School/Community Planning
It's no secret that students with involved parents have regular attendance, better social skills, higher graduation rates, and more overall success in school. The challenge as a building leader is to provide the right kind of opportunities that involve families and community members so that everyone benefits from the partnership and a unique and dynamic culture evolves.
District Communication/Social Media
Annual Open House
Parent/Community Surveys
Volunteers/Student Partnerships
Mission Valley is a very small, rural district. Although communication is quite easy for the staff, the entirety of which is housed in one K-12 building, it is much more difficult to communicate with parents and the community at large. The district covers a span of over 400 miles. Additionally, the district consolidated only fifteen years ago, bringing together three distinct and very close-knit communities. Discovering and establishing a singular identity has been challenging, yet successful. As with any relationship, face-to-face communication is always best. Parents and community members are encouraged to actively participate in the following:
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Site Council (Decision-Making)
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Parent Teacher Organizations (Decision-Making)
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School Board Meetings (Informative/Present Ideas)
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Booster Clubs/Support Groups
Additionally, the district encourages other forms of communication through these methods:
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School Reach (Announcements)
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District Email/Phone Calls
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Phone Conferences (IEP/Other Meetings)
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Facebook/Twitter (Announcements)
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Power School (Academic/Email/Informative)
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Newsletters (Informative)
As a future building leader, I view the school and community relationship as an underdeveloped treasure that could further benefit and enrich our students lives. Informing parents and community is the first step and it is done well at Mission Valley. I would suggest taking the next step and engage them in conversation, discussion, and decision-making. I would do this by inviting them to participate in the classroom, support groups, and school-wide efforts. Not just at the beginning of the year, but throughout the year...and often!
Mission Valley Open House is a wonderful time for community, students, staff, and families to gather as a school community and share in the excitement of a brand new school year. Students get acquainted with their teacher, classroom, and school. Teachers get to know their students and families. Administrators get to set the tone for the new school year. After discussing the purpose of Open House at Mission Valley with my mentor, I have discovered the many benefits it brings like, connecting stakeholders, informing the community, and gaining support. Some of the ideas I'll need to consider include:
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Preparations - Have the teachers had time to prepare materials and classrooms? Have the parents/community been well informed about the day, time, etc.? Are materials in multiple languages if needed? Should we invite the parents personally with a phone call? Is there a need for childcare? Is technology working appropriately for presentations?
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Presentation - If Open House is the choice setting for delivering classroom/school expectations, how will it be presented? Should we have one informative presentation at the beginning or end? Do we want each classroom to have their own presentation of expectations? Should presentations be shown simultaneously while staff greets school families?
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Follow Up - Most importantly, this first step in building a school community should not be the only or last connection with families. Are there other family nights in the schedule? Reading Night paired with Book Fair? Math Night? PE Fun Night? Mother/Son or Father/Daughter Dance Nights? Make It, Take It Game Night?
Our school district in unique in that K-12 is housed in one building with shared resources. Some of the most effective resources come from our community members and the students themselves. High school students are actively involved with the elementary students through projects with Future Farmers of America (FFA), Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), and Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Community members volunteer to be guest speakers, participate in Alternative Day, and listen to K-2 students practice reading. A building principal is often tested to invent creative solutions associated with limited resources. What better way to build a positive school climate than to incorporate community volunteers and students partnerships for the betterment of the students. During my internship I was able to:
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Visit with community volunteers to find out the best method of contacting them and encouraging volunteering at the school
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Interview the building administration to determine how they schedule community and school groups when approached and how they communicate a need for volunteers
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Write a newsletter article informing
the public of opportunities and thanking
them for their help in making
our school stronger
Our building administrator does a great job of thanking the reading buddy volunteers by giving them a personal thank you note and small plant. I also believe it is important to show gratitude for the precious time and energy our volunteers donate to the children.
USD 330 participates in several web-based surveys in order to better understand the needs and desires of the community. One of these is the Speak Up Survey which provides an easy way for students, parents and educators to participate in your local decisions about technology, as well as contribute to the state and national dialogue about digital learning through free online surveys for your school or district. Another is the Kansas Communities That Care Student Survey. The survey tracks teen use of harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. In addition, the survey provides a baseline for teen participation in, perception of, and attitudes toward both pro-social and antisocial behavior at the peer, school, family and community levels. It provides a measurable level of risk and protective factors that influence behavior, attitudes, and opinions of Kansas teens. This has been particularly helpful in developing support systems in collaboration with Crosswinds, out of Emporia, to provide counseling, crisis intervention, and psycho social groups, as well as promoting collaboration with parents and educators for the success of the child. Our collaboration with them has been extremely helpful in times of tragedy like student suicide, self-harming, and drug abuse. Another important survey the district uses to inform decision-making is the school climate survey created by the leadership team and administrators. This is set up conveniently on computers during enrollment for parents and community members to complete. The data is considered during Site Council, District Leadership, and Administrative meetings and provides guidance in decision-making.
Working Together Works,
Newsletter Article
