#119 - Quarterly Convening 1: How to Support Newcomer Families

GIVEAWAY - send us a message and let us know your favorite thing about the Square Pizza Pod. We are giving away SchermCo swag to the first three people that send us a note!Square Pizza Audience, we have a special episode featuring our family empowerment cohort. Our school leaders and key players in family engagement/empowerment gather quarterly to share insights and best practices about family empowerment at the school level. This round, our focus was on supporting newcomer and multilingual families. You will hear from Ms. Quenesha Pinkey, social worker at Reid Park Academy, on how the school uses one specific annual event to focus on their multilingual learners. You will also hear from Mrs. Michele Mveng-Managa, dean of students at Governors' Village STEM Academy, about how the school launched monthly family empowerment and networking nights to support multilingual families. In this episode: Challenges faced by newcomer familiesLanguage barriers, unfamiliarity with educational expectations, and cultural differences.Strategies for supportBuilding trust, fostering a welcoming environment, and ensuring clear, culturally relevant communication.Community resources and networksTools and resources available to help schools engage and support newcomer families sustainably.Resources: Quarterly Convening Slide DeckCheck out our NEW Family Empowerment ToolkitSupport the show