Building Bridges with Families

"'This is a community center disguised as a school,' commented a visitor to our school, Edward 'Babe' Gomez Heritage Elementary in Omaha, NE. That felt like quite a compliment since our mission is to be an extension of the neighborhood. We are dedicated to our students, their families and our community." So begins an article by John Campin that is the foundation of an Out of the Box Training Kit that focuses on ways to form partnerships with families.

"Recognizing that parents are their children's first and lasting teachers," writes Campin, "we work to create a welcoming atmosphere and include strong and varied parent participation for families in our community. We are constantly seeking to literally and figuratively build bridges.

A few years ago, a parent built two bridges in our outdoor classrooms as a memorial for his wife. His sons were Gomez Heritage students when she passed away. I asked the father to build the bridges so that he could engage in work that benefited others as well as help heal himself and his boys. His son, John, has long been proud of the bridges bearing his mother's name and his father's handiwork. He assisted his father in the project. This project has deep meaning still for the family and our staff."

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