Family Information Centers and Family Resource Centers

I really enjoyed reading Chapter 15 in Grant and Ray. This chapter was about how to get family members to volunteer in the classroom. One thing that I learned about family volunteers is that it is important to include families who are bilingual in the volunteer program. These family members can play a vital role in helping other students' families who may not speak English stay connected with what is happening in the classroom. In Ms. Patte's classroom, I have not seen many volunteers coming into the classroom during the school day. However, they may be volunteering in some way outside of the classroom. Grant and Ray also spoke about how it is important to include opportunities for families to volunteer outside of the classroom as their schedules may not permit them to volunteer during the school day.
Grant and Ray also wrote about the importance of forming Family Information Centers (FIC) within the classroom. These are small centers that the teacher can set up for families to come by and get information about what the class is doing, and what future events the clas will be participationg in. These centers are a great way for families to stay informed with what is going on in their child's clasroom. One way that a center can be set up is by having bulletin board set up outside the classroom where parents and other family members can drop by and pick up information on theis child's class. I believe this is what Ms. Patte has set up outside of her classroom.
Family Resource Centers (FRC) are set up somewhere in the school. These centers have school staff on hand who can sit down with families and answer their questions. They can be set up in spare classrooms. They also require funding. Parents and family members can stop by these centers to get information on the school, social services, and other helpful resource information. I am sure that SES has one but I am not sure where it is located.