Growing Classroom and Community Connections
TUSD PACE & Ochoa Magnet School Families CREATE connections
As the early childhood education cohort 5 continues in their final year, they also continue building connections with families in the community. Along with students, CREATE also grows and deepens its connections with programs in the community. Through our existing and new connections, we are able to give students the opportunities to be able to learn about resources in the community, apply their content knowledge from coursework in school and community settings, as well as give them more opportunities to work with families.
Students also begin to understand that collaboration is a two way street and although they do not always recognize it right away, families often see them not as students, but as teachers. Within this framework we like to provide opportunities that create relationships within the community that are reciprocal.
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- Parents talking at November’s Linking Lunches
Parents talking at November’s Linking Lunches
CREATE’s community liaison Rebecca Zapien joined the group to help facilitate continued and new connections between CREATE students and the community. Rebecca along with Monica Moreno, a doctoral student in the College of Education’s Language, Reading, and Culture program helps by leading and moderating the monthly dialogue. As we meet monthly, the conversation is often focused on not only on how to support and connect with children’s learning currently but how to do it so they become life long learners and having the opportunity to explore options such as The University of Arizona.
As a way to apply some of what students were learning in their coursework as well as share their own college experiences with families and children, Cohort 5 PACE/TUSD cohort came together to plan and host a day on campus for Ochoa families. This event was a true collaboration as Ochoa was able to provide transportation for families to come, and the CREATE team was able to support and host TUSD Ochoa students in their planning and implementing of the day.
On the morning of November 3, 2012 students from Ochoa’s PACE classroom all the way to 3rd grade and their families arrived on campus and were greeted by students from cohort 5. As they made their way through the college they were invited to explore the World of Words collection, given a warm welcome, and begin an overview of their day.
WEcats welcoming Ochoa families to the UA
Because the gathering took place at the College of Education, World of Words library (WoW), which is an international collection of children’s and adolescent literature the families were first given information about this great literacy related resource but more importantly, they were given the time to explore the endless books that fill the wonderful collection.
Children Explore Children’s Literature with Peers at the UA WOW
The day continued with a tour of several locations within the university campus such as the library, Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, Bear Down gym, and the ever-busy student union and bookstore. As the tour stopped at each of these places, students provided information in English and Spanish on what sorts of resources and events each of the locations provided not only for them as students but also to the community. Pre-service teachers also shared some historical and general information about the university and how to apply. Parents were given information about housing and other living accommodations for students.
Before ending the walking-tour, pre-service teachers gathered at bear-down gym and sang-out the bear-down song along with the families:
Arizona, bear down!
Let's cheer for Arizona,
Let's raise our voices high!
Let's cheer for Arizona,
That bear down battle cry!
Let's cheer our team to victory!
Let's cheer our team to fame!
Let's cheer for Arizona,
For spirit wins the game!
Chorus:
Bear down, Arizona!
Bear down, red and blue!
Bear down, Arizona!
Hit 'em hard let 'em know who's who!
Bear down, Arizona!
Bear down, red and blue!
Go, go, Wildcats go!
Arizona, bear down!
As the tour wound down, everyone gathered outside the College of Education for lunch on the grass and some needed rest from all the walking and site seeing. Families, Ochoa administrators, CREATE students and faculty joined in on more conversation, eating, and playing in the grass.
After lunch, famili
es were invited back to the World of Words collection for more exploration, some read-a-louds, and a Wilbur the Wildcat mask making activity. As students began to wrap up, families were given bags of goodies filled with informational material on WoW, family friendly programs available on campus, as well as a few fun things for the kids.
Everyone had a great time and the continued efforts to work collaboratively with the Ochoa community and the CREATE team helped plan for an eventful day on campus. In the Spring of 2013, LTOCL and the Ochoa Leadership Team will also work on creating a similar opportunity for Ochoa classrooms from third to fifth grade and their families to have an experience similar to this so they can be inspired to be a Wildcat one day not too far away!!!