Important Dates

Parent-Teacher Conferences:

• October and November

Progress Report Distribution:

• November
• February
• April
• June

                School Events:

•    Back to School Night
•    Open House
•    PTA Meetings
•    Advanced Academic Parent Nights
•    CETA Night
•    Bailey's Upper Dance Company
•    Band, Strings, and Chorus Concerts
•    Parent Coffees

Building Capacity for Engagement

Efforts will be made to ensure parents/caregivers are actively involved in the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the school’s Title I program, including the following: 

◊ Provide family members a voice in decision-making on committees, such as the Parent Teacher Association, Parent Coffees, and Family Engagement Committee. 

◊ Engage caregiver input when developing the School Improvement and Innovation Plan (SIIP), Comprehensive Needs Assessment, the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy and Compact, and plans for the use of Title I family engagement funding.  

◊ Seek feedback from families on programs within the SIIP, offer multiple methods for caregivers to submit comments about programs they may not find satisfactory, and submit any such comments with SIIP to FCPS central offices.  

◊ Invite family members to help in organizing and executing a variety of school events to build collective ownership, such as becoming members of the school's Family Engagement Committee, working with the Family Liasions, volunteering with the PTA, and attending Parent Coffees. 

◊ Provide opportunities for caregivers to volunteer within the school in various ways, such as supporting teachers with classroom materials, guest readers, field trips, cafeteria and recess support, family outreach, and supporting in the library.  

◊ Encourage families to take part in the annual evaluation of the division-level Title I parent and family engagement policy in order to identify:  

◊ barriers to greater family participation,  

◊ ways to help family members be better able to assist in student learning, and  

◊ strategies to support successful school and family interactions.  

Effective Communication with Parents

Efforts will be made to ensure parents/caregivers receive meaningful communication in a timely manner, including the following:

◊ Use multiple methods of communication with families such as Talking Points, News You Choose Weekly newsletter, Thursday Folders, Facebook and Twitter.  

◊ Encourage all caregivers to attend an annual meeting at Back to School Night and our Fall PTA Meeting, to share information about Title I services, explain Title I grant requirements, and inform families of their right to be involved in the school.  

◊ Share school and student performance data with families in ways that seek their ideas about how to improve performance toward Virginia’s challenging academic standards, such as Open House, Back to School Night, parent-teacher conferences, curriculum nights, and principal coffees/PTA meetings. 

◊ Provide opportunities throughout the year for families to better understand the school’s goals for students and find ways to improve student learning by attending Parent Coffees and dedicating a portion of each coffee to academic support. 

◊ Maintain resources for caregivers to review student assignments and ongoing communication about student work, such as sharing information about due dates and student work in weekly newsletters and Thursday folders. 

◊ Provide ongoing feedback on student progress through quarterly progress reports that show specific areas of proficiency and areas for continued growth.  

◊ Hold parent-teacher conferences for all students at least annually in the fall and more often, as needed. 

Shared Responsibilities for High Academic Achievement

Efforts will be made to ensure parents/caregivers receive materials, training, and benefits from school partnerships with social and academic services, community organizations, businesses, including the following:

◊ Hold workshops connecting caregivers to tools and resources, such as Parent Coffees and Parent Workshops.                            

◊ Offer regular opportunities for families to learn directly from school staff about the school’s academic, behavioral, and social programming through Parent Coffees, PTA Meetings, and Curriculum nights. 

◊ Encourage participation in family learning events where caregivers learn strategies to support their child’s learning at home and have a chance to practice those strategies with their child, such as Parent Coffees dedicated to literacy, mathematics, and CETA. 

◊ Provide ongoing access to resources in the school, such as academic and curriculum support and medical and community resources. 

◊ Provide mentors for students through Mentor Works and during afterschool clubs. 

◊ Provide opportunities to donate and access supplies donated by others, such as Muslim Women’s Coalition, Rack Room Shoes, Capital One, Rotary Club, and other business partners. 

◊ Leverage partnerships with local businesses and organizations to enhance school programs and events, such as the Kennedy Center - CETA. 

◊ Support parents in accessing county and community resources, such as connecting school personnel (social worker, wellness team, and family liaisons) 

 ◊ Offer outreach and training for targeted families, such as parenting classes, Parent Coffees, and PTA events.  

Welcoming All Families

Efforts will be made to ensure that all parents/caregivers are welcomed and provided opportunities to actively engage within the school, including the following:  

◊ Create a welcoming atmosphere at the school with an open door policy, Family events, offering transportation to school events. 

◊ Provide interpretation services for parent-teacher conferences, workshops, and meetings.  

◊ Translate or provide interpretation of all school documents and communication to make them   accessible in the caregiver’s preferred correspondence language and for those with vision or hearing impairments.  

◊ Support two-way communication between families and staff through assistance of a parent liaison for resources, parent-teacher communication, Parent Coffees, and PTA Meetings. 

◊ Expand access for family participation in informational meetings and learning sessions by finding out exactly what families are looking for and creating opportunities for their learning. 

Compact Provisions  

 School staff, parents/caregivers, and students must work together to ensure student success.    

The staff will:

Provide a high-quality curriculum and instruction that enables students to meet challenging academic standard through the following actions:

 ◊ Teach all students according to the state’s challenging standards, using approved curriculum.        

 ◊ Provide ongoing professional development and support to all teachers to ensure effective instructional practices are used in all classrooms.  

◊ Communicate clear expectations of student behavior and academic learning. 

◊ Provide translations of documents, conferences, and events when possible. 

 Provide a supportive and effective learning environment for students through the  following actions: 

◊ Provide clear expectations for student behavior and academic learning.  

◊ Offer a variety of resources to help students with their learning.  

◊ Identify the needs of each individual child. 

Provide assistance to caregivers in understanding the school’s program through the following actions:

◊ Hold an annual meeting to present information on the school’s Title I programs, state and division curriculum and assessments, and the school’s state and federal accountability status.

◊ Provide multiple opportunities for caregivers to ask questions and give input in the Title I program(s)

 ◊ Provide opportunities for families to give feedback and request support.  

 ◊ Schedule quarterly parent coffees. 

Build caregivers’ involvement in the school’s Title I program through the following actions:  

◊ Include caregivers as members of the School Improvement and Innovation Planning (SIIP) Committee and as collaborators in developing the SIIP and plans for the use of Title I family engagement funds.  

◊ Invite families to be a part of the school community during Open House, Back to School Night, and other school events. 

The parents/caregivers will:

Demonstrate understanding that participation in my child’s education will help his or her achievement through the following actions: 

◊ Participate in decisions related to school programs and my child’s education and share my   questions or comments about the programs in my child’s school.  

 ◊ Volunteer in my child’s classroom or in school activities, as my schedule allows.  

 ◊ Encourage and support my child’s learning at home and at school.