ROGER CORBETT TITLE I PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY

SCHOOL YEAR 2010-2011

(Final Revision Date: September 23, 2010)

Roger Corbett Elementary School continuously strives to improve student learning and achievement.  Because students spend most of their time at home, we believe that parents, relatives, and caregivers are children's first teachers and major contributors to their success. Therefore, our entire staff is committed to actively involving and welcoming all of our families into our school.

 

We start each school year by inviting parents to come to our first Parent Club meeting in September, where we explain Title I and the services that it offers to parents.  It is also during this time that our schoolwide and parent involvement plans are discussed and goals are set, by encouraging parents in attendance to offer suggestions and ask questions throughout the meeting.  To allow all parents a chance to attend this meeting and other school functions, we provide flexible meeting times (for those parents and families who cannot attend) as needed and feasible.  In addition, classroom teachers provide childcare during most meetings so that parents may fully enjoy and focus on the information that is being presented.  Likewise, we make every possible effort to provide interpreters if requested or needed at all school events.

 

To further actively include parents and families as equal partners in their children's education, we also commit ourselves to the following actions that adhere to the six parent involvement standards for the 2010/2011 school year:

 

  1. Welcoming All Families Into the School:  The staff at Roger Corbett School will continue to make an ongoing effort to make our families feel welcomed, valued, and connected to our school.  We will accomplish this through our family learning center, welcome board in the foyer, school sign, active volunteer program, teacher post cards, and by connecting families to other community organizations for outreach.

 

  1. Communicating Effectively: Our families and staff will engage in regular, two-way meaningful communication about student learning.  Some examples of our communication with parents include:  the school newsletter, parent handouts, parent surveys, the school sign, parent/teacher conferences, phone calls, progress reports, Blackboard Connect phone messages, home visits, student folders sent home on Fridays, Parent Club Meetings, the Parent Leadership Committee, parenting classes, and family learning nights.  All forms of communication will be transmitted in a language level that parents can understand and will be available in English and Spanish.  Every possible effort to communicate with parents in other languages will be made if the need shall ever arise or at parent request.  Upon request, the school shall take actions to ensure that information about the school and its programs is sent to parents in alternative formats, such as e-mail and Infinite Campus.

 

  1. Supporting Student Success: Roger Corbett School will provide regular opportunities and materials to our families that strengthen student knowledge and skills and support their learning in school and at home.  Part of this will include explaining to our parents the following items:  the academic content standards for each grade level, individual classroom homework policies, the school's Discipline Policy, the school's curriculum, the requirements of Title I, the State's proficiency level targets, State's student academic achievement standards, and academic assessments at all levels - site, district, and state.  In addition, we will offer workshops that provide parents with helpful tips on how to use technology (like Infinite Campus), how to monitor their children's progress and how to work with educators.  We will continuously collaborate with families in supporting their children's success through parent hand-outs that contain helpful advice, Open House, family learning nights, adult ESL classes, family reading lunches, parent handouts, interactive homework, Parent Club Meetings, parent/teacher conferences, report cards, and school and family compacts.  School and family compacts are handed out during registration (which starts in May of the previous school year) and all throughout the year to new families as they enter our school.  They will also be reviewed and discussed with families during Parent-Teacher Conference Week:  November 8-12th, 2010.

 

  1. Speaking Up for Each Child: We will empower families to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.  By offering courses and workshops that educate and boost self-esteem, our families will learn how to be successful advocates.  Such courses will include adult ESL classes, parenting classes, information nights, and family literacy activities. In addition, family empowerment will also be fostered through our Parent Club Meetings, Parent Leadership Team, parent/teacher conferences, and parent surveys.

 

  1. Sharing Power:  We believe that families and schools are equal partners in the decisions that affect children.  Therefore, we will work together with our families to inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs that promote parent involvement.  This will be done via Parent Club Meetings, parent surveys, the Parent Leadership Team, parent information nights, and parent/teacher conferences.  Furthermore, the parental input obtained from these policies, practices, and programs will be used to educate our teachers, principals, and support staff in how to reach out to our families by communicating  and working with them as equal partners.

 

  1. Collaborating with the Community:  We recognize the value of outside community organizations and welcome them as part of our school team.  We will continue to collaborate with such outside businesses and agencies to connect our families and students to expanded learning opportunities, social services, and civic participation.  Some of the organizations that we will continue to work with include:  Reno Host Lions Club, Head Start, Parent Involvement Resource Center (P.I.R.C.), UNR Cooperative Extension, UNR's Deans Future Scholars Program, Wooster High School, Children's Cabinet, Central Reno Family Resource Center, Assistance League, Food Bank, Wells Fargo, and the Summit Christian Church.  The school shall also provide such other reasonable support for family engagement activities under this section as families may request.

 

 

In partnership, Roger Corbett parents, staff, and community will work collaboratively to promote a healthy learning environment and academic excellence.

 

Resources for Parents