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Family Engagement

 

Parent and Family Engagement Plans

Bradley County Schools Plan

 

Prospect Elementary Plan:

 

Prospect Elementary School

Family Engagement Plan

 (Created November 2023)

 

If you have any questions concerning this plan, please contact Shannon Belisle at 478-8814. 

 

Goal Statement:  Encourage and maintain effective relationships between school and community.

 

Objective 1:  Provide timely communication concerning school curriculum, assessments, and events.

 

Action Plan:  

  1. A system-wide calendar is distributed at the beginning of each school year within the parent handbook.
  2. A website for our school system is regularly maintained with postings of the school calendar and links to the school website.
  3. Parents are provided awareness regarding the Family Engagement Plan in an understandable and uniform format, and to the extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand.
  4. PES has established on-going communication via Facebook and Instagram and regularly posts upcoming events and/or news for parents.
  5. The principal provides weekly communication with teachers and parents via newsletter, e-mail/ video / or One Call phone services concerning the following week and all school activities.
  6. The school website is maintained to provide parents the opportunity to view the Family Engagement Plan and offer suggestions and/or amendments to the plan.
  7. The school website is maintained to provide parents the opportunity to view the following: the student handbook, current school events, curriculum offerings, a district wide assessment calendar, and the Tennessee State Standards.
  8. Open House/Meet N’ Greets are held annually to familiarize parents to the beginning of a new school year, to define school-wide Title I parameters, to discuss parent involvement, and to share standardized testing results.
  9. A student/parent handbook is provided to outline school procedures, discipline policies, dress-code, and other pertinent information.
  10. Daily/Weekly parent communication through folders, student agendas, and electronic applications provide parents a glimpse of their child’s academic progress and behavior status.  Parents’ signatures and/or electronic responses are documented to indicate receipt of this communication.
  11. Teachers log any phone calls, notes, or personal contact with the school community and keep these in a Parent Engagement Folder.
  12. Parent Conferencing is offered, in both, the first and second semester of each school year and may be student led.  Conferences offer a flexible number of meeting times.  Other conferences are scheduled at the teacher’s discretion.




  1. Test results from spring standardized tests are sent home in report cards at the beginning of each school year.
  2. A description of curriculum and the expected proficiency levels for each grade level are given to parents and students annually.
  3. One Call, a phone tree messaging service, is utilized to inform parents of upcoming school events, testing information and/or other pertinent information as it pertains to the education of their child.
  4. In addition to the school, the PES PTO manages and maintains contact with parents through the social media avenue of Facebook.



Objective 2:  Promote family and community participation in school activities.  

 

Action Plan:

  1. Two Parent Volunteer Orientation Meetings are held at the beginning of each year.
  2. The Title I Teacher serves as the Family Engagement coordinator and matches volunteers to service opportunities.
  3. A parent volunteer handbook has been developed and is updated annually.  All volunteers are provided a copy of this handbook.
  4. Volunteers sign-in electronically upon arrival to the school so that their participation can be monitored.
  5. A Community Celebration/Luncheon is held for community partners in appreciation of their gifts/donations to the school.
  6. Grandparents are treated to a special event during the year. 
  7. A PTO is established and holds regular meetings.
  8. A Christmas Crafting event is held in December for all grades and provides parents the opportunity to make crafts, decorate cookies, and engage in a variety of Christmas activities with their children.
  9. Science/ Math Night/ Art Night is held annually for all grades and provides parents the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities with their children.
  10. A “Kindergarten Rocks” is held for potential Kindergarten students and their parents each Spring to provide opportunities to tour the facilities.
  11. Prospect Elementary School participates in the annual event “Read for the Record,” where positive male role models from the community are invited to attend a breakfast and spend time reading books to the students.
  12. Information related to school and parent programs and other activities is sent to the parents in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.
  13. Parents are invited to assist in the production of numerous school activities, such as: field trips, in-class art projects, fall festival, and spring auction
  14. Parents and staff are educated on the importance and value of building ties between the parents and the school via Home Connect documents.
  15. The PES PTO sponsors three family engagement events each year such as Back to School Bash, Fall Festival, Valentine’s Dance.
  16. The Prospect Singers travel to business partners in the holiday season to perform Christmas carols.

 

Objective 3:  Provide curriculum-based activities to be utilized at home to enable and      encourage parents to participate in their child’s education.

 

Action Plan:

  1. Home/School Connection letters are sent home monthly which suggest educational activities for parents and students to do together. 
  2. The RTI2 program is utilized and provides parents, whose children need intensive reading/math instruction, the opportunity to participate in data team meetings.  
  3. 4-H projects provide the parents of 4th/5th grade students the opportunity to participate in activities such as speech writing, demonstrations, and creative arts with their children.
  4. Materials and training may be provided to help parents work with their children to improve their achievement.
  5. In coordination with our pre-school program, READY training and/or other pertinent information may be offered to the parents of the children who attend the PES Pre-K Program.
  6. Parents have access to utilize the Accelerated Reader Program at home with their children for reading practice.
  7. Prospect Elementary (alongside the district) promotes literacy through the READ20 initiative. Various READ20 activities are available to community members each year.
  8. A “little library” is available to the community just outside the front doors of the school to encourage parents to read at home with their children.

 

                                    



              

Objective 4:  Provide parent and community opportunities to give input concerning school needs and goals.

 

Action Plan:

  1. Parents serve on School Improvement/AdvancEd Committees and the Title I Task Force.
  2. Surveys are conducted annually of all parents, students and teachers.  Survey results are used in conjunction with test scores to develop the SIP plan.
  3. Suggestions are taken annually at the Parent Volunteer Orientation for improving parental participation.  Two sessions are held at differing times to allow maximum participation.
  4. The Student/Parent/Teacher Compact is jointly developed by teachers and parents from all schools in our district and is reviewed annually at Title I Task Force Meetings.
  5. Parents may be invited to serve on the Director of Schools Advisory Committee.
  6. Parents may be invited to serve on the PES Parent Advisory Council. 
  7. The school website is maintained to provide parents the opportunity to view the Family Engagement Plan and offer suggestions and/or amendments to the plan.



Objective 5:  Coordinate community services with students’ needs.

 

Action Plan:

  1. The Prospect Elementary School Counselor works in coordination with Centerstone, and the Department of Children’s Services to support students’ mental health on an as-needed basis.
  2. Classroom teachers identify students who might need clothing, shoes, or school supplies. These services are provided by local churches, and/or other private donations.
  3. Free vision / hearing screenings are conducted each year by the Lion’s Club of Cleveland for grades K, 2, and 4.
  4. Black Fox/McDonald Ruritan Clubs and The Empty Stocking Fund,  provide Christmas shopping opportunities for families identified as needing assistance. 
  5. YMCA provides an on-campus after-school program for working parents.
  6. Big City University and North Cleveland Baptist provide after-school programming for students who may have lower socio-economic backgrounds.  This program provides new and innovative activities that integrate academic content with a creative environment. 
  7. Centerstone, a therapeutic counseling service, is available to students during school hours for those who may be identified as needing mental health services.
  8. Various guest speakers are invited to visit with students who may be in a current study related to their specific field of employment. (Examples: the Mayor of Cleveland, local dentists, veterinarians, employees from Cleveland Utilities, Bradley County Sheriff’s Office and many others).
  9. The Bradley County Fire-Rescue Department provides an annual presentation for students in grades K-3 on fire prevention and safety.
  10. Junior Achievement of Greater Cleveland provides volunteers to the school who teach age-appropriate material to kids in one of the following areas: financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and/or work readiness.



 

 

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