School Smarts Share
December 2014
Welcome to the new School Smarts year! Parent academies are underway in many school districts around the state. As part of our ever-growing School Smarts community, you will receive periodic emails to inform, connect and inspire you as champions of the School Smarts program.

As always, we invite you to share tips and stories with us as well, so we can share those with the larger School Smarts network. 
Empowered parents ready to become new leaders 
 
Congratulations to all of our parents from our fall School Smarts programs who have graduated so far. Several schools in Alameda USD (Peralta District PTA) recently held graduation celebrations including: Donald Lum, Paden, Otis and Ruby Bridges elementary schools. Graduations were also held at Doris Dickson and Butterfield Ranch elementary schools in Chino Valley USD (Fifth District PTA), Lemon Crest in Lakeside USD (Ninth District PTA), Monroe in Riverside USD (Twenty-Third District PTA) and Spruce Elementary in South San Francisco USD (Seventeenth District PTA). 

In addition to parents' commitment, the success of School Smarts could not happen without full support from schooIs, facilitators, PTAs, and others. We encourage you to send us graduation photographs to programsupport@capta.org. 

Monroe Elementary School held the first graduation for the 2013-14 school year. See what recent parent graduate, Boris Sanchez, had to say about what she learned.



Watch the video.
 
Ruby Bridges sets new record!  
 
A packed house celebrated more than 100 School Smarts
graduates at Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Alameda USD.
Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Alameda USD, recently held its graduation and set a record with 100 parents completing School Smarts. Ruby Bridges used an innovative pilot format with multiple facilitators to provide School Smarts to such a large number of enthusiastic parents. Congratulations Ruby Bridges!
 
SMMUSD Facilitators Training
Hands-on learning at a recent facilitator
training in Santa Monica-Malibu USD.
School Smarts on the move!

Santa Monica – Malibu USD (SMMUSD) (Thirty-Third District PTA) will launch the School Smarts program at all 10 elementary schools this year.

"By participating in the academy sessions, parents are not only able to invest in their students' education through active involvement, but also able to connect with the school community, with each other and with district administrators in an innovative way," said SMMUSD Superintendent Sandra Lyon.

Last month, nearly a dozen facilitators received training in preparation for the academies. We’re looking forward to hearing more about the program’s success within the Santa Monica-Malibu community coming in 2015! The Santa Monica-Malibu Council PTA is also continuing its outstanding commitment to supporting School Smarts.

Kudos to other school districts that are currently implementing School Smarts - with more to come soon:
Alameda, Lakeside Union, Chino Valley, Culver City, Jurupa, Pomona, Riverside, Santa Monica-Malibu, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, South San Francisco, Twin Rivers, Visalia, Mendocino, Pleasanton and West Contra Costa.

Please contact us at schoolsmarts@capta.org if you would like assistance in bringing the School Smarts program to your school district.
Curriculum Translations
School Smarts is even more accessible.
Newly revised curriculum
Now available in six languages!

Inclusion is a core principle of the School Smarts program. We're pleased to announce the curriculum is now available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese. The curriculum has also been updated for the 2014-15 school year to reflect important updates such as the new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), Common Core State Standards (CCSS), standardized testing, and other topic areas important to parents.

 
More great resources for all parents
Speaking of LCFF, LCAP and Common Core, California State PTA has many additional great resources available for your schools and parents. Download our LCAP Quick Guides to learn more about the eight state priority areas in the Local Control and Accountability Plans that help all children succeed. 

Our  Parents' Guide to Student Success also offers parents key information about what their child will be learning at each grade level in Mathematics and English Language Arts with the new standards, and are co-sponsored by the California Department of Education.

Download and share great resources -   
 

 
First District PTA hosts a school district luncheon and promotes the School Smarts program.
School Smarts highlighted at recent events

Pomona Unified School District Superintendent Richard Martinez and School Smarts Director Lisa Borrego presented about the School Smarts program at a luncheon hosted by First District PTA. Superintendent Martinez told attendees how the program has enriched the lives of students and families within his district. He also shared how School Smarts strengthened internal staff capacity by utilizing district staff for family engagement efforts. 

Recently, California State PTA Executive Director Paul Richman and Claudia Medina, Alameda USD Coordinator for Family Involvement & Community Engagement Programs, presented a workshop featuring School Smarts at the Grantmakers for Education national conference in Florida. Attendees heard how the program positively impacts parents and fosters school community. We are especially grateful to the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for sponsoring this presentation and for their ongoing support of School Smarts and PTA's arts education work. 

We'd love to share success stories about School Smarts at your school! Please send photos and information to programsupport@capta.org.
  This message is being sent to School Smarts facilitators, school district staff, as well as PTA unit, council and district presidents. Please feel free to forward this message to your members and other interested parties.

Stay connected with PTA!
Tweet. Post. Like. Share. Comment. Tag.