Active Parent Involvement Aids Success Of Hispanic Students

A community meeting was held November 6 in the Shady Dale community at Centro Cristiano Bethel, and there was a large group of parents and students in attendance.

The event was the result of the combined efforts of Kathy Hatchett, Title III ESOL Coordinator and Angie Lee Willis, Title I Parent Engagement Coordinator and members of the Shady Dale community.

Jasper County Charter System has been conducting parent meetings in Shady Dale focused on the needs of Hispanic families for the past three years with strong support from the community and its leaders each time. The pastor and members of Centro Cristiano Bethel have allowed the school system to use its facility and actively encourage attendance at these events.

Along with supporting parent involvement events, the church hosts English classes for adults taught by Ms. Hatchett each week. The church has recently provided a room for a bilingual community library. This library came about from the vision of a parent, Irla Hernandez. She has dedicated countless hours to organize and set up the library. The library provides books and resources for the families in the community. Parents visiting the bilingual library are given tips and strategies to work with their children.

Thanks to the Jasper County Board of Education and other community members, students have access to quality books to encourage them to read, improve their English language and develop a love for reading and learning.

This strong community support for education along with the support of teachers and administrators in the Jasper County Charter System has led to tremendous achievement of Hispanic students in Jasper County Schools.

The graduation rate for Latino students was 100 percent in 2017, 100 percent in 2018 and is slated to be 100 percent in 2019. All of the Hispanic students in the class of 2019 are enrolled in honors, Advanced Placement and/or Dual Enrollment courses.

During the community meeting recent JCHS graduates Yesenia Sanchez, Mario Garcia, and Rod Vargas Miguel spoke about their current college experiences and the support they received along their educational journey. These are first generation college students and they serve as an example of the success local Hispanic students are having in life beyond high school.

Superintendent Dr. Mike Newton said, “Our outreach with the Latino community in Jasper County has resulted in impressive outcomes for students. Special thanks are extended to Ms. Hatchett (ESOL Coordinator/Teacher), our students and our parents for really making a difference.”

Community partners were also present for the event. Dr. Lynn Jordan of the Jasper County chapter of the Ferst Foundation was on hand to explain how children can receive one free book a month from birth to age 5. She signed new families up for the program that evening. Christa McMillan from the Jasper County Health Department was also on hand to discuss their programs and services and to provide free flu shots to the children.