment. In addition, children learn how to work with other students, play safely outdoors and switch be- tween activities. “It’s not rocket science, it’s just a very supportive way of welcom- ing families to understand what school is all about, before school starts,” said Nancy Hauth, pro- gram manager at PPS’s Offi ce of Early Learners. Since EKT launched, the data has proved the benefi ts of being prepared, as kindergarten can be more rigorous than parents or kids assume. “What we saw was the atten- dance and pre-literacy skills bumped up over their peers,” said Hauth. “Attendance in kindergar- ten is really crucial for third-grade reading benchmarks and gradua- tion rates.” Today, EKT has expanded to 13 schools, primarily in southeast Portland. Eventually, said Hauth, PPS would like to bring the pro- gram to all Title 1 schools in the district, meaning those with high percentages of children from low-income families. So far, the program has zeroed in on schools with steep pover- ty rates, attendance issues, and a high number of kids who have spe- cial needs, or whose second lan- guage is English. The program works to fi ll the gap for kids who have not had a struc- tured preschool experience, or who don’t qualify for PPS’s Head Start program, which prioritizes children of families that meet fed- eral poverty guidelines. With a lack of preschools in the outer southeast region, Hauth told The Skanner that kids were oft en coming to kindergarten unpre- pared and struggling, which only added stress on their parents. That’s why EKT also off ers a parent component to the curric- ulum. Twice per week during the Amparo Garcia, kindergarten teacher at Rigler Elementary School, plays the ukulele during Early Kindergarten Transition program, summer 2017. program, mothers and fathers can meet with teachers to better un- derstand child development and how to support their kids during the school year. It’s also a chance “ Any incoming kindergarten child could bene- fi t from this kind of program to connect with other parents to help build community around the students. Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elemen- tary School — which struggled with attendance rates due to fam- ilies living far out – is an exam- ple of how EKT works with cul- turally-specifi c agencies through Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN). Each agency then tailors the EKT curriculum to meet the needs and demographics of its stu- dents and its families. At Boise-Eliot/Humboldt, Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI) facilitates both aft erschool programming as well as its EKT program; at Rigler and Scott elementary schools, it’s the Latino Network. “Any incoming kindergarten child could benefi t from this kind of program,” said Mary Merri- weather, managing director of SEI at Boise-Eliot/Humboldt. “Ev- ery kindergartener, regardless of their social or economic status, has the same experience of tak- ing the big step to being educated away from home and away from their parents.” Kaveh Pakseresht, assistant prin- cipal at Boise-Eliot/Humboldt, has already witnessed EKT’s success since he started his position last summer. “When the kids come in the fi rst day of school, there are familiar faces for them to interact with, and they already know our building and our routines.” For children to participate in EKT, they must be fi ve-years-old by Sept. 1 and plan to attend one of 13 EKT schools in the fall. PPS’s Offi ce of Early Learners recommends that parents register their children for school by June 1, to ensure inclusion in outreach about programs like EKT. Foster cont’d from pg 7 plete his associate’s degree due to a combination of fi nancial and emotional challenges. Specifi cally, he said, his fi - nancial aid was suspended a couple of times during his community college years due to poor grades. “I’m responsible for fail- ing those classes, but a lot of youth go through col- lege and don’t have to work about not paying for food because you failed those classes,” Markley said. He also suspects he strug- gled academically in part because growing up in abu- sive environments lowered his expectations for him- self. He’s also the oldest in his family and his concern about his younger siblings took higher priority for setting goals for himself, he said. “A lot of people assume that once you get to college The 19th annual North Portland Children’s Book Fair: Do the Right Thing and Read! will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 26 at 512 N. Killingsworth St. Join us on the back lawn of the library as we celebrate literacy with free activ- ities, music and dance performances you don’t want to miss. Every child or teen in attendance will get a free book to take home. Performances: 1 p.m. - Hip Hop Soulsation 3 p.m. - Chata Addy & Shi Dah Discover the Rhythms of Ghana Balloon twisting with Batman and Wonder Woman Face painting by Mystique Arts and craft s tables Button and book making This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Multnomah County Li- brary at (503) 988-5123. as a foster youth, the battle is won and that’s just not the case,” Markley said. Feinics said some stu- dents also may need advice about navigating a bureau- cratic system, or help with life skills, as well as emo- tional issues that may arise from past trauma. McDonald said it took a long time to connect with others and to set down roots. A ‘fear of becoming vul- nerable’ “Coming out of the foster care system, there’s a fear of becoming vulnerable,” McDonald told The Skan- ner. Fostering Success pro- vides a point of contact for assistance, but also allows students who’ve experi- enced foster care to meet others with similar experi- ences. Many foster care ad- vocates are young, Feinics said, and students oft en tell her she’s the fi rst former foster youth they’ve met over the age of 35. McDonald said Foster- ing Success has allowed him to connect with other students to help them get a sense of what’s possible. McDonald, who is Black, also said he works directly with former foster youth of color to help them navigate college life. “For students of color, we already have a diff erent navigation path and for students coming out of fos- ter care, that’s complicat- ed,” McDonald said. Markley has been a vocal advocate for foster youth at the state and national level, testifying for a Foster Youth Bill of Rights in May 2013 and a Foster Sibling Bill of Rights in May. He connected with those op- portunities through Foster Club, a national nonprofi t based in Seaside that holds conferences for current and former foster youth and connects them with op- portunities for advocacy. Read more at TheSkanner.com A career you can be proud of. Being a carpenter isn’t just a job. It’s a way of life. We’re devoted to strengthening the lives of our members with steady work, wealth and personal growth. We take a stand for our members and all workers. 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