Attendees of the “Parents on Board” session last year displaying their certificates. (File photo)
ST. EUSTATIUS-- Foundation for Reinforcing Education, Arts, Literature and Culture (FREALC) will be hosting the first annual “Parents Get on Board” symposium on Monday, April 26.
FREALC representative Christina Timber-Glover, who is organising the event, said it specifically targets parents and guardians. She said it will be a fun, interactive and educational event.
The symposium came about as a result of parents who attended the “Parents on Board” work sessions, a training series designed for parents which began in 2010 and was held two to three times annually. Last year only one session was held in September due to COVID-19. The sessions gave parents the skills to get involved in the life of their child’s school and to guide them to be successful in school, Timber-Glover explained.
The symposium will cover various topics, including building a strong language foundation, teaching effective communication with a child and school, and stimulating positive behaviour amongst teens. During the symposium, an “Active Parenting of Teens” training will be reintroduced to parents. Other interested persons can sign up for the sessions, which will begin in May.
The Parents Support Group, which has been in existence for 10 years, will make a short presentation on the support amongst parents to parents as well as the “Buddy up with me” programme.
Oralie Boyrard, Acting Head of the Division for Educational Innovation in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports in St. Maarten, will be the keynote speaker. She will focus on the importance of parental involvement.
The reaction and excitement from parents wanting to attend is overwhelming, Timber-Glover said. “This proves that parents are eager for that interaction amongst each other and that’s why it is important to sign up for the symposium,” she said.
