A Family Arrives from
the Czech Republic
Recently
a family arrived in Williamsburg, Virginia to apply for our Head Start
program. First, we asked the family if
they were comfortable participating in an intake appointment in English or if
they needed a translator. They indicated
that there was a family member who could translate for them. As an agency, we also sought out a translator
through a professional translation group and contacted the College of William
and Mary to determine if there might be a student who could translate
newsletters and other materials that might be going home to the parents. We also took the time to research the life
and culture of the Czech Republic to be responsive to them when they were ready
to participate in the intake interview. Through
the intake process, we learned a great deal about the family structure, the
reason for the move to the United States (high unemployment and internet
capabilities), the language that they speak at home (Czech), and the support
system they have living here in Williamsburg.
The
teacher was made aware of the new student for the classroom. She began researching the Czech Republic as
well to learn as much as possible about the culture. She found pictures of children from the Czech
Republic to put in the classroom. As
administrator, I contacted the library to ask for help locating books that
might have pictures or stories from the country. The teacher and teacher assistant warmly
welcomed the new family to the program.
The child’s name was written in English and Czech. The teacher received training about using
picture cues and gestures to communicate with the child who spoke little
English. The child was encouraged, but
not forced, to participate with the other children in the class. The teachers also invited the parents to be
active participants in the classroom.
They also encouraged the family to share their culture with the rest of
the class.
By
locating a translator the family will feel more comfortable in sharing their ideas
with both the Family Service Worker and the teacher. Having pictures of children from the child’s
native country, having her name written in Czech, providing books with stories
from her native country would make the child feel welcomed and accepted. Because the teacher also has picture cues and
gestures as tools to help the child acclimate to the classroom, both the
teachers and the child feel more comfortable about this new environment. Sending home newsletters in the family’s
native language, aids in the connection between school and home. The family feels empowered to actively
participate in the program. Because the
staff learned about the culture of the family before they came in for the
intake interview, they felt more confident as they learned about the
family.
References
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
(n.d.). In The World Factbook. Retrieved from
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ez.
Minister of Foreign Affairs.(n.d.). Czech Republic. Retrieved from www.czech.cz.
The U.S. Department of State.
(n.d.). In Diplomacy in Action. Retrieved
from www.state.gov.
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