THE Francisco M. Sablan Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association held a summit on Saturday to discuss the students’ progress in class.
Held at the Pacific Islands Club’s Charley’s Cabaret, the summit also discussed tips and strategies in helping a child enjoy while learning in a particular subject.
The sessions included “Engaged Math” led by 8th grade teacher Catherine Acera Cabrera; “Let’s Talk” led by 7th grade English language arts teacher Beverly Surla; “It’s Your Right,” 8th grade social studies teacher Rhonda Gross; “The Designing Process,” 8th grade Science teacher Joseph Deleon Guerrero; “Spreading Awareness,” special education teacher Koniko Nakazato; and “Self-care Tips,” FMS counselor Rose Ayeras.
Former Board of Parole Chairman Ramon Blas “RB” Camacho was among the parents who participated in the sessions.
In an interview during a break, Camacho said it is important for parents to link up with the teachers to help improve student learning.
He also believes that parents and teachers should work together so they can identify any problems that students may be facing in school.
“In working together, we can see progress in school. Let’s believe in that. We have to do that. Let’s learn from teachers a lot of techniques we as parents can use when we sit down with our child at home and try to motivate them,” Camacho said.
He wants to see more parents involved in their children’s studies and school activities.
Math teacher Catherine Acera Cabrera said it is important for the parents to know what is happening in school.
At the summit, she shared math tips and strategies with parents. For example, how parents can talk about math with their children.
English language arts teacher Beverly Surla shared with parents tips on having a good conversation with their children about reading.
In the classroom, she said she will ask students to read an article or a story first. Then she will come up with a statement that can lead to a discussion. It’s like table talk, she added.
The goal is to help students build their vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension.
As for the parent-teacher summit, Surla said it is important because it gets families engaged and creates interaction with parents.
FMS Principal Cherlyn Cabrera-Osung, who facilitated the dialogue on student progress data, said she was very pleased with the turnout for the summit, considering that there were a lot of events and priorities that competed for everyone’s attention over the weekend.
She said she was really grateful for the presence of the parents and even some of the students at the summit.
She and Vice Principal Carla Sablan shared data that showed where the students were in the beginning of the school year, where they were at midpoint and where they should be at the end of the school year.
Cabrera-Osung said she was pleased to hear parents share their stories about their children at home.
She also found out that many parents were unaware of the school data discussed during the summit.
“So this is a part of our effort to increase our communication with parents. The more parents are informed, the more they can support their children and the more they can succeed at school. So we have that shared vision of having the students succeed especially in middle school where the students are at the age of becoming more independent,” Cabrera-Osung said.
She said school data indicated that the reading scores of FMS students have improved. As for math, there was a slight improvement, but “we want more,” the school principal added.
Francisco M. Sablan Middle School Principal Cherlyn Cabrera Osung poses for a photo teachers and parents during the FMS Parent-Teacher Summit at Charley’s Cabaret of the Pacific Islands Club on Saturday.
