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Parent and Family Engagement

2019-2020 Parent and Family Engagement Committee Members

Janalee Olhausen-Kaylor – Principal         

Christine Reading – Federal Coordinator 

Bobbi Grandon – Parent Facilitator

Eve Burcham – Parent               

Amanda Matthews – Parent                         

Matthew Grandon – Parent

 

Alpena Elementary School Compact

2018-2019

 

The mission of the Alpena Elementary School is to provide a safe, equitable, quality education for all students.  We will provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive environment that enables the students to meet the academic standards set forth by the Arkansas Department of Education.

 

The School

  • Alpena Elementary will provide a rigorous, differentiated program that meets the needs of all learners.
  • Alpena Elementary will communicate with families weekly regarding curriculum, events, and activities.
  • Alpena Elementary will implement a Positive Behavior System that allows for recognition and redirection in a positive way.
  • Alpena Elementary will incorporate Character Education into the curriculum.

 

The Home

  • Parents/Guardians at Alpena Elementary will send their children to school appropriately dressed, prepared to learn, and on time.
  • Parents/Guardians at Alpena Elementary will read to/with their children for 15 minutes five times weekly.
  • Parents/Guardians at Alpena Elementary will attend all Parent/Teacher Conferences during the year to discuss the academic progress of their children.
  • Parents/Guardians of Alpena Elementary will assist their children with their homework/assignments on a regular basis to ensure completeness and accuracy.

ALPENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

P.O. BOX 270

ALPENA, AR  72611

870-437-2229

Parent and Family Engagement Plan

2019-20 School Year

 

Parent and Family Engagement Facilitator:  Bobbi Grandon bgrandon@alpenaleopards.org 

 

Link to Parent Information Packet  (contains School/Parent Compact, Volunteer Interest Survey, ways for parents and families to be involved, homework tips, email list of staff)

 

Calendar of Events     2019-20 School Year

 

Opportunities for Family and Parental Involvement/Volunteer Opportunities:

  • Open House-August  

  • Parent/Teacher Conferences-September 19 and March 12

  • Patriot’s Day – September 11

  •  Red Ribbon Week – October

  • Fall Festival – October 25

  • Veteran's Assembly-November 11

  • Parent Volunteer Programs-throughout the year

  •  Math Carnival - Spring -  May 1

  • Robotics Events

  •  Livestock Showing

  • Chess Club Competition - November 14

  • Quiz Bowl - 3/4:  January 24 5/6:  Dec 6

  • Art Club Events

  • Band Events

  •  Sports games and competitions-throughout the year

  •  Parent Volunteer Training- Initial training in August – more training as needed

  •  Thanksgiving Dinner

  • Drama

  • Book Fair

  • Informational Fairs

  • Career Day

  • Monthly Character Assemblies

  • Geography Bee - Grades 5 - 8  - January

  • Spelling Bee  - (Grades 1 - 8) - December

  • Dyslexia Night

  • Community Fundraiser

  • Author's Event 

  • Community Partnership Event











 

                Parent & Family Engagement Plan - INDISTAR

School Name:

Alpena Elementary

Facilitator Name:

Bobbi Grandon

Plan Review/Revision Date:

9/23/19

District Level Reviewer, Title:

Christine Reading

District Level Approval Date:

10/1/2019

 

Committee Members, Role:

First Name

Last Name

Position

Jannalee 

Olhausen Kaylor

Principal

Christine

Reading

Federal Coordinator

Bobbi

Grandon

Parent Facilitator

Eve

Burcham

Parent

Amanda 

Matthews

Parent

Matthew 

Grandon

Parent


 

1: Jointly Developed

A Parent and Family Engagement Committee, which is comprised of teachers and parents from various roles, will work together to develop a Learning Compact that outlines the responsibilities of the school and home to foster academic growth for all learners.  The committee will carefully consider the needs of families in our community to ensure goals are attainable for all parties. Teachers will be responsible for discussing the compact with parents and all stakeholders will sign the compact. The Parent and Family Engagement Committee will review, improve, and update the school parent and family engagement plan to meet the changing needs of the parents and the school.  Meetings will be held a various times to allow for parents’ schedules. Each member will have an opportunity to submit comments to the district regarding Title I plan satisfaction and regular meetings.




 

2: Annual Title I Meeting

The Alpena Elementary Title I meeting will be held on September 30, 2019 to inform parents of the requirements of Title I and the school’s participation as well as the parents’ rights. The school will provide an opportunity to disseminate information and distribute copies of the School Parent and Family Engagement Plan.  The meeting is advertised on the school messenger, classroom newsletters, the electronic message center, and a note to parents.


 

3: Communications

 

Alpena Elementary School is committed to regular, meaningful two-way communication between parents and teachers and understands the importance of this in the education of our students.  The Alpena School District website provides a classroom page for each teacher for communication. Also, parents can access their child's grades using a PIN number they received at the beginning of the school year. Parents may use email to communicate with members of the school staff.   Computers are made available at school for parents to use to access their student's grades and for other educational needs.

Each teacher will send home a weekly folder with information specific to his/her classroom. Parents will be asked to sign any logs (behavior/reading) and return the folder each week.  Parents may also send back notes to the teacher asking questions or providing input.

Alpena Elementary School will provide parents with progress reports/report cards every five weeks with information regarding their child's academic progress.

