Bringing the PTA to the ParentsWilliam H. Farquhar Middle School Olney, Maryland Noticing the poor attendance at Farquhar Middle School’s PTA meetings, the principal started asking why. One answer parents gave was that the PTA seemed to have cliques that made them feel unwelcome. As a solution, the principal worked with four parent volunteers to plan parent meetings at three locations in the school community. The meetings provided opportunities for the school to share important curriculum and contact information and for parents to share their best practices with one another in small groups. More... Stefanie Parizer, Student Support Specialist & ATP Member 301-924-3100 Stefanie_Parizer@fc.mcps.k12.md.us Type 1 | Middle Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Chess: A Game for Growing MindsNorthwoods Elementary School Eau Claire, Wisconsin Responding to an interest in playing the game during recess, the parent partnership coordinator at Northwoods Elementary School brought in her husband, a chess enthusiast and high school teacher, to form an after-school chess club. In addition to weekly meetings, the club held an Invitational Chess Challenge so that members could play students at other schools in the district. More... Laurel Erdman, Parent Partnership Coordinator 715-839-7383 lerdman@ecasd.k12.wi.us Type 6 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Community Leadership ProgramRomulus Middle School Romulus, Michigan In order to increase students’ community involvement at Romulus Middle School, the life management teacher established a leadership group dedicated to service. Using models and leadership training from the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), she recruited students and organized the Community Leadership Program, which now runs several projects that make valuable contributions to the community. More... Glenn W. Hensley, Parent Coordinator 734-532-1700 gchensley2000@aol.com, bgscooks@aol.com Type 6 | Middle Grades | Climate of Partnership |
English Language Learners Translation ServiceNaperville North High School Naperville, Illinios The inability to read or speak English fluently prevents many parents from getting involved in their children’s school. At Naperville North High School, a new translation service attempts to remedy this problem and connect with families who speak limited English. Nearly 20 parents, who speak at least 10 different languages, volunteered to translate school materials. Thanks to the translation service, parents will know what is going on at the school and better understand school policies and practices. More... Sue Ellis, Translation Committee Co-Chair 630-983-8064 ellisssbc@aol.com Type 2 | High School | Climate of Partnership |
Family Welcome NightsNursery Road Elementary School Columbia, South Carolina To kick off each academic year, Nursery Road Elementary School invites all of its students and their families to picnics at two government-subsidized apartment complexes where many of the students live. Students show off their work in the arts; families receive free books; and area agencies distribute important information—all to develop a better sense of community and promote parent involvement in children’s education. More... Mary Kennerly, Principal 803-732-8475 mkennerl@lex5.k12.sc.us Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Grandparents and Special Friends DayCrossroads Elementary St. Paul, Minnesota In addition to parents, there can be many special adults in a child’s life. This year, Crossroads Elementary hosted a major event aimed at involving some of these special people. The Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) invited grandparents and other adult friends to school for a concert, classroom activities, and lunch. More... Kira Donnelly, ATP Chair 651-767-8547 kira.donnelly@comcast.net Type 3 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Hispanic Parent Education EveningsGaithersburg High School Gaithersburg, Maryland Improving the academic performance and school attendance of Gaithersburg High School’s Hispanic students was a major goal this year. Staff, students, parents, and local experts teamed up to hold monthly meetings to help the parents of Hispanic students understand the intricacies of the school system, problems their teenagers may face regarding academic achievement and health concerns, and ways they could help their children attain greater success in high school. More... Brenda Wilks & Susan Cutler, Student Support Specialist 301-840-4700 Type 1 | High School | Climate of Partnership |
