At Penn Elementary, the first Friday of each month means families gathering in classrooms, parents working alongside their children on educational activities, and the school community coming together to learn and grow.
The monthly Family Friday events have become a cornerstone of how the Southeast San Diego school engages families in student learning. By opening classroom doors and inviting parents to participate in hands-on activities, Penn Elementary creates opportunities for families to support their children's education at home.
Penn Elementary is a Leader in Me school, a program that teaches students leadership principles. Two key concepts from the curriculum are "Wildly Important Goals," specific targets students set to achieve their most critical objectives, and "Sharpen the Saw," which focuses on taking care of one's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
"The first Friday is my favorite day of the month," said Principal Erica Herrera. "The school comes alive! Our classrooms get filled with family members who are ready to learn and support our students with their Wildly Important Goals. Our Feeding San Diego distribution is led by our parents. When we conclude, we see happy families and proud students. As a community, we Sharpen the Saw by taking care of each other's bodies, minds, and souls."
On Jan. 9, more than 150 families attended Penn Elementary's Family Friday, which focused on math games supporting the school's "Wildly Important Goal" of improving student achievement in mathematics. The games demonstrated how everyday activities can foster mathematical thinking and provided parents with concrete strategies to use at home.
During the same event, Feeding San Diego distributed food to nearly 100 families. The partnership allows Penn to address food insecurity while families participate in educational activities. Families left with both learning materials and groceries, addressing multiple needs in a single visit.
Penn Elementary second-graders hold up books they received during a visit from Superintendent Fabiola Bagula and Deputy Superintendent Kimberley DeWitt.
December brought a special visit from Superintendent Fabi Bagula, Ph.D. and Deputy Nicole Superintendent DeWitt on Dec. 19. The district leaders spent time with students in Ms. Vazquez's second-grade class, where students shared their favorite books. Each student received two books to take home and add to their personal libraries. The school also distributed free books during its Dec. 5 Family Friday.
The monthly gatherings help advance district goals and guardrails in math, literacy, and family engagement. Rather than asking parents to simply drop off and pick up their children, Family Fridays invite them into the learning process. Parents see firsthand what their children are learning and gain confidence in supporting that learning at home.
"What I like about Family Friday is that my little sisters come with my grandma and mom to my classroom," said Alisandra Davila, a first grader. "We have fun doing math activities."
Penn Elementary will host its next Family Friday on Feb. 6. Feeding San Diego will continue its food distribution partnership at the event. The free event is open to all families.
Penn Elementary serves approximately 380 students in grades K-5. The school is located at 2797 Utica Drive in Southeast San Diego. Principal Erica Herrera can be reached at [email protected] or (619) 430-1700.
Article written by communications team member on behalf of San Diego Unified School District Strategic Communications and Information department.