Alpena Elementary School teachers will communicate with parents on an individual basis to discuss their child's progress and to receive suggestions and insight from parents.

Each teacher will send home a weekly folder with information specific to his/her classroom. Parents will be asked to sign any logs (behavior/reading) and return the folder each week. Parents may also send back notes to the teacher asking questions or providing input.

Alpena Elementary School will provide parents with progress reports/report cards every five weeks with information regarding their child's academic progress.   Parent-Teacher conferences will be held in September and March so that parents and teachers can have face-to-face communication on how to best meet the needs of each child.  These meetings will be held over a 6 hour span (2 - 8 pm) to accommodate parents' schedules.

Alpena Elementary School teachers will communicate with parents on an individual basis to discuss their child's progress.   This will provide an opportunity for two-way communication and allow parents to provide the teacher suggestions and input concerning their child.

The school parent and family engagement plan will be available to families and the community online. It will contain contact information for the parent facilitator.

Parent Information Packets are provided in the fall of the school year, and as a supplement to the student handbook. The parent packet will include information such as a summary of the Alpena Elementary School Parent & Family Engagement plan, information on how parents can get involved at our school, a volunteer interest survey (the Parent Facilitator will keep returned surveys in an easily accessible place), a schedule of activities planned for the upcoming school year (additional activities planned will be updated onto the calendar found on the school website), and information on how to contact their student(s)' teachers.

 

4: School-Parent Compact

 

Alpena Elementary School's Parent & Family Engagement Committee and other interested parties will work toward improving student academic achievement.  The committee will review the School-Parent compact annually. The compact ensures regular, two-way communication.

Strategies Alpena Elementary School will use to improve student academic achievement and improved parent and family engagement include: bi annual parent teacher conferences, progress reports and report cards, reasonable teacher access, volunteer opportunities, and avenues to observe classroom activities. Parent letters are sent out outlining testing dates, testing tips, and parental help ensuring children achieve the challenging state academic standards. The volunteer binder filled with volunteer surveys as a resource of parental volunteer interests and availability, which teachers have access to in order to involve parent volunteers. The volunteers may fill a variety of roles. 




 

5: Reservation of Funds

 

Although we receive less than $500,000 in Title I funds, the Alpena School District will reserve 1% for parent and family engagement activities. Parents and family members of children receiving services will be provided the opportunity to be involved in the decision making process on how the reserved funds are utilized for parent and family engagement activities. 


 

6: Coordination of Services

 

Alpena Elementary School utilizes available community resources.  The LEA coordinates with local churches to provide food bags that are sent home with students on the weekend, Thanksgiving, and Christmas baskets. We will investigate to identify ways to provide additional food for school breaks, such as spring break. We coordinate community resources for informational fairs in order to provide our parents and families with resources to help the families, including early childhood programs, boy scouts, girl scouts, community library resources, food bank resources, GED resources for parents and communities, and other resources. We plan to coordinate parenting classes with local communities. We will have put a survey out trying identify parent interested in forming a parent teacher organization. We coordinate with the Kiwanis Club for our monthly school-wide Character Assemblies.

 

7: Building Capacity of Parents

 

  • Alpena Elementary School will send out information (flyers, marquee, FB page, weekly phone call) informing parents of the Volunteer Training Meeting.

  • Parent volunteers are provided training.

  • Information is placed on the Alpena School District's website, including educational goals and links to educational sites for learning.

  • Parental involvement groups are developed yearly. Information for these groups (ex.Booster Club, PTO) is advertised on the Facebook Pages (Elementary PTO, and Booster Club).

  • Teacher Excellence and Support System (TESS) mandates training that includes parental involvement.

  • Parent Surveys are sent out in September. Parents have the opportunity to rate the school and offer suggestions anonymously.

  • Regular parent involvement meetings are scheduled some of the agenda will be curriculum in use, ADE parental tools on the ADE website, technology awareness, and and coordinate literacy training with community resources.

  • Individual academic assessment results are provided at parent teacher conferences.

  • Coordinate with state nutritional programs classroom visits.

  • A Parent Center is located in the elementary building and is open daily during school hours.  Books and charts are available for check-out as well as free personal hygiene items.

  • Informational packets are distributed during Open House each year (include a copy of the school's Learning Compact).  The Parent Involvement Plan is available on the school website.

  • The Alpena Elementary School principal shall designate (1) certified staff member who is willing to serve as a parent facilitator.

  • Located in the handbook is the school's process for resolving parental concerns, including how to define a problem, whom to approach first, and how to develop solutions.


 

8: Building Capacity of School Staff

 

Professional development in 2019-2020 school year  include how parental assistance and integral role in student learning, including the value important role parents play in student learning, valuable and unified parental contribution, working with parental partners, building ties with and parental programs between home and school, welcome parents while seeking parents as equal partners, send information in parent friendly words, recognize reasonable parent requests for parent and family engagement activities, and understanding parents are full partners including the handbook and school’s process for resolving parent concerns.. 


 

9: Building Capacity - Discretionary

  • Alpena Elementary School will ask parents to fill out a parent survey to get information from parents concerning the activities they feel will be most beneficial in the efforts to support their child academically.

  • Alpena Elementary School will use the results of the parent interest survey will be used to plan the parental involvement activities for the year. 

  • Alpena Elementary School will evaluate the activities that were suggested by the parents at the end of the year as part of the annual parental involvement plan evaluation.