Parent Centers Plan Seminars, Screenings

A conference to encourage area parents to become more involved in their children’s education and to provide basic health information is scheduled for Saturday at San Fernando Middle School.

The fourth annual San Fernando Cluster Parent Conference is being sponsored by the parent center directors of the 15 Los Angeles Unified School District campuses that make up the San Fernando-area cluster, said Yolanda Gomez, Beachy Avenue Elementary School parent center director.

The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The day’s program includes seminars and lectures on various topics, including how parents can help their children do homework, Gomez said.

Another lecture will explore advanced educational opportunities that young students can aspire to--and that may not be out of reach for parents themselves, Gomez said.

There will also be information about new standards recently set for students by the school district.

Some basic medical counseling and services will also be available, including on-site processing of Medi-Cal applications and breast exams, as part of breast cancer awareness efforts, the organizers said.

Gomez said hundreds of participants are expected.

Last year, she said, about 800 parents attended the conference.

“Our purpose is to educate, make parents more aware,” Gomez said. “We want to make them feel they are part of the educational system, too.”