On March 8, Boys Town and Millard Public Schools hosted a free Family Fun Night for parents who are English Language Learners (ELL). Forty-two parents and 85 children attended the event at Sandoz Elementary, participating in activities like pizza-making, family photos, giveaways, crafts, games, and a session called “How to help your student at home”, conducted by Common Sense Parenting ^®. Boys Town National Research Hospital ^® staff was also on hand to share information on Boys Town clinics with parents.

With the number of ELL parents rising in Millard, the School District is working to accommodate this growing population. The school district plans to conduct Common Sense Parenting classes specifically for ELL parents in the 2016-2017 school year. The Family Fun Night provided a way to promote the program, as well as Boys Town’s other parenting services.
According to Bridget Barnes, Director of Common Sense Parenting in Nebraska/Iowa, the night’s event had three goals: Connect with a large number of resettlement families living in the Millard School District, make them more aware of Boys Town’s services, and get parents signed up for the Common Sense Parenting classes that are being made available by Millard Public Schools.

“We definitely met our goals!” Barnes said. “The parents were very interested in the different Boys Town services, and almost every parent there signed up to attend the parenting classes that will be available in Spanish and English in March. Presently, the two classes are filled, and we have created a waitlist.”

Boys Town thanks everyone who was involved to make Family Fun Night a successful event, spreading Boys Town’s programs and services into a growing Omaha community.