Building Welcoming, Engaging, and Diverse School Communities
RESOURCES
VIDEO
SACRED HEART
Washington DC
Sacred Heart School is a bilingual Catholic school. They hired a professional photographer to capture representative images for their website. They also produced a Spanish language welcome video that features voiceover by a school parent who shares why he chose to send his daughter to Sacred Heart School.
BILINGUAL WEBSITE
ST. ANTHONY CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Washington, DC
St. Anthony Catholic School prominently displays an “En Español” tab on their website with an abundance of information translated into Spanish for prospective and current parents. It lists their email address dedicated to Spanish correspondences and a Spanish line phone extension. The parent resources tab also features an FAQ from an inaugural information session in Spanish called “Futuro y Familia” that helped connect directly with parents and identify ways that the school could better engage Spanish-speaking families.
STUDENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Washington DC
At St. John the Evangelist, Hispanic student enrollment has increased from 18% to 35% since 2018 when they first participated in Bridges for Schools. They applied their Bridges for Schools grant towards an hourly stipend for a native Spanish-speaking parent who serves as a Latino Liaison for the school. She translates documents, provides in-person translation at open houses and parent-teacher conferences, and coordinates a parent support group for families to interact and mentor newcomers. The principal and pastor meet with the Spanish-speaking parents each semester to ensure they have access to resources they need to support their children’s education.
REPRESENTATIVE IMAGERY
ST. ROSE OF LIMA CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Philadelphia, PA
St. Rose of Lima Catholic School partnered with a muralist to enrich their school building with murals that are representative of the cultural backgrounds of their students. These beautiful images of St. Rose of Lima and St. Martin de Porres will be incorporated into the school curriculum, as students learn about the remarkable history of Latin America and its saints. Principal Charles Arroyave shared, “Thanks to Bridges for Schools, the inclusive art murals at St. Rose of Lima have fostered a profound sense of belonging for students and the greater community. They are symbols of our deep commitment to diversity and a school culture where all are seen.”
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