Increasing Volunteerism in a Multilingual SchoolHarmony Hills Elementary School Silver Spring, Maryland At the start of school last year, Harmony Hills Elementary School had only one or two parent volunteers. After a wellplanned and comprehensive recruitment effort, the number of volunteers increased to nearly 40. In a multilingual community with communication challenges, the magnitude of this increase seems just short of miraculous. More... Barbara Abramson, ATP Co-Chair 301-929-2157 Type 3 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Kids Craft WorkshopsWilliam Cullen Bryant Cleveland, Ohio Four Saturdays during the year, students and their families from William Cullen Bryant School and William Rainey Harper School met at the Kids Craft Workshop. Organizers used these workshops to build a better sense of community between the schools and also give students the opportunity to spend quality time with their families in an educational setting. More... Laura Gump, Family Liaison 216-351-6343 Type 6 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Kids Craft WorkshopsWilliam Rainey Harper Cleveland, Ohio Four Saturdays during the year, students and their families from William Cullen Bryant School and William Rainey Harper School met at the Kids Craft Workshop. Organizers used these workshops to build a better sense of community between the schools and also give students the opportunity to spend quality time with their families in an educational setting. More... Gloria Worthy, Family Liaison 216-351-8862 Type 6 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Lincoln Family of the WeekLincoln Elementary Bucyrus, Ohio After attending a five-session workshop called Family-Friendly Schools, members of the Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) at Lincoln Elementary School launched the Family of the Week program to help the school community get to know each other better and to create a more welcoming environment. Eighteen families were spotlighted during the second half of the school year. “What a great way to make students and their families feel important!” exclaimed a teacher. More... Kathy Wells, Principal 419-562-9081 wells_k@bucyrus.k12.oh.us Type 3 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Lunch BunchRomulus Elementary Romulus, Michigan Teachers at Romulus Elementary School wanted to share education information with parents, despite both groups’ time constraints. Lunch Bunch provided an opportunity for teachers, parents, and students to discuss curriculum, technology, and expectations. Adding 30 minutes to students’ scheduled lunchtimes, teachers spoke to parents after they had finished eating with their children. More... Gretchen Notaro, Learning Specialist 734-532-1458 notarog@romulus.k12.mi.us Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Meet-n-Eat Parenting WorkshopsWick Elementary Romulus, Michigan In an effort to increase family involvement, Wick Elementary School developed monthly Meet-n-Eat Parenting Workshops. The events saved time for busy, working parents by serving dinner to them and their children. After families and staff finished eating, parents attended informative workshops on parenting and school issues. Children spent the evening watching movies or participating in arts and crafts projects under the supervision of the school secretary and students from the local high school. More... Danielle Funderburg, Parent Coordinator 734-532-1506 funderbd@romulus.k12.mi.us Type 1 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Neighborhood OutreachEthel Schoeffner Elementary Destrehan, Louisiana Educators often assume that parents who do not come to the school are not involved. Ethel Schoeffner Elementary School did not make this assumption, nor did they throw up their hands in frustration and wish for greater parent involvement. Instead, the staff and administration formed the Parent Leadership Team, inviting five minority parents to tell them what the school could do to involve all families, regardless of culture, socioeconomic status, or level of education. “Our Parent Leadership Team told us reluctant parents would not get involved until they knew the staff, felt comfortable with us, and knew that we had their child’s best interests at heart,” said the principal. “After hearing this, we came up with the idea of going out into the neighborhood to meet and greet parents and students in a familiar and comfortable setting.” More... Mary Schmidt, Principal 985-725-0123 mschmidt@stcharles.k12.la.us Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Parent HuddlesNaperville Central High School Naperville, Illinois In a school of 3,100 students, good communication is hard work and often difficult to achieve. Naperville Central High School set improving communication with students, parents, teachers, and the community as one of its school-improvement goals. A strategy to help reach that goal was Parent Huddles— small groups of parents meeting to discuss a specific topic after a larger presentation by an expert. Students, teachers, school staff, and community and business partners were invited to attend the Parent Huddles too. More... Debbie Cota, SFCP Co-Chair 630-983-3637 jdjcota@aol.com Type 1 | High School | Climate of Partnership |
