City Park Elementary is Branching Out!

City Park Elementary will take the following measures to promote and support parents and family members as an important foundation of the school in order to strengthen the school and reach our school goals. We will:

 Ensure that all information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is published in both English and Spanish, posted on the school website, and included in communication that is sent home.

 Provide trainings for staff on strategies to improve communication with parents and ideas to increase family engagement with reading and math activities for our students outside of the classroom. Staff will also share best practices during meetings.

 Partner with early childhood programs, middle and high schools, college and career ready resources or organizations, parent resource centers, or other programs (as applicable) to help prepare parents and their children for successful school transitioning.

 Share information in English and Spanish on social media for parents to understand the school’s academic standards and assessments as well as the ways parents can monitor their child’s progress and work with educators.

 Communicate with all families and the community on a regular basis regarding schoolwide events and activities through phone messages, website/social media, and flyers.

 Work with our parents to develop relevant trainings and helpful presentations to educate our staff on the importance of parent and family engagement and how to support student learning.

 Provide necessary materials and handouts for parents at conferences, meetings, and activities to help parents work with their child to improve their child’s achievement.

 Use our Partners in Education and School Council to improve awareness of the activities and events listed in the school parent and family engagement policy.

 Work with the district to offer literacy and computer classes for parents and family members to help further enhance their various educational levels.

 Collect feedback from parents and family members at various events and post a suggestion form on the school website in order to respond to parents’ requests for additional support for parent and family engagement activities.

District Goals

 Increase the percentage, by 6%, of students scoring at proficient or above in the core content areas as measured by Georgia Milestones End of Grade and End of Course assessments.

 Increase the district's 4-year cohort graduation rate to 84.94% as reported on the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI)

City Park School Goals

 Increase the total percentage of students performing at levels, 3 and 4 on Georgia Milestones in all content areas by 6% in 2021.

 We will promote world-class learning by providing quality Tier 1 instruction and continual analysis of data. We will use school assessment data as well as feedback from parent communications, parent surveys, and observations to inform and drive instruction. We will also participate in ongoing opportunities such as PLCs and other professional development.

School-Parent Compacts

As part of this plan, City Park Elementary and our families will develop a school-parent compact, which is an agreement that parents, teachers, and students will develop that explains how parents and teachers will work together to make sure all our students reach grade-level standards. The compacts will be reviewed and updated annually based on feedback from parents, students, and teachers during the Community Cares event and the School Forum. The school-parent compacts also are shared with parents during parent-teacher conferences and kept with each child’s teacher if parents need another copy.

School Plan for Shared Student Achievement

What is it?

This is a plan that describes how City Park Elementary will provide opportunities to improve family engagement to support student learning. City Park Elementary values the contributions and involvement of parents and family members to establish an equal partnership for the common goal of improving student achievement. This plan describes the different ways that City Park Elementary will support family engagement and how parents can help plan and participate in activities and events to promote student learning at school and at home.

How is it revised?

City Park Elementary invites all parents to attend our annual Title I Meeting in October to review and revise this parent and family engagement policy, as well as the school wide plan, our school-parent compact, and the family engagement budget. Additionally, parent input and comments regarding this plan are welcome during the school year through a written form turned in to the front office. The plan is posted on our school website for parents to view and submit feedback throughout the year. All parent feedback received during the year will be used to revise the plan for the next school year. Parents and family members can also give feedback during PTO meetings, Family Nights, School Council meetings, and any other activities during the school year.

Who is it for?

All students participating in the Title I, Part A program, and their families are encouraged and invited to fully participate in the opportunities described in this plan. City Park Elementary will provide full opportunity for the participation of parents and family members with limited English, with disabilities, and of migratory children.

Where is it available?

Parents are given opportunities during PTO meetings, Family Nights, and School Council meetings to view the policy. The plan is also posted on the school website and social media. Parents can also retrieve a copy of the plan from the main office.

