Pueblo forges a sense of belonging

Pueblo Elementary School acts as an "overflow" valve for the Pomona school district. Students are bused in whenever their neighborhood schools are filled to capacity.

When Pueblo first opened in an abandoned shopping mall, staff assumed parents would gladly head for the checkout line as soon as space opened up at a neighborhood campus.

But a funny thing happened. Most children stayed put. Parents continued to drive across town, take public transportation or even walk a few miles with their children so they could stay at Pueblo.

Why such devotion?

Apparently, the parents feel such a part of the school that they don't want to transfer their children out. It's a place where parents can contribute to their children's education and, at the same time, further their own learning — a family school, you might say. Pueblo Elementary has become a "home away from home" for many parents, most of whom are poor, Hispanic and second-language learners. The school's staff, parents and students have forged together a patchwork community that's in session Monday through Friday until 2:24 p.m.

An unused office has been turned into a Parent Center where parents can carry out volunteer projects or help with paperwork. During a recent visit, parents were madly rushing to complete a bookbinding job. The books contained the stories of fledgling authors — their children. Parents also work on projects assigned by teachers, such as cutting shapes, copying materials and correcting papers. They talk and sip coffee while they work and enjoy a strong sense of camaraderie.

The number of volunteers averages 20 per day, according to community liaison Lisa Martinez. "That's amazing, considering it's not a neighborhood school. Kids walk by and see their parents engaged here, and you can tell that they feel excited and proud." Martinez also helps parents and families overcome difficulties. "She knows who's at risk of homelessness and who needs clothing and food, and directs them to the appropriate resources," says school literacy coach Anne Henderson, a member of Associated Pomona Teachers. "The parents feel comfortable telling her what their needs are so they can get support."

The school offers a computer skills class for parents every Wednesday, and English classes are available through the district's adult school, which shares the campus. Baby-sitting is provided free of charge. The school also holds Family Math Nights and other evening events that are attended by hundreds of people.

"We try to go the extra mile as the overflow school," says Henderson. "We have found that it really benefits the kids when their parents are involved. We teach the parents how the school system works and how to support their children in learning. Some of the parents arrive here and say, 'I'm not smart enough; I don't think I can help.' Soon they develop a new attitude and a can-do feeling."

"We tell them they can help their children succeed even if they don't know how to do the homework," says teacher Jesus Espinoza. "Maybe they can't do the work, but if their child has been assigned to do 30 math problems, they can count to see if it has been done. If their child is reading a story, they can ask about the highlights of the book and make sure the child understands what's being read."

Parents are encouraged to join committees and have a say in how the school is run. One group worked with teachers and administrators to develop an action plan for the school.

"My children are happy and like it when I come to help out," says Mariedith Pineda, who has been working on bookbinding for the past month. "We are like a family here."

The president of the school's Bilingual Committee, she has made use of the school's programs to improve her English and computer skills, both of which help support her children's efforts to get a good education. "It's very, very important," she says.

Teachers say parental support is not only an important part of the school's culture, but also makes the school run more smoothly. "I try to implement as many hands-on lessons as possible, and when parents are involved, I can be more creative and the lessons are more meaningful," says sixth-grade teacher Patrick Godinez. "Everyone here has a sense of community and a sense of social responsibility."

In another part of his classroom, some of the young book authors were giving a reading for students and parents, who beamed their approval and applauded enthusiastically at the end of each story.

When parents are here, behavior problems go down, says Espinoza, a seventh-grade teacher. "Students put out more effort when parents show up."

Parents tend to be more involved in the lower grades than upper grades because they mistakenly think they aren't needed. He encourages them to think otherwise.

"Parents can't feel, 'Okay, we've made it through, and we're done with that.' They have to be on top of kids and know what's going on — at any age."