Bell Gardens, CA – Montebello Unified School District recognized and celebrated 70 parents for completing a communication workshop at a special graduation ceremony on Feb. 18 at Bell Gardens Elementary School. The graduates are parents of children who attend local MUSD schools. They were honored with certificates from Board President Edgar Cisneros, District administrators, and workshop facilitators, for completing an eight-week course on interpersonal communication strategies.

“Academic, personal and professional success includes, and often depends on, effective communication and collaboration, and these graduates have acquired or reacquired priceless skills that will improve relationships at home, at work and throughout our community,” said MUSD Board President Edgar Cisneros. “We are so proud of all the graduates for their daily commitment to enhance their own quality of life and the steps they have taken to sustain communication with their students at home. I commend Healthy Relationships California and our staff for this successful workshop which reminded us all that communication and family activities are essential to healthy and successful families.”

The workshop, entitled World Class Relationships for Work and Home, was offered through a partnership between MUSD and Healthy Relationships California, which administered the course with Solutions 4 Families Inc. The workshop instructor was Veronica Mora Aguilar, who was a former communications workshop student herself. The workshop was held at the school over two months.

The workshop exemplifies the continuing effort by MUSD to expand outreach to the community and provide services to families that bolster communication and enhance their children’s learning experience. The workshop focused on day-to-day problem solving and empowered couples with the insights, tools and practical steps to reach a new level of communication and understanding.

“We feel strongly that communication — together with creating, collaboration and critical thinking — are the keys to a high-quality education,” said MUSD Superintendent of Schools Cleve Pell. “Not only are we working to ensure that our students are effective communicators, but we also are investing in our parents who serve as excellent role models for our youth.”

The hour-long sessions featured topics such as setting goals, power listening, avoiding blame, handling hot topics, resolving conflicts and disagreements, apology and forgiveness, growing oneself and nurturing a relationship.

Healthy Relationships California was founded by Patty Howell, Ed. M. — who, along with her husband, Ralph Jones — offer a variety of like-minded courses designed to better help families find solutions to every day obstacles and establish pillars necessary to forge a strong and sustainable marriage.

The Long Beach-based Solutions 4 Families Inc. was founded in 2005 by Rosa Jaime and Michelle Onesto and provides L.A. and Orange counties with parenting and educational services.

Photo Captions

BGE Parents1: Genoveva Castellion, Rosa Ibarra, Jacqueline Cardenas, Maria Dezama smile ahead of their graduation from the World Class Relationships for Work and Home workshop on Feb. 18 at Bell Gardens Elementary School held in partnership with MUSD and local partners.

BGE Parents2: Seventy parents and community members were honored by Board President Edgar Cisneros, District administrators and workshop leaders for completing an eight-week course on interpersonal communication strategies on Feb. 18 at Bell Gardens Elementary School.