Angela Feliciano, Principal at Eccleston Elementary, A Community Partnership School shares the power of schools and communities coming together to address local needs and increase student achievement and success. Through dedicated partnerships and collaboration, the Community Partnership Schools™ model builds flourishing communities.
Q: How do you feel seeing so many partners and volunteers coming together to support Eccleston Elementary, A Community Partnership School as a part of the 2nd Annual Eagles Service Day?
A: It is such an amazing feeling — overwhelming. It is so rewarding to see so many community members families, teachers and volunteers to beautify our campus to show that we are demonstrating excellence from the inside and out
Q: What makes Service Day at Eccleston Elementary, A Community Partnership School so special?
A: It’s the family feeling. It’s as if everyone in our community, our teachers, our scholars, our families, our community partners — we’re all serving for one purpose: to beautify our campus. To show the community we are a beautiful place a place of learning and excellence; it’s about all of us coming together as one – one village showcasing the hard work that takes place under this roof everyday
Q: How does this partnership benefit your students?
A: Our Annual Service Day takes so much off of our students … When we have a place where students are coming in motivated, seeing affirmations on the walls, coming to a place knowing it’s a place of comfort and it’s a safe zone, it’s clean and safe … students feel better about learning and being here, and they want to be here! Students go home on the last day of school saying they want to be here and they don’t want the school year to end, some even leave crying. It is a nurturing feeling when they can see we are here painting murals, showcasing we care by giving out supplies our families need. So really it’s the safe zone for our students and our families we are providing.
When they see things like this – they’re motivated to be here every day. Scores are better, faces are brighter, they’re happier to be here. With the help of the community partnership school, Eccleston is a place where they want to be and they consider us family .
Q: What is your goal for the Community Partnership School Service Day?
A: To showcase and beautify our campus – to showcase our campus to the community, our district, to everyone and all of our stakeholders that we are a place of excellence and all stakeholders can come together to ensure this.
Q: What would you say to others who are interested in getting involved w the Community Partnership Schools™ model?
A: The Community Partnership Schools™ model is the best thing that has ever happened to Eccleston Elementary. I would encourage this partnership with any business, any organization and any school, anywhere. I really feel our community partners have taken a lot off of our teachers because they’re servicing the mental and physical health of our students through food, social services, referrals, even volunteering their time. This enables our teachers to teach our children and in turn, the community partners are addressing the barriers our families are facing. We’ve seen such academic and emotional growth in our scholars and the motivation to be here at school.
There’s just so much that I could say, the Community Partnership School is instrumental in ensuring the success of our scholars.
Interested in joining the Community Partnership Schools movement? Learn how you can advance educational and lifetime success for students in your community here.
