The East Noble Connector
From the desk of your Community Outreach Coordinator
Hello!
Hello East Noble Family,
I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Cassaundra Kesterke and I am the Community Outreach Coordinator at East Noble School Corporation. I don’t just work for East Noble, I am also the parent of a student at East Noble. As a parent, I want what’s best for my child and that includes her having a great educational journey. I believe that parents, teachers, and administrators all want the same thing. We all want our students to learn, grow, and to be successful, and we all must work together to see that this happens! But as a parent, I know that it’s not always that simple for us. Sometimes, we have questions that need answered, concerns that need addressed, or we want to know what’s going on in the schools where our children spend their days, but we just don’t know where to turn for answers. That is why I am here. My goal and focus is to make sure that there is information available to each and every family in our community.
It Takes a Village
It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. I feel that this thought is true in the school setting. For students to grow, they must have teachers that care for them and are willing to do whatever it takes to reach each student and inspire in them a love of learning. After working in the classroom for a year and a half, I know that a teacher cannot do it alone. Teachers need the support of administrators, the community, and the families of their students. When parents are actively involved, their students succeed.
My main purpose as the Outreach Coordinator is to support and facilitate family/school partnerships and to encourage families to be actively involved. I am passionate about the role that families play in their child’s education and take this responsibility very seriously. I am here to do whatever it takes to create a bridge and build relationships with the families of our students. There are several ways to reach our parents. One way is through our parent/teacher organizations (PTO & PAC’s). Through talking to the principals and leaders in our schools, I have learned that we have great parent/teacher organizations that are doing many wonderful things for the students and schools. During this 2018-2019 school year, I will be working in collaboration with the district’s PTO’s and PAC’s so that they can continue to strengthen their groups and grow participation.
Over the past several months, I have been actively building relationships and learning about what resources are available for the families of ENSC in both our schools and also in the community. I am here to be a resource to every family in the district. If you have a question and are unsure of the direction to go, please feel free to contact me. I will gladly assist. I can be reached by phone at (260) 347-2502 or email at ckesterke@eastnoble.net.
The Importance of Parent Groups
Why I am Passionate about PTO, PTA, PAC, and all other Parent groups
When I think about PTO- I feel that people just don’t know what it is. There is a stigma. Do you agree? When you read the letters, PTO, what comes to your mind? I feel that most people think of fundraising and volunteering. Or worse yet, meetings where everyone is a part of a clique… It is my goal to share with you my personal vision about PTO and also share insights that I’ve learned from talking to members of the PTO at other schools. Before I get to far into the details of PTO, I’ll share my why.
When my daughter first entered kindergarten, I worried. This was so new. Sending her to preschool was one thing, but kindergarten? That was a whole new ball game. I hoped that my daughter would have a teacher that would be nurturing and push her to be her best. I worried about what she would be exposed to at school. Who are the children that she will call her friends? What are their parent’s like and their home lives? I knew the time would come where she would be invited over for playdates and parties. I wanted to know that I could trust the environments in which I was sending her. But how? How do you get to know these families?
I wanted to find a way to get to know other parents. It is for that reason that I began to look into PTO. At the school where my daughter attended kindergarten, PTO meetings were held on a Friday morning at 9:30 a.m.. Unfortunately, this time did not work with my schedule, so I wasn’t able to attend. But I still wanted to be in the know and getting to know parents.
In my opinion, one of the benefits of PTO is the ability to know what’s going on, both in the school and with other families. Each school’s parent group- they go by different names; PTO, PTA, PAC- has different bylaws, but the nature and intent of the group is the same. The goal is for the parent group to enhance the educational experience of children, as well as to support the teachers, and ultimately the school. Okay, okay.. That still hasn’t convinced you to join? That’s ok. That is where I come in. My desire is to help redefine the definition we hold about parent groups with the hope of forging a new path. I envision schools where parents, families, and teachers work together for the common benefit of the educational experience of the students.
Check back to learn more about what PTO is and what is going on in the parent groups in our East Noble schools.
News Notes to Parents from Purdue Extension
- Nightmares and night terrors- what you should know and how to help your child if they experience nightmares or night terrors.
- 10 tips to help you be a healthy role model for children
2019 Noble County Health Fair
2019 NOBLE COUNTY HEALTH FAIR
SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 7:00-11:00 AM
CAFETORIUM, CENTRAL NOBLE HIGH SCHOOL
This year, the Health Fair will feature several choices in wellness packages.
Please read the Health Fair Invite document for details of the different packages.
Strengthening Families
Purdue Extension will be offering this program in Noble County.
The Strengthening Families Program:
The program is for families with children between the ages 10-14.
This is an evidence-based parent, youth, and family skills-building curriculum that:
-Prevents teen substance abuse and other behavior problems
-Strengthens parent/youth communication skills
-Increases academic success in youth
-Prevents violence and aggressive behavior at home and at school
The group will meet on Tuesdays, beginning April 9th, 2019.
Dinner will be served at 5:30
Class will be from 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.
Volunteers Needed
Big Brothers Big Sisters of NE Indiana needs volunteers for both the Community Based Volunteers and School Buddy (Site Based) volunteers. Below are brief descriptions.
Community-Based Mentoring: In the Community-Based (CB) program, volunteers provide youth ages 6-21 with a positive one-to-one relationship with a volunteer adult mentor. Matches typically meet two to four times a month for 2-3 hours. During these unstructured outings, filled with conversations and shared activities, volunteers help children manage the everyday challenges that are part of growing up.
Site-Based Mentoring: In the Site-Based (SB) program, a volunteer adult mentor spends lunch period once a week with a child at his/her elementary school during the school year. School guidance counselors and teachers select and refer youth ages 6-12 who may lack of access to positive role models at home and elsewhere.
Parents, if you feel your child would benefit from these programs, you are encouraged to enroll your child.
For more information
Visit:www.bbbsnei.org
Call the agency at 260-456-1600
Or email ashley.robertson@bbbsnei.org
I'm happy to meet at my office or out in the community. Let me know what works for you.
Cassaundra Kesterke
Email: ckesterke@eastnoble.net
Phone: 260-347-2502
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ENSC.Cassaundra/
Twitter: @ENSC_Cassaundra