Flamboyan’s REAL Family Engagement work extends beyond Washington, DC, as we catalyze REAL Family Engagement in districts across the country. We’re honored to build the capacity of change makers leading the charge for family engagement through different strategies like our past National Family Engagement Fellowship.
During our National Family Engagement Fellowship, Fellowship Teams—groups of four to five family engagement leaders and advocates—designed a strategic family engagement plan to implement in their local school community. National Fellows built expertise, learned with and from each other, and joined a growing network of family engagement advocates nationwide.
We were excited to hear about some recent successes from one of our Fellowship Teams in Cherry Hill out of South Baltimore, which has successfully prioritized family engagement in their community over the last school year. We couldn’t help but share their achievements from the last school year because these milestones highlight the power of collaboration, dedication, and community spirit in shaping a brighter future for our students.
Baltimore City Public Schools Honor Cherry Hill Community
Arundel Elementary and Cherry Hill Elementary/Middle School, which serve the historic Cherry Hill Community, are a shining example of unity and collaboration. They’ve created a Joint Council between the schools, which Baltimore City Public Schools honored with the prestigious School Family Community Council of the Year award! This council, comprising staff, teachers, families, students, and community organizations, serves as an advisory board to our principals, fostering a sense of connection and shared purpose.
The formation of this strong, cohesive body was a strategic priority developed during their Flamboyan Fellowship. Research tells us that environments where families voices are elevated result in stronger academic results for students as families play the 5 roles. This award is a testament to their collective efforts and unwavering commitment to their students and their success.
In the spirit of family engagement, the Organized Parent Group at Cherry Hill hosted their inaugural Winter Formal for 3rd-5th graders, a delightful event that brought joy and excitement to young students. This event showcased parents’ hard work and creativity in the community and highlighted the importance of creating memorable moments for the children to cherish.
National Recognition with ‘Capturing Kids Hearts’ and ‘Purpose Built Communities’
Arundel Elementary has been named a National Showcase for Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH), the first school in Baltimore City to receive this honor. CKH is a comprehensive social-emotional learning program implemented at Arundel Elementary and Cherry Hill Elementary/Middle Schools, fostering positive relationships, trust, and respect among students and staff. Being recognized as a National Showcase signifies their commitment to creating a nurturing and supportive school environment where every student can thrive, which supports important strategies that Cherry Hill outlined during their Fellowship to address any systemic barriers. The Cherry Hill team knows that relationships between families and schools and educators and students are foundational to student academic success.
In addition, the Cherry Hill community celebrated its entrance into the Communities network. We’re so honored they shared with us the Flamboyan Fellowship’s role in their family engagement strategy, which helped support their vision coming to life.
These achievements reflect a focus on family engagement, hard work, and strong partnerships within the Cherry Hill community. Flamboyan looks forward to hearing about the continued successes of our partners prioritizing their family engagement practice!
Are you a Flamboyan partner with a success story? We would love to hear it and share it with our community to help uplift your efforts!