Key points:
- District communications platforms can have a transformative impact on school outreach
- 6 tips for communicating with emergent bilingual families
- Your top 5 school-home communication challenges, solved
- For more news on communications, visit eSN’s Educational Leadership hub
In an increasingly interconnected world, it’s more important than ever to have effective communication within your diverse school community. Communication plays a pivotal role in fostering a collaborative environment, ensuring the well-being of students and promoting a culture of continuous improvement. Communication impacts all of your stakeholders, and when parents are involved in their children’s schooling, academic achievement, school engagement, and motivation all improve, according to the American Psychological Association.
Breaking language barriers
One of the most significant barriers to successful integration of newcomers into communities is language. Schools have a two-fold challenge: Newcomers struggle to understand and be understood, and schools grapple with the means to effectively communicate with them. This is where a communications platform like Bloomz can make a profound impact. By offering translation services in more than 133 languages, Bloomz dismantles these barriers, ensuring that important information reaches everyone in a language they select. This feature is particularly crucial in educational settings where parents’ engagement in their children’s schooling is pivotal. With Bloomz, parents who are not proficient in the local language can receive updates, participate in discussions, and contribute meaningfully to their children’s education.
There are 97 languages spoken in Round Rock Independent School District in Texas. “Before Bloomz, we would send out posts, calendars, and alerts, and put the information on our website for parents to change into a different language, but there weren’t many available other than Spanish,” says Bertha Benedict, director of Bilingual and ESL Programs. “ESSA requires me to do parent engagement, and to go above and beyond I have to communicate with parents. Bloomz lets me do that.”
Cultivating inclusivity and empathy
Communicating in your native language is deeply empowering. It’s not just about understanding words; it’s about connecting with those words on a cultural and emotional level. Bloomz acknowledges this by providing a platform where every individual feels seen, heard, and valued. This inclusivity goes a long way in fostering a sense of belonging among newcomers, making their transition into new communities smoother and more comfortable. Furthermore, when local community members witness the effort to accommodate different languages and cultures, it cultivates an atmosphere of empathy and respect. Such an environment encourages deeper and more meaningful interactions, paving the way for a cohesive and supportive community fabric.
Facilitating better parental involvement
While newcomers strive to adapt to their new surroundings, the host community also needs to extend support and understanding. Bloomz facilitates this mutual effort by ensuring that language does not become an impediment to participation. Whether it’s parent-teacher meetings, community events, or local announcements, the availability of multiple languages ensures that everyone can be an active participant. This not only boosts the confidence of newcomers but also enriches the community’s cultural tapestry. When people from diverse backgrounds share their perspectives and experiences, it leads to a more vibrant, dynamic, and innovative community.
Joseph Mattina is principal of P.S. 023 Carter G Woodson Elementary School in Brooklyn, NY, a Title I school with every student below the poverty line. “We struggle with parent engagement and involvement,” he says. “Lots of our students are in temporary housing, parents come from different backgrounds and have different capabilities around using technology, and they don’t go through backpacks and folders. We wanted it to be easy for us and for the parents to interact. With Bloomz, we can notify parents immediately or we can schedule messages to go out a week or two in advance. Parent involvement is more favorable now than it was five years ago and a lot of that has to do with Bloomz.”
Cathy Daniels, former principal at Waters Elementary School in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, agrees that Bloomz helped her teachers connect with all families. “Teachers can send beautiful pictures and video clips to parents about what’s happening and share the ‘inside the classroom’ experience. We’ve never had the opportunity to get pictures to parents as quickly as what Bloomz does.”
In today’s globalized world, platforms like Bloomz play a critical role in keeping school and home connected. As we move forward, the lessons districts learn from communications platforms will shape the future of community engagement and integration, making our communities more connected, empathetic, and inclusive.
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