Ceres parents get schooled on their child’s day at Sinclear Elementary

Parents crowded into classrooms for Sinclear Elementary’s Bring Your Parents to School Day, an annual tradition that typically has 60 percent of the student body escorting moms, dads or grandparents to their seats.

“This is as good for us as it is for the families,” said Principal Connie Stark on Wednesday, noting many parents take a day off work to take part. “It’s just a warm feeling back and forth.”

Even more parents were expected this year, coming to check out the new laptops all Ceres students got.

“It’s pretty amazing. A lot of the things she’s doing I don’t even know how to do,” said Faviola Becerra, sitting with husband Roberto Becerra and their daughter Destiny, 9. “She’s able to put graphs together. I’m going to college and I’m just learning to do that,” she said.

The computer will give the kids job skills, Roberto Becerra said.

“I wanted to see how she needs help. I get to see how she’s doing,” said Blanca Salcido, sitting beside daughter Alyssa, 9, as she typed out a class assignment.

Walking between the students, teacher JoDee Bonales said she has her fourth-graders do all the usual things, just condensing the lessons a bit to cover as many subjects as possible.

“We want them to see what the students do in a typical day,” she said. But this year she did add some tech tips to the mix.

“I want them to see what they could be using the computer for at home, too, not just video games,” Bonales said.

The kids have just had the devices for six weeks, she said.

“There are huge amounts of things they are able to do – and I find they are not afraid to try anything. They’ve even taught me things,” Bonales said.

After a morning spent doing reading, writing and ’rithmetic with their tech-toting youngsters, parents joined them for another part of every school day: lunch.

This lunch had some extra ceremony, however. Stark timed the school’s 10th anniversary celebration for the day, decorating with balloons and giving a short speech.

“Now we have students at (colleges). We have (collegiate) soccer players. We have a golfer,” she reflected with a smile.

Sinclear also has future teachers who return for a portion of their classroom training.

“It’s a really good feeling,” Stark said. “They come back. With so many first- or second-generation (immigrants), they come back and give back to the community. It’s heartwarming.”

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 9:44 AM with the headline "Ceres parents get schooled on their child’s day at Sinclear Elementary."