February/ March 2019
‌
Parent Engagement in Region 20
P-20 NEWSLETTER
Dear Parents and Families,

It was great to meet so many of you at the P-20 Summit on Parent Engagement earlier this month. There are many more opportunities for you and your family to learn about in this month's newsletter.

Join in a town hall discussion about school finance at the UTSA Downtown Campus, sign up for some excellent training at ESC Region 20, take your children to the Mini Maker Faire at the San Antonio Public Library and Celebrate Women's History month with the rest of the nation. If you have high school students preparing for college, sign up for UTSA Ready or register for UTSA Day and learn more about our many degree programs.

Take time to read the many articles and information compiled for you and thank you for sharing this newsletter with your friends and neighbors.

Happy Spring!

Join Us for A Community Conversation
Education funding discussed at upcoming UTSA,
San Antonio Express-News town hall meeting
(March 13, 2019) – UTSA and the San Antonio Express-News will jointly host a town hall meeting this month to discuss education funding in Texas. The event, School Finance, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 21 in the Buena Vista Street Building Theater (BVB 1.326) at the UTSA Downtown Campus.

Three panelists, including a lawmaker, educator and education advocate, will participate in the moderated panel, discussing various aspects of the broad topic of school funding in Texas, including details on new proposals from the state legislature, the property tax/school funding dynamic and how the state can move toward educational equity. 
Next UTSA Ready Day is Saturday, April 13th for High school Juniors & Seniors

The UTSA READY Program is an early awareness, academic preparation bridging program for high school juniors and seniors (11th and 12th grade students). The FREE Program helps students polish their reading, writing and mathematics skills in preparation for college level course work. The program is free and open to the community. The next session is Saturday, April 13, 2019. Career Exploration will be covered. Registration is required.

UTSA Day is one of the best ways to see what it is like to be part of the UTSA Family! Schedule your visit the way you want, based on your interests and time. Learn more about your next steps on becoming a Roadrunner!
March is Women’s
History Month
Discover a Role Model This Women’s History Month
This March, celebrate women’s accomplishments in leadership and in culture with resources from the Library of Congress.
Learn about significant figures, events, and milestones such as:
  • The Suffragist Movement
  • Women in war
  • Women in film and popular culture
  • African-American women changemakers
And many more inspiring stories and role models

Access exhibits and lessons from primary documents, film, and highlighted art, making learning a lot more fun than just reading from a textbook.
5 Tips to Encourage Reading at Home
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, captured the essence and importance of reading with this simple quote. Whether it is learning the art of how to read or reading to learn important information, engaging children to read is key. The fundamental skill of reading can be difficult for some children. Finding ways to make the reading experience enjoyable can influence a child’s reading success.

Here are 5 tips to encourage reading at home:
Arts & Culture

Wonder Park tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive. 

Exhibiting collaboration and growth mindset, Wonder Park is an adventurous tale that sends positive messaging about girls' participation in making and engineering. 
NISD expanding dual language program

Dual language programming in Northside ISD is expanding to more campuses, and NISD is holding a series of informational meetings in January and February for anyone wanting to learn more about the program.

Dual language started in NISD with two campuses in 2001 and in the 2019-2020 school year, dual language programming will expand to encompass a total of 16 elementary schools and two middle schools.
Military Families
Healing Through Inspired Conversation: A Student/Veteran Engagement Panel is April 6th
The UTSA Center for Military Families, The UTSA Office of Veteran and
Military Affairs and the Douglas MacArthur High School MacTEACH PTSD
Ambassadors Project invite you to join us for a conversation-style forum.

MacArthur High School MacTEACH Ambassadors will engage local military veterans in inspired conversations for the purpose of lifting the veil from the issue of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). As a community, we will discover how we can best come together within this framework by choosing to share, learn, grow, and act.
April is Month of the Military Child (MOMC), recognizing and paying tribute to military families and their children for the daily sacrifices made, their commitment, courage, and unconditional support of our Armed Forces!  
 
Purple Up! For Military Kids Day, April 12, 2019, allows us to show our support for military kids and appreciation for their strength and sacrifices by wearing purple. Purple symbolizes "joint" in the military world, meaning "all services." Texas is proud to be home to Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, National Guard and Reserve families and is the second largest state in the US with military dependents ages 0-18.  The goal of Purple Up! is for military youth to actually see the support in their communities and school. So help us recognize military children’s sacrifices as they serve our nation.  Get your purple on! Let's Paint this State Purple!
ESC-20 FREE PARENT TRAININGS
Upcoming ESC-20 FREE Parent Trainings

Thursday, March 21, 2019, 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.

Early Childhood Parent Toolkit

Join us as we explore the NEW ESC-20 Early Childhood Parent Plus+ Toolkit! Parent Plus + is an engaging set of activities for parents to use in playful learning with their preschool aged children. This training will train PARENTS to become actively involved in learning how to enhance student engagement with playful learning activities in the home setting. The kit includes activities aligned with the PreKindergarten Guideline standards in math, reading, writing, and language development. **Interpreter provided by request. Call 210-370-5430 by 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19th.

** Session ID: 53107

Tuesday, April 23, 2019, 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.

College Knowledge for Parents

Facilitated by the UTSA Institute for P-20 Initiatives, “College Knowledge for Parents” provides parents with essential information regarding promoting a college going culture, college financial aid, scholarships, as well as college admissions information. Learn more about your critical role as a parent in helping your child reach their academic dreams. **Interpreter provided by request. Call 210-370-5430 by 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 18th.

** Session ID: 52440 Webinar ID: 53200

HACU accepting applications from students for the Southwest Airlines ¡Lánzate! Travel Program -Apply by April 30 
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and Southwest Airlines have announced applications are being accepted from college student through April 30, 2019, for the 15th Annual ¡Lánzate! / Take Off! Travel Program. 

HACU and Southwest Airlines will award roundtrip e-pass(es) to undergraduate and graduate students across the country who travel at least 200 miles from home to pursue a higher education and meet the eligibility criteria. An essay is required. Students selected receive e-pass(es) for use to travel between home and college or university. To read detailed guidelines, eligibility requirements and apply online,
S.T.E.A.M News
Happy spring! With the new season comes sunshine, flowers, and fresh beginnings.

You and your child can celebrate spring by learning something new together on Khan Academy or Khan Academy Kids. We’ve suggested a few seasonal favorites below from our website and Khan Academy Kids app . 
Creative Makers and DIYers Convene at Central Library for Fourth Annual Mini Maker Faire

Maker Faire originated in 2006 in the San Francisco Bay Area as a project of the editors of Make: magazine. It has since grown into a significant worldwide network of both flagship and independently-produced events. The Library invites families to make, create, learn, invent, play and be inspired by arts, crafts, engineering, food, music, science & technology! For more information on the faire and how to participate, contact Caroline Mossing at  [email protected]  or call 210-207-2703
‌