By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Turlock High reaches out to Latino parents
Placeholder Image
Turlock High School is reaching out to Latino parents with a program called “Ya Es Tiempo.”  The one-day event will provide parents with all of the essential information they will need to send their children back to school.
Gabe Ontiveros Jr., Turlock High School dean of students, coordinated the event.
“We want to reach out to our Latino parents who are unable to attend school events,” Ontiveros said.  
Some low-income Latino parents can not make it to school events because they do not have transportation, according to Ontiveros. He said some students come from families where both parents have to work long hours at minimum wage jobs to support their children, and they can not take time off for events like new student orientation.
There will be four categories of information covered at the event, including discipline, gang awareness, activities information and student clubs. Ontiveros said that discipline and rules are the same for every student in the district, but Turlock High School wants to make sure that Latino parents have the chance to hear exactly what the restrictions are that students are expected to follow.
“We still have to work together to make sure that they get through high school,” Ontiveros said.   
The “Ya Es Tiempo” outreach will also focus on “Just Say Go,” the district’s new attendance program. “Just Say Go” encourages parents to make sure that their children miss as little school as possible. One of the main public service announcements of the program is that for every day of school a student misses they take three days to make it up.
Parents will be provided with information about school activities at “Ya Es Tiempo” so that they can encourage their child to get more involved on campus. They will also be provided with information about on-campus clubs such as the Hispanic Youth Leadership Club. Representatives from the HYLC will be at the event to answer any questions parents or students might have.
Ontiveros said that parents of students from all grade levels are welcome to attend, but the event is primarily for parents of students in grades 9-12.  Information will be provided in both Spanish and English.
There will be drawings for prizes at the event, including gift cards to La Perla Tapatia and prizes from  La Favorita 95.9. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of La Perla Tapatia on Lander Avenue.   
To contact Andrea Goodwin, e-mail agoodwin@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2003.