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September 2020 Issue

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THE OFFICE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

OAASA Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2020

IMPORTANT DATES

Sept. 11	Backpacks & School Supply Giveaway
Sept. 15	Black Parent Engagement & Empowerment Seminar
Oct. 20	AASAT Meeting

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Welcome back to school!

We hope that the start of the school year is going well for you and your child(ren). Humongous thank you to those of you who completed the materials readiness survey. You should be receiving a delivery of school supplies and a small token of appreciation for completing the survey.

The OAASA is here to support your child and you as a parent/guardian. Please be on the lookout for parent engagement workshops, and student conferences via Zoom. We will also be looking at data for Black students and working with stakeholders in our district on strategies to ensure our children are achieving at high levels of academic and social success.

We look forward to hearing from you and working with you. Again, I am calling on you to please join us in our call to action to work for success for all of our Black students.

William McGee, Director
The Office of African American Student Achievement

Parent Engagement & Empowerment Seminar Sept. 15

The OAASA will host its 1st Annual Black Parent Engagement & Empowerment Seminar on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. Tune into Zoom and learn how to get involved with your school site’s African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC), and how to be active in the African American Site Advisory Team (AASAT). Attendees will also learn about leadership roles in AASAT and how to become an executive board member.

To get us geared up for the school year, we will also hear from Pedro A. Noguera, the distinguished Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education and former faculty member at Harvard, NYU and UCLA.He is a critically acclaimed scholar, a dynamic speaker and a committed activist. Dr. Noguera will explore with us how to turn engagement into empowerment to help your child succeed in school.

Zoom capacity is limited, so sign up now.

WCCUSD Scholar Awarded Silver Medal at NAACP National Competition

Pinole Valley High School junior, Joi Gonzales, was awarded the silver medal at the 42nd Annual National NAACP ACT-SO competition in July. Joi competed in the “Earth and Science” category and her project focused on the disparity in water quality used in five distinctly diverse communities in the Bay Area.

This was the first year Richmond Bay Area NAACP Youth Council sponsored a team at the National ACT-SO competition. Joi was one of two students awarded a gold medal and a $500.00 scholarship from the 2020 Richmond Youth Council ACT-SO program at an award ceremony at Nichols Park in Richmond on Saturday, June 27. Local gold medalists who score 95-100 points in the local competition are invited to participate in nationals.

Backpacks and School Supplies for Kids

Attend the Bay Area Rescue Mission's Annual Backpack and School Supplies Giveaway for WCCUSD students on Sept 11, 2020. Families must sign up to participate in the giveaway by September 10, 2020 at 11:59 pm..

Walk-up attendees will be registered on distribution day, as needed.

Resources in Science Technology Engineering Arts Math (STEAM)

Hello Families,

My name is Cicely A. Day. I am the Science Technology Engineering Arts Math (STEAM) Coach for the OAASA. I am so excited about being a part of this department. As a parent of a middle schooler, I know how hard it is to balance work and distance learning. I hope these resources can help you support your child with this.

WCCUSD has provided some resources to help parents and students navigate distance learning:

eLearning website

Distance Learning Guides

Digital Backpack for your child’s school

Here are some resources for enrichment:

Free Virtual Field Trips

Free Online Courses for Kids

Here are a few infographics for what to do when you have no internet connection:

Learn More

How to Support Student Learning at Home

Parents are a child’s first teachers and the home is a child’s first classroom. As key resources for learning and growth, parents help to shape a child’s social, emotional and physical development so that he/she can thrive in school and beyond.

Supporting student success starts with a shared agreement among families, schools and the community to work together and it involves committed actions to make it happen.

10 Tips for Parents

As a parent, you can do your part at home to reinforce this important family-school partnership. To help prepare your children for school readiness to stay on track and expand their learning opportunities:

Set up a daily family routine, including healthy eating and sleeping habits
Provide a place and time at home for homework
Check on assignments, homework and projects
Talk each day with your child about his/her activities
Promote literacy by reading to your child and by reading yourself
Limit and monitor TV watching, gaming, social media and computer time
Express high expectations and standards for your child’s learning
Attend parent-teacher conferences, Open House and Back-To-School events
Participate in decisions that affect your child’s education
Tap into community resources with visits to a library, museum, zoo or theater and encourage participation in after-school clubs, sports and art activities

More Tips for Parents