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Family Center

A woman smiles with a young Alma scholar at a Hispanic Heritage Celebration event at Alma

Alma del Mar strongly believes that scholars succeed when the adults in their school and at home are working together. We expect that all parents and guardians will take an active role in the education of their scholars. Alma del Mar is committed to doing whatever it takes to overcome barriers to engagement and to ensure that all parents and guardians have the opportunity to be part of the school community. We also strongly encourage the engagement of extended family members.

Our Family Engagement team works to build community amongst all members of the Alma community, including families, scholars, and staff. Our priority is to help school staff meet families where they are at, to ensure all scholars are surrounded by caring adults who are committed to helping them succeed in school. 

A member of the Alma del Mar team will conduct an initial home visit with all families prior to the start of the school year. If parents are not comfortable with a visit at home, the meeting may occur at another location of the family’s choosing, including at the school.

Families have direct contact with their scholar’s teacher throughout the year and are able to contact them with any questions or concerns. In addition, we conduct family-teacher conferences following the end of each of the first three quarters. An additional family-teacher conference will be held at the end of the year if necessary to address individual needs.

Alma families are invited to gather throughout the school year for many family events including Days of Service, a Hispanic Heritage Celebration, story walks, movie nights, skating parties, and more. All events are free. Our Family Engagement team is always looking for volunteers to help plan and execute these events! Please fill out this form if you're interested in volunteering!
The Alma Family Advisory (AFA), the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), and the Multilingual Learner Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC) engage parents and guardians in shaping the school and developing programming that will advance the mission of the school. Meeting times are published on the school website and reminders are sent home prior to each meeting. All parents and guardians are encouraged to participate.
 

Alma del Mar encourages all parents and family members to volunteer and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that every parent has the opportunity to do so in a way that accommodates their schedule. Please reach out to your scholar's teacher about specific volunteer opportunities, which may include the following:

  • Classroom tasks – assisting teachers with organizing classrooms, creating teacher materials, copying, laminating, and making bulletin boards
  • Office tasks – filing papers, making photocopies, distributing fliers to classrooms
  • Enrichment activities – leading or helping to lead dance, music, or sports classes
  • Field work – chaperoning scholars during field trips