To help meet the needs of the school’s growing Hispanic population, Putnam City High School is this year hosting informational gatherings for Spanish-speaking parents.
The need for such programs is evident, says Dr. Don Wentroth, principal. According to Wentroth, the school has at least at least 170 students whose parents speak primarily Spanish. The program’s slogan says it succinctly: "la comunidad Hispana integrada con la escuela," or "the Hispanic community integrated with the school."
To meet the needs Spanish-speaking parents, meetings have been held in October, December and January. Seventy-five to 100 parents usually attend.
The meetings typically begin with Wentroth or an assistant making a short presentation and conducting a question-and-answer session. A translator – Diadra Dyer, Indra Zepeda, Lisa Kays, Marsha Mills, Susan Harding or Dr. Pat Atkinson – translates for the audience. Parents have heard about school rules and procedures and have been encouraged to have their children join the Latino Club.
After Putnam City High staff members have spoken Spanish-speaking guest speakers take the floor to present topics of interest to the parents. Ray Madrid, an advocate for the Hispanic community, talked with parents at one meeting bout the importance of education. At another meeting, a guest speaker from Francis Tuttle presented information about educational options for students and parents.
"Parents have reacted positively. They’ve expressed the importance of hearing directly from the school in their own language rather than getting it secondhand from their children. They’ve been grateful, thanking teachers and administrators for demonstrating care for their children and respect for them as parents," says Dyer.