Beginning of School Year CookoutPoint O'View Elementary SchoolVirginia Beach, Virginia When Point O’ View Elementary School changed to a non-traditional, year-round schedule, the Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) wanted to remind families of this change and provide an informal gathering for staff and families before classes began on August 1. Members of the ATP and PTA decided to host a cookout, inviting all families for a casual meal and an opportunity to mingle with school staff. More... Mike Mitchell, Special Education Teacher 757-473-5059 Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Transitions |
Bring Your Parent to School DayWest Hertel Academy #94Buffalo, New York Classrooms filled up quickly on “Bring Your Parent to School Day” at West Hertel Academy, and teachers suddenly found themselves with a much older group in their classrooms—the parents. The Parent Involvement Action Team planned the day to acquaint families with their children’s school, routines, and curriculum. More... Mary Fleming, ATP Chair 716-816-4150 Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
College and Career GuideNaperville North High SchoolNaperville, Illinois For students on their way to college, getting there is not necessarily half the fun. Navigating the SATs and ACTs, the Common Application, college-specific applications, essay questions, and dozens of deadlines can provide a daunting challenge. The journey has become a little less perilous at Naperville North High School, thanks to The College and Career Planning Guide, a joint project of the school’s guidance department and the College and Career Planning Committee of the School Family Community Partnership (SFCP) team. More... Carol Krashen, 630-369-2399 bkrash4@aol.com Type 2 | High School | Careers and Postsecondary Planning |
Family Cultural Math NightsWing Luke Elementary SchoolSeattle, Washington While good communication is an issue in many schools, it presents an even greater challenge at Wing Luke Elementary because the students speak more than 15 different native languages. With mathematics as the common denominator, school staff undertook four Family Cultural Math Nights. These get-togethers gave families the opportunity to learn about the school’s math curriculum from teachers and speak to other parents who share their native tongue. More... Ellen Punyon, Principal 296-252-7630 ellenpunyon@seattleschools.org Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Math |
Family Outreach WorkshopsMeadow Hall Elementary SchoolRockville, Maryland At diverse schools like Meadow Hall Elementary, one of the biggest challenges is providing outreach to all families, especially when language issues create challenges to participation. Meadow Hall was aware that not all families attended PTA and other school meetings but needed the information shared. The school also wanted to provide families with strategies to help children at home and to be aware of and able to access community services. To this end, the Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) established a series of eight Family Outreach Workshops to open lines of communication between parents and the school and provide opportunities for families to network and support each other. It is critical that all families have the knowledge, strategies, and information to best support their child’s success in school. More... Daniela Helton, School Counselor 301-279-4988 Daniela_S_Helton@mcpsmd.org Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Multicultural Awareness |
Family Wilderness AdventureDr. George E. Blackman ECC #54Buffalo, New York The Dr. George E. Blackman Early Childhood Center helped students get the most out of National TV Turn-Off Week by teaching them about places with no electrical outlets. The school capped off the week with a Family Wilderness Adventure, which taught families to appreciate the great outdoors. More... April Kelley-Gordon, ATP Member 716-816-3340 Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Health and Safety |
Folder for Family SupportRiverview Specialty SchoolBrooklyn Park, Minnesota Everything you would want or need to know to about parenting can be found in the Partnership Action Team folder provided by the Riverview Partnership Action Team (RPAT). This weekly pocket folder is chock-full of information, ideas, and announcements for parents. The initiative was created in conjunction with the school’s Second Step conflict resolution program. More... Ann Sievers, Parent Volunteer 763-493-4732 amsievers@hotmail.com Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Behavior |
Mother's Day Tea PartyPennsylvania School for the DeafPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania Each May, the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf honors its students’ mothers with a Mother’s Day Tea Party. This event recognizes the mothers’ contributions, provides an opportunity for the mothers to visit their children at school, and sets an example for the students so they can appreciate what their mothers do for them. The initiative ties in with the School Improvement Plan (SIP) goal of increasing family and community participation. More... Tina Pakis, Family Involvement Coordinator 215-951-4765 tpakis@psd.org Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Navigating the Course Selection ProcessNaperville Central High SchoolNaperville, Illinois Selecting courses, resolving schedule conflicts, handling the stress of academics, and making time for extracurricular activities were all topics addressed in “Navigating the Course Selection Process,” a presentation for students and parents at Naperville Central High School. The School Family Community Partnership (SFCP) team established the program in response to surveyed parents’ requests for a better understanding of what courses students choose and how they make those selections. More... Pam Wilson, SFCP Co-chair 630-353-4165 pamela.wilson@resources-us.com Type 2 | Middle Grades | Transitions |
Parent-Principal CoffeesSteeple Run Elementary SchoolNaperville, Illinois Parents and administrators at Steeple Run Elementary School took a hint from other schools in their district on how to improve communication. When they heard about Parent-Principal Coffees at a district celebration of best practices, they decided such get-togethers might work for them. More... Michael Scorzo, 630-420-6385 Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Preschool Transition to KindergartenGreendale School DistrictGreendale, Wisconsin The Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) and the preschool and kindergarten teachers in the Greendale School District know firsthand the anxiety that families and students feel on the first day of kindergarten. To help these youngsters and their families, the school district developed the Preschool Transition to Kindergarten program, which includes the Kindergarten Adventure Program and Parent Information Night. More... Theresa West, Time 4 Learning Director 414-423-2750 Theresa.West@greendale.k12.wi.us Type 2 | District | Transitions |
Standardized Test PrepLadysmith Elementary SchoolLadysmith, Wisconsin The Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE) is a state-mandated, standardized test, administered in the fall to all students in third and fourth grades. Although Ladysmith Elementary’s students have traditionally scored above the state average on the WKCE, the school established a weekly test-preparation course to help improve its math scores by providing opportunities to practice math skills and concepts in school and at home. Ladysmith also found ways for parents to participate in test preparations and, therefore, in their children’s achievement. More... Marge Charipar, School Counselor/District Assessment Coordinator 715-532-5464 mcharipar@lhsd.k12.wi.us Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Math |
Student-Led ConferencesWest Carrollton Middle SchoolWest Carrollton, Ohio West Carrollton Middle School has given the traditional parent-teacher conference an interesting twist. Some years ago, the school’s administrators became concerned that a very important person was missing from these conferences: the student! Today, students at West Carrollton individually meet with their parents and teachers at the school, and actually lead their conferences, taking responsibility for their own accomplishments and progress. More... Pat Ingram, Classroom Teacher 937-256-1591 pingram@wcsd.k12.oh.us Type 2 | Middle Grades | Achievement in Other Academic Areas |
Teddy in the 21st CenturyRoosevelt ECC #65Buffalo, New York Just as the school’s namesake, President Theodore Roosevelt, guided America into the 20th Century, the Roosevelt Early Childhood Center is helping its families adapt to the 21st Century with a technology initiative. Teddy in the 21st Century is an attempt to improve communications between the school and its families, spearheaded by Roosevelt’s Parent Involvement Action Team. More... Jan Kramer, ATP Chair and Building Reading Chair 716-816-3430 Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Welcome Back PicnicLongfellow Elementary SchoolPasco, Washington Going back to school at the end of summer vacation is no picnic—unless you go to Longfellow Elementary. Then, your year gets off to a friendly start with an evening of food and fun on the school playground. More... , Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |