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February 2007
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 Getting to Know You Margarita Bacigalupo-Diaz Parent Academic Liaison (PAL) Horton Elementary 
When veteran educator Margarita Bacigalupo-Diaz first stepped foot onto Horton Elementary as the school’s new PAL, she faced
several unknowns – Who were the parents of Horton students? What tools did they need to become more involved with their
children’s education? How could she bridge the gap between parent involvement and student achievement? The answers came
quickly. She made phone calls to as many parents as she could reach. Twenty of them came to her first “coffee talk” to
voice their consensus. “Teach us English and we will help to teach our kids.” Three years later, her Parent Training
sessions now average 30-40 parents daily. She has earned warm praise and heart-felt thank-you’s from the families and
colleagues whose lives have been touched by her dedication and passion for learning.
“Margarita’s work has had a positive influence on every aspect of Horton Elementary, and has dramatically improved parent and community perceptions of our school,” says Principal Robin McCullough. “Bottom line, children notice when their parents are involved, and this has a direct impact on their performance.” In this edition of Staff Bulletin, the Family Friendly Award-winning PAL shares her love for teaching and talks about the people who inspire her on a daily basis. What inspired you to become a PAL? I’ve been teaching for 26 years and have worked with ESL parents for a very long time. The constant thread they share is that they are very willing to help their children succeed, but are extremely limited due to language. My (mostly Spanish-speaking) parents tell me they want to be their children’s first teachers. I know I can do something to help them reach this goal. What projects are you most proud of as a PAL? At Horton, we’ve created a daily two-hour Parent Training session with a series of volunteer instructors and established a meeting with the principal every Monday. We specifically cover ESL, as well as writing, math, parenting skills, art, and more. The goal is to connect parents with what’s happening in the classroom, and it’s working. We create a happy, welcoming environment with food and music. We even offer daily childcare. At our monthly Family Friday events, we do reading strategy and introduce a new learning topic. Recently, we did a multi-cultural art project with parents and their kids writing poetry together about diversity. We hold bilingual math competitions, spelling bees, and health and safety bingo games between parents and students, with fun prizes. I am most proud of the parents. They are generally low-income, stay-at-home parents who now have an opportunity to better themselves, and also the lives of their children. Can you give us an example of a recent student-parent breakthrough? We have so many. In one case, a fifth grader was having some major behavior issues in the classroom. His mom asked me for help. Through parenting classes, coaching and encouragement, she has helped her son to control his anger and solve problems in a positive way. His teachers have reported a marked improvement in his attention span and self-control, which has definitely impacted his academic performance. What are you most looking forward to now? In the back of my mind, my main purpose is to improve academic scores. I’m always looking for ways for parents to participate in the classroom, with their own and other children, as well as at home. All our activities will continue to focus on this goal. For PAL information, view the program fact sheet or call (619) 293-3181.
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Staff Bulletin is published monthly for employees of the San Diego Unified School District. Send news items and classified ads to: Staff Bulletin Education Center, Room 2145 phone: (619)725-5578; fax: (619)725-5576 e-mail: communications@sandi.net |
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