In this episode of the oneSMFC podcast, Superintendent Ochoa is joined by Coordinator of Enrollment Stephanie Gibson and Administrative Assistant at Meadow Heights, Robyn Holmes. The three shed light on the district's intentional approach to our enrollment season. Through the shared experiences and insights from district staff, we aim to share how all actions, like knowing a student's name, can make a world of difference in making families feel welcome.
We'd like to welcome all families to attend our annual Fiesta de Opciones | Festival of Options! The district's innovative approach to welcoming families to meet our district magnet programs and providing on-the-spot registration and transfer requests!
Our magnet programs include our language immersion programs such as College Park Elementary (Mandarin) and Fiesta Gardens International School (Spanish). We also have two public Montessori programs, North Shoreview Montessori and Parkside Montessori.
In this episode of the oneSMFC podcast, Superintendent Ochoa is joined by Coordinator of Enrollment Stephanie Gibson and Administrative Assistant at Meadow Heights, Robyn Holmes. The three shed light on the district's intentional approach to our enrollment season. Through the shared experiences and insights from district staff, we aim to share how all actions, like knowing a student's name, can make a world of difference in making families feel welcome.
We'd like to welcome all families to attend our annual Fiesta de Opciones | Festival of Options! The district's innovative approach to welcoming families to meet our district magnet programs and providing on-the-spot registration and transfer requests!
Our magnet programs include our language immersion programs such as College Park Elementary (Mandarin) and Fiesta Gardens International School (Spanish). We also have two public Montessori programs, North Shoreview Montessori and Parkside Montessori.
I know my principal is very focused on making sure that we're connected to our community and she likes to engage with our parents. So like if a parent walks in and I know their child's name, they're like okay, you know my child.
Speaker 2:If I live in the North Central neighborhood and I have a four-year-old and I'm assigned to metal heights, I might think you know what that's amazing. I love metal heights, but I also might say I'm interested to know more about what this whole Montessori program can offer my child.
Speaker 3:On the spot and some families came and they wanted to just talk with the schools and then think about it and afterwards go ahead and maybe put in that transfer request.
Speaker 2:We were sort of getting into it before we started recording and and saying you know, it's barely November, but we're already geared up for next year. What was your exact quote, stephanie?
Speaker 3:We're ready, let's roll. Yeah, we're always a year ahead. We're always a year ahead, and maybe that's like.
Speaker 2:That's sort of what this means to our families, because I think there's a lot of families that sort of they. They have that energy, that nervous energy of am I going to get my kid into my neighborhood school. That's always present, I know. I certainly get the emails here at the district office when, when a parent wants to know when's the first day and where do I submit it, and what happens? Robin, you're out there at at schools. Tell us from your perspective being in a lot of ways, the first person these families ever talked to in our school district what do you hear from parents when they come in wanting to know about registering their kids. What are you hearing from?
Speaker 1:them. One of the biggest things that we typically hear are what will transportation look like? Giving parents the understanding that they can have their students get to school and there's like local bus stops things like that are really important. Lunch programs will they have to pay? Knowing that they have the free lunches always seems to assure parents.
Speaker 2:And your school is really close to another school I think it's like it's two or three blocks away. Do you get a fair number of families that come and say is this my neighborhood school, or are they pretty certain when they come in?
Speaker 1:Oh yes, we're close to Bearsford and we'll trade off. But there are a lot of people in that local neighborhood that are like, oh well, my older son went here or my kid went here and they want certain teachers, and so you hear things like that. But we're always in contact with our neighboring schools just to make sure that we're doing what best fits the families and also follows our enrollment guidelines.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and are you? You know, as, as terms of how long you've been in the district, metal Heights is not the only school you've ever worked at.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:Yeah, where else have you been?
Speaker 1:I've worked in different departments, but I've worked at a lot of schools.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, this is the podcast where you tell us the names of all these schools. Okay, we're gonna put you to the test, see if you can even remember.
Speaker 1:George Hall, okay, brewer Island, whoa North Shore View. Hey, you're hitting all that you got a magnet school.
Speaker 2:You got a Foster City School.
Speaker 3:Audubon yes, okay, and then Metal Heights.
Speaker 2:So you know, so you see the different communities we serve. You've been at a magnet school. You've been at a Title I school. Now that you're at Metal Heights and you're doing this very almost like daily work with I'm imagining some families you communicate with every, if not every day, almost every day.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And then, when you welcome in a new family, what is it that you want to do to make that family feel that they're a part of mental heights? How do you, how do you create that connection with families?
Speaker 1:Um, just being warm with them, letting them know that we're always here, um, I'm reachable by phone, email, whatever questions they have, guiding them to things that they need to know, about keeping things on their radar that they're focused on, and really just essentially showing up with a smile, letting them know especially with little ones, the TKs and the kinders Parents are always so worried it's a big campus, it's my kid, okay, and just making sure I know the student's name. Making lots of eye contact so like if a parent walks in and I know their child's name, they're like okay, you know my child.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I think that's super important.
Speaker 2:And I'm sure they want to meet their principal sometimes too, or at least get to know who else Always yeah, yeah. And and when that comes about, how do you get them time with the principal, or what? What might a principal say hey, this is how we make some time for new families.
Speaker 1:Um, I know my principal is very focused on making sure that we're connected to our community and she likes to engage with our parents and, just being out in the morning's greetings, she's on our playgrounds.
Speaker 2:So a lot of it is her actually just being out there, with just being out there, yeah, when the bus comes, she greets them on the bus and things like that, just so that they're accessible.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and Meadow Heights is one of our schools, stephanie. That um, it's a K five school, and so you know there have been the 300 kids or so and it changes year to year. But we have some schools where that might not really be the best strategy. You know, I'm thinking of a school like Borrell where there's close to a thousand kids.
Speaker 2:It might be, kind of hard for the principal. Even if they stood out there all day long, they might not have the ability to really meet with these families. What do you see, stephanie, in these bigger schools? Well, you know, robin just shared with us sort of how almost person to person it is at a at an elementary school. What do you see some of our middle schools doing to create these opportunities to connect with families?
Speaker 3:The middle schools. You know the student at a middle school will have, you know, six to seven teachers and you taught at middle school. Right, I did Abbott middle school for 11 years. Only Abbott, Only Abbott, Okay.
Speaker 2:So you're kind of the opposite of Robin.
Speaker 3:She was here there out of one. I started very right out of kindergarten teaching. So, you know, at middle school, you know students have many, many opportunities to interact with adults. So they'll have six or seven teachers a day and there's, you know, the counseling team and there are coaches and there are clubs and activities that when you think of transitioning from elementary to middle school, you know it's kind of the scaling up of of those opportunities, programs that that students can access and be able to connect and find that, you know, maybe opportunity that trusted adults and families you know are welcome and they might even do.
Speaker 2:They might even do like a preview night, or you know. Come, get to know our staff, come meet the principal night before the whole school year starts right.
Speaker 3:We do have those opportunities, both for the kindergarten and TKRs at elementary school and the middle schools will be hosting parent information meetings for their rising and incoming sixth graders for next year.
Speaker 2:So if I'm a fifth grade, a parent of a fifth grader, I'll get some kind of email that tells me hey, your child is set up to go to this next school. From there, I could potentially ask to attend a different school for a variety of reasons Might, maybe a magnet program, something like that. What are those timelines like this upcoming year? When will parents get that notification and when should they think about applying if they wanted to transfer from within the district?
Speaker 3:Certainly, so for any student who is interested in requesting a transfer, I'll start start with that piece. Monday, November 27, is the day that the transfer request form becomes available.
Speaker 2:So that's in a few weeks.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, and we're actually opening a little earlier this year as well, so we can have families, they can request their transfers. And then we have our magnet programs that are available for families, montessori and then the language programs Mandarin and Spanish immersion.
