Which school culture activities did you observe? What did you see? What did you learn about the stakeholders involved?

One cultural activity I observed was Back to School Night. I saw lots of parents coming in and out of classrooms. Parents were attentive to the information provided by the teachers despite the language barrier blocking some communication. From my Back to School Night experience, I learned that most parents want their student to succeed and they will not allow a language barrier to deter them from supporting their child’s education.

A second cultural activity I observed was the introduction to their Renaissance Assembly. During this assembly students would watch videos based on college readiness and how to earn the different Renaissance cards (based on GPA and Citizenship grade). Students became antsy and had to be redirected constantly. Some teachers vocalized their discontent with the changes to the assembly format compared to other years and how it was not encouraging students to strive for success. From this experience I learned that there will be some sort of conflict between teachers and planning committees on the best way to motivate students.

A third cultural activity I observed was a parent meeting at the wellness center. During the meeting the Wellness Center Coordinator explained the importance of the MAP test and the programs the school was implementing to help students raise their test scores. He also explained the importance of being involved in the school and using the appropriate vocabulary used in the district to elevate their voices as parents. Unfortunately, due to how early the meeting was held not all parents could attend this meeting and therefore not all parents were given the advice that can elevate their own voices. Yet the parents who were attending were learning from one anther as well as the presenter and using their personal experiences to learn the new content.