Building Partnerships

• District Parenting Classes
•  School Parent Engagement Coordinator
•  Sharing is Caring
•  Dalton Police Department – Shop With a Cop
•  Kid City
•  City Park Family Nights focusing on academic content
•  City Park PTO and School Council
•  Shaw
•  Team King Realty
•  Dalton First United Methodist Church (DFUMC)
•  Rock Bridge
•  School Open House & Parent Conferences
•  Helping Hands Ending Hunger
•  Family Resource Agency of North Georgia
•  Latin American Association

• Follow us on City Park’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for upcoming events

Parent and Family Engagement

City Park Elementary believes that family engagement means the participation of parents and family members in regular two-way and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:

• That parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning
• That parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school
• That parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.
• Our Social Worker, Guidance Counselor, and Family Engagement Coordinator can help provide you with parent resources such as books, study materials, and activities to use at home with your child.

School Social Worker: Jackie Taylor

Jackie.Taylor@dalton.k12.ga.us

School Guidance Counselors:

Emily Jones & Sheila McKeehan

Emily.Jones@dalton.k12.ga.us

Sheila.McKeehan@dalton.k12.ga.us

Family Engagement Coordinator: Esterly Flores

Esterly.Flores@dalton.k12.ga.us

What is a School-Parent Compact?

A School-Parent Compact for Achievement is an agreement that parents, students and teachers develop together which explains how all will work together to make sure all of our students master grade-level standards.

Effective compacts:

• Link to goals of the school improvement plan
• Focus on student learning
• Describe how teachers will help students develop those skills using high-quality instruction
• Share strategies parents can use at home
• Explain how teachers and parents will communicate about student progress
• Describe opportunities for parents to volunteer, observe and participate in the classroom

Communication about Student Learning

City Park is committed to communicating with families through the school year about our students learning progress and academic achievements. Some of the ways you can expect us to connect are:

• Daily students agenda/folders
• Progress report and report card
• Telephone calls
• City Park Automatic Phone Messenger
• Flyers
• Parent-teacher conferences
• Updates on the school website/Facebook/Twitter
• Workshops and parenting classes
• Notes home
• E-mail/class websites

Parent Compact

2020–2021 District Goals

• Increase the percentage, by 6%, of students scoring at proficient or above in the core content areas as measured by Georgia Milestones End of Grade and End of Course assessments.

• Increase the district’s 4-year cohort graduation rate to 84.94% as reported on the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).

2020–2021 School Goals

• Increase the total percentage of students performing at levels 3 and 4 on Georgia Milestones, in all content areas, by 6%.
• By May 2021, professional learning growth and development will impact student achievement on formative assessments.

In the Classroom

City Park School staff works with families to support student academic achievement in all content areas. Some of the ways we do this include:

• 100% of participation during Fall and Spring Parent Conferences
• Offer family nights with a focus on academic content and ways to increase student achievement
• Academic Celebrations
• Parent Workshop opportunities with our City Park Parent Engagement Coordinator, Esterly Flores.
• World-Class Learning That Prepares Students For Success In College, Career and Civic Life.

At Home

During parent- teacher conferences, City Park parents learn about their child’s accomplishments and receive materials to ensure success in their learning throughout the year. Ways to help support your child are:

• Attend Parent Teacher conferences
• Check homework and planners
• Attend Content Family Nights
• Listen to your child read every night
• Join PTO
• Stay connected via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, school website, and DPS app
• Practice math fact fluency

Students

City Park Student Council share ideas about how our school should look, sound and feel for students to be successful. The City Park Student Council has the following suggestions to help students connect learning from school to home:

• Talk to your family about your guided reading books and what you are learning in math
• Bring home notices and encourage families to attend Family Nights and school activities
• Use your technology to play instructional games in reading and math and share the games with your family
• Demonstrate CATtitude (Come prepared, Act respectfully, Take responsibility, Show kindness)