Speaker 2:And if I recall from last year, those programs are doing real well. A lot of families are applying and getting in and the applications have been robust.
Speaker 3:Robust full, we have been able to really put in some substantial Make an impact.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, and there's been like a new party every year in December. They call it the fiesta.
Speaker 3:Fiesta the option party the options party.
Speaker 2:Tell me about that.
Speaker 3:So we started this a couple of years ago and it was a great shift in the way of the district approaches Interacting with the community and having the community have an opportunity to meet with our magnet schools and also have opportunities to have one-on-one time with enrollment department staff if they want to complete a new student registration form on the spot or also request a transfer on the spot.
Speaker 2:And we basically throw a big party.
Speaker 3:There will be food, there will be entertainment and it's a really.
Speaker 2:All the magnet schools show up with cables. Magnet schools are there.
Speaker 3:We'll also have preschool, and our before and after school Enix program will be there.
Speaker 2:Oh, so that's what I love to hear. It's sort of like a one-stop shop where everything will be there, so these families can really understand all the opportunities available to them.
Speaker 3:That's exactly right, and they can interact with whomever they'd like and we will answer all their questions. Yeah, robin, you're over there.
Speaker 2:You've got families that come in and they want to know more. What do you think about that? Having a big party bringing the families in, giving them all this information? What do you take away from that?
Speaker 1:Oh, I think it's an amazing opportunity because it allows the students and the families to really be connected to our district and they can have cousins and family members that have students that go to different schools.
Speaker 2:And actually your school is one of our schools where a good portion of the kids live right around the school, but another big portion of the kids don't. They live in North Central San Mateo, correct? So sometimes it's about making sure every family has that same ability to choose to send their child to a Mandarin Immersion Program or to choose to send their child to a Montessori program. I don't know if you all have seen the data statewide, but it's very unusual for one district to have two Montessori K8 schools. That's, it's unheard of. I cannot think of another school district in California that's doing that. So it's, it's powerful, and and so if I live in the north central neighborhood and I have a four-year-old and I'm assigned to metal heights, I might think you know what that's amazing. I love metal heights, my Cousins and friends have gone there, and my neighbors. But I also might say I'm interested to know more about what this whole Montessori program Can offer my child and the fiesta. It accomplished that, doesn't it, stephanie?
Speaker 3:Absolutely. Last year we had 350 and you know when many of them take the opportunity to visit with all four schools and learn about those programs ask the questions that they've had. Some of the attendees Even had children that were going to be three years of age, but they're already thinking and planning ahead.
Speaker 2:I heard there was a person that showed up saying I have a one-year-old.
Speaker 3:Yes, I'm a one-year-old.
Speaker 2:I want to know what's gonna be here in four years. That's right, that's that. That's what I was referring to in terms of that, that parent energy of saying I want to know more.
Speaker 3:I want to get involved more.
Speaker 2:Yeah and I think even at events like that we make sure we have as many languages represented as well, so that parents who show up they can learn about the school but they can actually apply there on the spot.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, yes. Um last year we took 40 or 50 or so. Transfer on on the spot and some families came and they wanted to just talk with the schools and then think about it and Afterwards go ahead and maybe put in that transfer request.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we'll have this big party. That's in a few weeks. We open the window. What? How else will we communicate with families? Will they get something? You know, a district-wide email? Will it be in our website? Talk a little bit about sort of the different ways we're gonna communicate with families.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. The information is currently posted on our district website under the enroll tab, nice, and we love putting it out there ahead of time, before we open the registration form, so that families have time to review that information and prepare. And we also appreciate I'm gonna put a plug families for word of mouth and checking in with your neighbors who might have a similar age child.
Speaker 2:People like Robin, who speak to 500 families every week. They could be a big help right.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, absolutely so. So we really appreciate that and we also have flyers out in the community, out at our libraries and rec centers and at, you know, certain key Kind of highly populate, highly trafficked areas like markets and things. You know. We have flyers out to promote.