Parent Input FormsWinslow Elementary School Henrietta, New York To encourage two-way communication between school and home, and to make it easy for parents to contribute important information about their children, Winslow Elementary School developed Parent Input Forms. Data from Parent Partnership surveys indicated a desire for increased communication between home and school, a more studentcentered learning environment, and improved partnerships between parents and teachers. The Parent Input Forms asked about the child’s interests and learning styles and requested any information that might help the teacher better meet the student’s needs. More... Ron Springer, Principal 585-359-5090 rspringer1@rhnet.org Type 1 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Parent Involvement with School Improvement TeamWashington Junior High School Naperville, Illinois As members of the School Improvement Team at Washington Junior High School, three parents got a behind-thescenes look at how classroom tests are developed, and learned the philosophies and strategies that drive student assessment. These parents also helped school administrators and teachers make changes in the school’s examination practices. More... Dawn Neylon, SFCP Chair 630-357-9415 neylon5@comcast.net Type 5 | Middle Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Parent Resource RoomEdgewood Primary School Bloomington, Indiana “If you build it, they will come.” This motto motivated Edgewood Primary School’s staff and parents to create a welcoming and informative place at the school that parents could call their own. The Parent Resource Room, located in a previously unused classroom, houses materials such as literacy backpacks; information on parenting, social services, and youth programs; a computer; and toys and activities for young children to use while their parents browse the room’s resources. The Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) and the family literacy coordinator used many strategies to ensure that once the parent room was “built,” parents would “come” to use it. As a measure of their success, the Parent Resource Room remains open all year long. More... Annamaria Mecca, Family Literacy Coordinator 812-876-9600 amecca@rbbcsc.k12.in.us Type 1 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Parent Resource ServicesMeadow Glens Elementary School Naperville, Illinois Parent Resource Services at Meadow Glens Elementary tries to provide onestop shopping for busy families looking for information on parenting skills, school and community events, and ways to help their children academically. The Services also hold passes to a local museum that all families can use for a free day out. More... Yvonne Janvrin, SFCP Team Member 630-848-0337 yjanvrin@aol.com Type 1 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Parenting Resource FolderClara E. Westropp Cleveland, Ohio The family liaison of the Clara E. Westropp School developed a comprehensive communication strategy to strengthen the connection between home and school. With the Parenting Resource Folder, the school provides parents with vital information on school and community resources in the hopes of increasing family involvement in school activities and connecting families with community services. More... Cristina M. do Couto Miranda, Family Liaison 216-267-3706 Type 2 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Pilsen Education Network: Parent Engagement ProgramJose Clemente Orozco Community Academy Chicago, Illinois Working together works for the three schools in the Pilsen Education Network (PEN) in Chicago. This cooperative effort promotes parent engagement and student achievement through hands-on programs that increase parents’ awareness of what their children are doing in school, and how they can help by being learning leaders. The education network results from the schools’ partnership with a Chicago-based non-profit organization, Strategic Learning Initiatives (SLI), which presented the idea of the parent workshops to the schools and provided training to each school’s parent engagement coordinator. More... Teresa Fraga, Parent Engagement Coordinator 773-534-7215 tfraga@mac.com Type 1 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Pilsen Education Network: Parent Engagement ProgramManuel Perez Jr. Elementary School Chicago, Illinois Working together works for the three schools in the Pilsen Education Network (PEN) in Chicago. This cooperative effort promotes parent engagement and student achievement through hands-on programs that increase parents’ awareness of what their children are doing in school, and how they can help by being learning leaders. The education network results from the schools’ partnership with a Chicago-based non-profit organization, Strategic Learning Initiatives (SLI), which presented the idea of the parent workshops to the schools and provided training to each school’s parent engagement coordinator. More... Teresa Perez, Parent Engagement Coordinator 312-534-7695 Type 1 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Pilsen Education Network: Parent