NEWBERRY — The Newberry Family Literacy Program recently earned a prestigious endorsement by the “Parents as Teachers National Center” as a Blue Ribbon Affiliate. This makes the Newberry Family Literacy Program one of the top performing home visiting affiliates within the international Parents as Teachers network as well as being nationally recognized as a PAT blue ribbon endorsed affiliate for Newberry County.

This endorsement shows that families in the Newberry community are positively impacted by the services delivered by this program, which include home visits, group connections, child screening and connections to community resources, equipping parents with knowledge and resources to prepare their children for a stronger start in life and greater success in school.

To earn Blue Ribbon Affiliate status, the Newberry Family Literacy Program underwent a self -study and National Center review process to confirm that they are meeting Parents as Teachers’ standards of fidelity and quality during the 2017-2018 school year.

Among the Newberry Family Literacy Program’s greatest strengths identified by the national office is Resource Connection for families and Assessment and Goal Setting for clients. When asked about receiving the Blue Ribbon Status, Newberry Family Literacy Program Coordinator, Emily R. Crump-Saddler stated, “Receiving the Blue Ribbon Status is an honor for the entire Newberry County School District, as well as the Newberry Family Literacy Team. This recognition is a direct impact of our strong community alliances and partnerships as well as an acknowledgment of our team’s dedication to achieving our mission to encourage parents to become their child’s first and most important teacher as well as assists parents to continue their academic journey and reach their full potential.”

The Newberry County School District’s Parenting Program began during the 1997-1998 school year. During the 2000-2001 school year, the Newberry County School District implemented a true Comprehensive Family literacy program.

The Newberry Family Literacy Program has several components including Adult Literacy, Early Childhood Education, Parenting Support, Parent and Child Together as well as the home visitation component. Teen and adult parents are provided with prenatal and parent education and information regarding their child’s development in the home and at school. Certified parent educators interact with the parent and child in their natural setting to better serve the unique needs of the family and provide developmental information and support to them. Age appropriate books and materials are given to the families during each of these visits. Childcare may also be provided for the children of these parents as long as they adhere to the guidelines set forth by our program by our partners. These students also participate in the parenting café /group connections that are open to the community. Parents who have not received their GED or high school diploma can attend the Newberry Adult Education Center while their children attend our Bright Beginnings Child Development Center on the Adult Ed campus. The home visitation component is funded by Newberry First Steps as a result of their partnership with the Newberry County School District.

Along with workshops and parenting sessions, the Newberry Family Literacy Program provides free newsletters in English and Spanish to the families along with parenting books, resource materials and age appropriate books and materials for the children.

November is recognized as “National Family Literacy Month.” The goal of this awareness month is to bring about a great opportunity for families to get back into the tradition of reading as a family. For the Family Literacy Program, this Blue Ribbon Status couldn’t have come during a better month. Five suggestions to enhance and promote literacy in the home are listed below.

1. Set aside time each day for reading.

2. Keep books visible around the house.

3. Make regular visits to the library.

4. Read the book version of your child’s favorite movie.

5. Organize a children’s book club with friends in the neighborhood.

The Newberry Family Literacy Team includes; Emily R. Crump-Saddler, Loretta Settles, Mallory Matthews, Louvenia Williams, Dawn Amick, Lozetta Peterson, Constance McMorris and Crystal Hayward. We also recognize Annie Laurie Dorroh, Norma Price, and Chelsea McMorris for the vital roles they played in achieving their prestigious recognition. For more information about enhancing literacy, please visit the Newberry Family Literacy homepage which is located on the Newberry County School District website. www.newberry.k12.sc.us

Staff Report