Supporting Back to School Night at Community Partnership Charter School Lower School last week was important for Jonathan Restrepo, who currently has one child enrolled and two others who have graduated.
“I believe in this school,” he said.
“I believe in the work being done in this school.”
“They are always going above and beyond to make sure that kids are taken care of,” he said.
Restrepo credited Rosa Johnson, Director of Operations, for helping parents stay informed of the latest school news and events through multiple channels.
Johnson and Shanice Ebanks organized Back to School Night to help promote available resources to families.
“Whatever they need help with, we are always here for them,” Johnson said.
Community partners in attendance included representatives from the school’s uniform vendor, the League Brand, crisis counselors from NY Project Hope, and applied behavior analyst therapists from The Perfect Child who specialize in serving families affected by a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
A program of the New York State Office of Mental Health funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, NY Project Hope is a referral service for mental health resources and for individuals needing help with food, clothing or shelter.
Dontura Cole, a crisis counselor, said she has seen the most need for housing and food assistance. She said she has also noticed a rise in reports of anxiety in children. Counselors are available seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and all calls are confidential and anonymous.
“Give us a call and we will help you as much as we can,” she said.
Jillian Battey, who lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant and has a daughter enrolled, reported being happy with Community Partnership Charter School. She said she appreciates how school uniforms make dressing her child in the morning easier and how they contribute to less bullying. She said she also appreciates the effort Derrick Dunlap, the school’s principal, and all of the school’s teachers and staff put into communication.
Battey explained that she wants her daughter to be sociable, so she wants to model that behavior by accompanying her to school events.
“You want to meet the teachers and meet the staff because you didn’t get to do that last year,” she said. “It’s a great school. I have no complaints.”
Restrepo, who lives in East New York, said he is glad that his family went far out of its way to send three children to the school. “You see the results,” he said. “The kids are improving not just in their grades but as individuals. As human beings. I’m very happy.”
Battey explained that she wants her daughter to be sociable, so she wants to model that behavior by accompanying her to school events.
To learn more about NY Project Hope visit nyprojecthope.org or call 646-329-7176. To learn more about The Perfect Child visit TPCaba.com or call 1-888-320-3222. The Community Partnership Charter School store can be found at theleaguebrand.com.
