The Family and Community Engagement Plan and all other Title I information are available on our school’s website at www.gcpsk12.org/SimontonES under the Title I Section. Families can also find paper copies of this Family and Community Engagement Plan in our Family Engagement Center. 

It is reviewed and revised at least annually during the Planning Meeting in the spring. All feedback forms from the Planning Meeting are submitted to the Office of Federal Programs for review.  Families who are not able to attend the Planning Meeting have the opportunity to review draft documents and provide input during the draft document review period.

We will communicate with families in an easy-to-understand way:

• Using easy to understand language when delivering information
• Notifying parents through various methods of contact
• Holding meetings at various times (morning and evenings).
• Translating documents into other languages and providing interpreters (whenever possible).

Teachers are available for phone calls, but they are not interrupted during instructional time.  Therefore, conferences should be scheduled in advance.  If you would like to speak with a teacher regarding your child's progress, please contact the school at 770-513-6637.

Empathy: Cultural competence, staff and student wellbeing, educator diversity.
Equity: Multi-tiered system of supports, opportunity and access, equitable resource allocation.
Effectiveness: Results-Based evaluation system, talent management, educational return on investment.
Excellence: Preferred education destination, post-secondary and workforce readiness, world-class communication and engagement.  

We will provide all students with access to a high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment to meet high academic standards.

*Simonton Elementary School will create systems, structures, and processes that recognize, value and leverage cultural differences in order to interact effectively and better serve our students, staff, and community.

*Simonton Elementary School will build capacity to support and fully integrate non-academic Tier 1 structures and processes.

*Simonton Elementary School will increase opportunity to learn through consistently implementing a high-quality curriculum that reflects grade level expectations. 

English Language Arts Foundational Grade-Level Skills

• Ask and Answer questions from a text
• Cite evidence for inferences from a text
• Read for fluency and comprehension

Math Foundational Grade-Level Skills

• Develop an understanding of whole number relationships and place value, including grouping in tens and ones
• Build fluency with addition and subtraction
• Develop an understanding of multiplication and division and strategies for multiplication and division within 100

It is a plan that describes how our school will provide opportunities to improve family engagement that will support student learning at school and at home. All students and their families are invited and encouraged to fully participate in the opportunities described in this plan. The school will provide information and as many opportunities as possible for the participation of all family members. 

It is a written agreement that outlines how the school, the students, and the family will work together to ensure your child’s academic success. An effective School-Family Promise contains the following elements:

• Clear learning goals that are linked to the school’s improvement plan
• Specific skills students will learn during the year
• Strategies that staff, families, and students will use to improve student learning
• Ways to extend learning at home
• Methods teachers and family members will use to communicate about student progress
• Opportunities for family members to observe and participate in the classroom
• Jointly developed by families, school staff, students, community business partners, and other stakeholders during our Planning Meeting
• Reviewed and revised throughout the year during parent teacher conferences, parent workshops, and community events

ENGAGING AND EMPOWERING FAMILIES WITH…

• Title I Program Information: Program information is available during the Title I Planning Meeting in the spring and Annual Parent Meetings in the fall, on the school website, and in the Parent Center.
• Curriculum Information: Knowing what your child is learning at school is important. We will keep you informed throughout the year about what your child is learning during parent meetings, conferences, eCLASS, and on our school website.
• Student Progress Monitoring: ParentVUE is an online resource that allows families to view grades, attendance, schedules, assessment, and your child’s results, course history, and much more. Monitoring your child’s progress in school is an important way to be engaged.
• Parent Resources: We have many resources available for checkout to use at home with your child. We also host several parent workshops to empower you as you work with your child at home.
• Staff Training: We will train our staff to effectively communicate with you. Your input on how we train our staff is valuable.
• Communication: We will communicate, to the extent feasible, all information with you in a language and format you understand.  Whenever possible, we will provide interpreters during parent workshops, and academic events. Translation is available for most documents.
• Transition Support: Entering a new school can be scary for both students and families. We will host events to make sure both you and your child are aware of what is expected and how you can prepare as your child transitions to a new school level, college, and career.

Simonton Elementary will…

• Offer parent workshops to teach parents how to support their child's learning at home.
• Send home daily/weekly communications to provide parents with strategies to support classroom instruction.
• Provide resources through the Parent center, school website, and Parent/Student Portal to support students' learning at home.  
  
  

 Tamara J. Perkins                         05-07-2024

Principal’s Signature                  Date

As Students, we will…

• Read each night.
• Bring home my daily and/or Friday folder.
• Complete my homework which may include studying, reading, and practicing my math facts.

As Families, we will…

• Attend parent workshops to learn how to support my child's learning.
• Read teacher communications and use provided skills and strategies to help my child with reading and math fact fluency. 
• Visit school website, Parent Center, and the Parent/Student Portal for resources and materials to help my child practice reading comprehension and math facts.  

Simonton Elementary School is committed to frequent, two-way communication with families about student learning.  Some of the ways we can foster effective communication include:

• Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Contact the Parent (Email/Phone)
• Student Agendas (Grades 3-5)
• Daily/Weekly Friday Folders

If you need interpretation and/or translation services, please contact: Mrs. Debjani Saha- 770-513-6637

Title 1 Annual Parent Meeting (September)
Orientation/Curriculum Night (August)
Parent Workshops
Literacy Night
STEM Night
International Night
Simonton PTA Spirit Nights
Parent/Teacher Conferences (October/February)
Entry to Kindergarten Transition Workshop (April)
Parent Center Orientation (September)
Parent Center-English Classes (on-going)

• Title I is a federal program designed to support school reform efforts to improve teaching and learning for all students.
• Title I programs are based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support family engagement.
• The Title I Office reserves at least one percent of the district’s allocation to fund family and community engagement programs. The use of these funds is based on suggestions gathered at our spring Planning Meetings from families and community members. Funds are distributed equally to all our Title I schools.
• Childcare and/or transportation may be provided for meetings and school events.

“We are committed to dynamic, high-qulaity instruction resulting in learning, leading, and excelling.”

Our Family Engagement Center has learning games, books, and many other resources available for families to checkout and use at home. Our Parent Outreach Liaison or Parent Instructional Coordinator is Debjani Saha. She is available to help you find resources, navigate the Parent Portal, connect with teachers, and learn about ways you can help your children at home.

Our Family Engagement Center is located on the 1st Street Hall and open from 8:30 am- 2:00 pm.

Please contact Debjani Saha for additional information about our Family Engagement Center and resources available for check-out.

Phone Number: 770-513-6637

Email: Dejani.Saha@gcpsk12.org

Volunteer opportunities are available daily and consist of helping inside and outside of the classroom.  Please contact Debjani Saha to sign up to volunteer.

Opportunities to observe classrooms are available.  As a courtesy, we request an appointment to be made at least 24 hours in advance to observe for up to 30 minutes.  An administrator will be present.