Engagement ProgramJosiah L. Pickard Elementary Chicago, Illinois Working together works for the three schools in the Pilsen Education Network (PEN) in Chicago. This cooperative effort promotes parent engagement and student achievement through hands-on programs that increase parents’ awareness of what their children are doing in school, and how they can help by being learning leaders. The education network results from the schools’ partnership with a Chicago-based non-profit organization, Strategic Learning Initiatives (SLI), which presented the idea of the parent workshops to the schools and provided training to each school’s parent engagement coordinator. More... Elaine Ratajczak, Parent Engagement Coordinator 773-535-7280 Type 1 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
PRIDE TimePoplar Grove School Franklin, Tennessee Serving grades K-8, Poplar Grove School (PGS) is a school of choice. Because of the large geographic area PGS draws from and the wide age range of its students, the school needed a way to build community among staff, students, and their families. The principal asked a team of teachers to develop a weekly twenty-minute assembly/awards ceremony/pep rally to build school unity. Their efforts resulted in PRIDE (Pioneers Respect Individual Differences Every day) Time. Every Friday, the first twenty minutes of the day are devoted to applauding students in all grades for their academic and athletic success, volunteerism, and positive character traits. PRIDE Time reinforces good behavior in addition to bringing the school community together. More... Dr. Christi Buell, Principal 615-790-4721 buellchr@fssd.org Type 3 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Project SMILESLadysmith Elementary School Ladysmith, Wisconsin Students at Ladysmith Elementary School teamed up with elders in their community for Project SMILES (Service Matters: Intergenerational Learning between Elders & Students). The program aimed to link children, their parents, and elders in a dynamic exchange of values, resources, traditions, encouragement, and caring. Each grade level, pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, participated in this service learning program. More... Marge Charipar, School Counselor 715-532-5464, ext. 265 Type 6 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Room Parent Program: Parent Volunteer InitiativeKickemuit Middle School Warren, Rhode Island Several members of the Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) at Kickemuit Middle School felt that the school needed to do a better job of welcoming parents, especially those from the Portuguese community. One team member, who was very involved in her child’s elementary school, wanted to continue her involvement in the middle school. Team members also believed that many more parents wanted to be involved but did not know how. Borrowing a tried-and-true elementary school practice and using training provided by Roger Williams University’s School of Education, the ATP started the Room Parent Program to welcome family volunteers into the school. The Room Parent Program called for each homeroom to have a volunteer as a liaison between the classroom teacher and a pool of parent volunteers. More... Carol Caetans, Program Coordinator 401-254-5358 ccaetans@rwu.edu Type 3 | Middle Grades | Climate of Partnership |
School Attendance Support Network for ParentsGaithersburg Elementary School Gaithersburg, Maryland Gaithersburg Elementary is adding a personal touch to its school attendance efforts, inviting the parents of children who are chronically absent to meet informally with school officials to try to remedy the problem. The administration hopes not only to improve student attendance and achievement, but also to form home-school partnerships that foster a deeper understanding of families’ needs and the school’s goals. More... Joseph C. Rowe, Assistant Principal 301-840-7136 Type 1 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Single School CultureSunset Jr. High School Sunset, Utah Alison Adler’s “Single School Culture” concept emerges from the belief that standardizing rules from classroom to classroom within a school will result in greater discipline and stability. Sunset Junior High School took this concept further by extending a “single school culture” to its parents and to its feeder schools and their families. More... Ryan Hansen, Assistant Principal 801-402-6700 rhansen@dsdmail.net Type 2 | Middle Grades | Climate of Partnership |
Webster Block W ProgramWebster Elementary School Fresno, California Just as a varsity athlete can earn a letter for excellence in a specific sport, a parent at Webster Elementary School can earn a “W” for excellence in family involvement. Since its inception almost 10 years ago, the parent involvement program, called Block W, has drawn increasing numbers of Webster families each year. More... Katie Russell, Principal 559-457-3430 Type 1 | Elementary Grades | Climate of Partnership |