Westminster Public Schools hosts open house for newcomer families amid migrant crisis in Colorado
In a packed room full of coats, shoes and backpacks, migrant families feel the warmth of a community set out to make the transition into Westminster Public Schools easier for newcomers.
"We are here, and we are here to support them," said Mike Carlson, student and family engagement coordinator for Westminster Public Schools.
On Tuesday, the school district hosted an open house for newcomer families at the Daniel C. Vallez Family Education Center in Adams County. The event was designed to serve as an outlet for parents of students who have recently started in the district after arriving from other parts of the world.
"We've been in the United States for the last eight months," said Andres Sanchez, who is a Colombian migrant.
"You feel alone; you feel unprotected," said Joanna Romero about being a migrant coming from Colombia. "But the help has been really great.
Since the start of the school year, 226 newcomer students have enrolled in Westminster Public Schools.
"Which is 75 more than we would have during the whole year," Carlson said. "If this trend continues, we could have well over 400 newcomers to the district this school year."
Families had the chance to learn and meet from district leaders about some of the programs they have for newcomer students in the districts.
They also had the chance to pick out winter clothes and other essentials donated by the district.
"Our buses are picking up different families in all the places in different schools, just to facilitate because some of them don't drive," said Claudia Glascock, who is the district's parent academy for student success coordinator.
Other organizations within the school, as well as programs and resources outside of the school, were also introduced to families. This includes resources offered across Adams County on things like English language learning, mental health and food access.
"It's wonderful," said Juliana Castano, a Colombian migrant. "It's an opportunity for parents to get to know and realize all of the opportunities that we have — that often times we don't know about."
These resources do not just offer opportunities for families to help build their students' futures in the district, but it is also for their own journeys navigating new life in the U.S.
"We're going to have help learning English, which is really important," Romero said.
"Our Westminster Public Schools Foundation, fundwps.org, has been instrumental in helping with this cause," Carlson said. "[They] have raised over $6,000 in the last 72 hours to help our families in need."
District leaders say they hope to put on more programs like this as the population of migrant families continues to grow in the community.