Welcoming Newcomer Families

A space for educators to discuss and share resources on how to welcome newcomer families to school districts.

To create a central community space for MA school districts for consolidating available information.

  • Current Events
  • Inclusive Climate
  • Cultural & Language Access
  • Parent-Led Groups  
  • Feedback

Share new and relevant newcomer resources  

Utilize discussion boards for ongoing issues and making connections

Supporting our Immigrant, Newcomer, and Multilingual Communities: A Letter from MASFEC

Dear MASFEC Community,

As we take in the current political landscape and activities, we want to emphasize the steadfast support that our team still has for our immigrant, newcomer, and multilingual communities: we are still here for you. While it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant shifts in policies and news cycles, we must remind ourselves that change can take time, and our commitment to supporting our communities is unwavering. We remain a pillar for our families and educators to express their concerns, receive referrals, and find community. Together, how should we move forward and what should we do next? 
Venn Diagram depicts four areas that overlap around the theme "Beloging." The four areas are Understanding Context, Accessing Basic Needs, Respecting Language and Culture, and Partnering with Communities.
To ​increase knowledge on immigration & refugee backgrounds
To put in practice strategies for classrooms, designs, & partnerships​
To instill an achievement-oriented & relationships-focused mindset in school settings​
How do we create belonging?
Through the "Belonging Diagram," we aim to assess newcomer family needs through a series of 4 milestones:

  • Understanding Context
  • Accessing Basic Needs
  • Respecting Language & Culture
  • Partnering with Communities 


We refer to each of these circles on the Venn Diagram as milestones because they are important goals to keep in mind while we assess what families need and what we can provide. All four equally impact the way that belonging is instilled in school climates.

As you walk through the following forum, you will be guided by the Belonging Diagram. How can we think about these milestones as action items, and how can we assess where we land currently with our newcomer families on this diagram?

Dual Capacity-Building Framework

Developed by Dr. Karen Mapp, Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Dual Capacity-Building Framework seeks to develop effective family-school partnerships. 
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The resources within the modules that address the Belonging Diagram milestones
are organized by drawing from the Dual-Capacity-Building Framework's “4 C” areas:

Capabilities

Skills & Knowledge

Connections

Building Networks

Cognition

Shifts in Beliefs & Values

Confidence

Self-efficacy

Download the User Guide Here!

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Our User Guide will help you understand how you can learn from, interact with, and contribute to this community of practice with users across Massachusetts in order to better serve Newcomer students and families.

Watch a tutorial on how to access and utilize the Resource Hub: 

Patrick Jones - Course author

What do school leaders & educators need to know to be informed partners ​
in immigrant children's education?​

What do schools and families need?

What is the next step that you will be taking to ​
ensure that your classroom, school, and district ​
are on the right path to partnering with immigrant ​
families in an inclusive way? ​

How are the specifics of your students' background going to contribute to how you consider these solutions? ​