Speaker 2:We do part of it is the web-based part of it's the in-person.
Speaker 3:Yes, we utilize as much as we can because we know families access information in a multitude of ways. So we will have a paper flyer and we'll do this podcast and we actually do that too here at the district office.
Speaker 2:Diego Perez and I we, you know, work together to try to orchestrate as many different ways of communicating with families, but we don't do any of it, just sort of in the dark. We Then sit back and we analyze and we check to see what happens. Our enrollment podcast are one of the most downloaded podcasts we do every year. When we make the enrollment page Updated, it will immediately have a huge burst in terms of parents going on the website. So we're always looking for impact, not just access. It's one thing to say, hey, come, find out this information, but if you sit back and nobody clicked on it, then you're sort of disappointed that this resource was there and people didn't take advantage of it, and and, and and.
Speaker 2:Then this podcast becomes part of that story. We'll be tonight. We'll be at one of our schools doing a workshop with parents. We'll talk about this podcast. We'll give out the paperwork for registration to everybody that shows up. Tomorrow we'll be at one of our schools having lunch with our teachers. One of those papers will be in everyone's hand by the time they leave.
Speaker 2:So it's just a part of this way of layering communications. And you know Robin coming in and and giving us this real site perspective. It shows how, as a team, with each person connecting with families where they come in in your case, it's really that very first time they ever come in and then Stephanie, you're further away you don't really get that face-to-face time with parents that Robin gets on a day-to-day basis, but both ends are really important, yeah, and then, if we do it right, we start to check our own data and enrollment as well. That's why I mentioned how robust our magnet schools are, because we're seeing those applications come in and then we go back to our school sites and say what do you need from us? So when parents come in and want information about enrollment at metal heights, what do you wanna hear from those parents? What do you need from us at the district office?
Speaker 1:I'm always in contact with emailing.
Speaker 2:Stephanie Gibson or anybody else in the enrollment department Support basically.
Speaker 1:Yes, because it's so helpful making sure that our students' needs are met.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:If there is something in regards to families having other students in different schools, just making sure that families can do things in a way that's efficient for the students, and that's when we work with the enrollment department and sometimes we're even like let me keep this kid, give me this kid give me this family, and you know we try our best.
Speaker 2:Yeah, to accommodate whatever is best for the family, ultimately, Always yeah yeah. So one thing we'll do on our way out here is I actually just wanna hear from you, robin. Just you've been at metal heights Now is it?
Speaker 3:two years. How long have you been?
Speaker 2:in.
Speaker 1:One year, one year.
Speaker 2:Like one year and how many months. When did you start Two? I?
Speaker 1:was like yeah, so I would say about a year and four months.
Speaker 2:A year and change. Yeah, and that's something that you just say. I love this about metal heights Cause you've been at different schools Every school is different. What is it about metal heights? You say I absolutely love this about metal heights.
Speaker 1:We're really involved with our parents and our communities, and I really like it. We'll have families that have like a two year old and they're like they're coming, like get ready, and so we're just always keeping that in the back of our mind. I'll be like I should be getting some paperwork from you cause it looks like you have a kinder.
Speaker 2:You get to see them grow up right.
Speaker 1:Yes, and just getting to see that in the community I had some kids visit from Abbott yesterday and, but you're former kids, basically. Yeah, and it's really different to see them mature. We miss you.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, they come in.
Speaker 1:It's like 330. They walk in the office like they own the office and it's so nice cause they're so confident and they're doing so great, let's put them to work. I have their names.
Speaker 2:Let's get a program for them.
Speaker 1:I used to do.
Speaker 2:Hey, I used to be a school principal. Anytime, one of my former students came back and said oh, it's so lovely to see. So tell me, what are you doing every day? Every day from three to three, 45. I got some kids you can work with. All right, we'll get started. That's our next podcast is putting these teenagers to work when they come back to their program at Heno Heights Friday.