Family Engagement Policy

ESSA Section 1116

2023-2024

1. École Saint-Landry shall jointly develop with, and distribute to, parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement policy, agreed on by such parents, that shall describe the means for carrying out the requirements of ESSA Section 1116 subsections (c) through (f). Parents shall be notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand. Such policy shall be made available to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.

   1. Section 1116 (b)(1) & (e)(5)

      1. The FET (Family Engagement Team) policy is to be reviewed and revised twice per school year at our regular Family Engagement Team meetings. We will announce these meetings in our newsletter and on our public calendar, and any parents may attend if they wish to discuss the policy. The policy will be available on our website and can be printed upon request. 

      2. We will provide a reliable online translation link for parents wishing to read the policy in their native languages. Other documents, such as the School Compact and important communication throughout the year, are available in Spanish and sometimes French via Klassly or JCampus. 

      3. The three annual FET meetings will be held at the École Saint-Landry campus,at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school’s participation under this part and to explain the requirements of this part, and the right of the parents to be involved; Section 1116 (c)(1) and coincide with School Improvement Plan Committee meetings on:

         1. September 26, 2023

         2. January 30, 2024

         3. May 14, 2024

      4. These meetings will be announced via paper reminders sent home, a Klassly group announcement, our school newsletter, and the posting of the dates in our public calendar. 

      5. École Saint-Landry shall offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation, childcare, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement; Section 1116 (c)(2)

      6. Meetings shall be offered in person and also via Zoom for those who have limited transportation or childcare options. 

2. École Saint-Landry shall involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under this part, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parent and family engagement policy and the joint development of the schoolwide program plan under section 1114(b) (School Improvement Plan), except that if a school has in place a process for involving parents in the joint planning and design of the school’s programs, the school may use that process, if such process includes an adequate representation of parents of participating children; Section 1116 (c)(3)

   1. Parents will be invited to join both the FET and the SIP at the beginning of the school year. If the committee does not accurately represent the school population after asking for volunteers, the school shall reach out to parents directly to ask them to join. The FET policy will be reviewed each year at the May meeting. 

3. École Saint-Landry shall provide parents of participating children timely information about programs under this part;

   1. a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the achievement levels of the challenging State academic standards; and

   2. if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible.

   3. Section 1116 (c)(4)

      1. If the schoolwide program plan (School Improvement Plan, SIP) under section 1114(b) is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the local educational agency. Section 1116 (c)(5)

      2. The SIP is explained at both the first parent evening of the year as well as in the first FET meeting. The principal will consider comments (both positive and negative) to make the SIP reflective of the desires of the stakeholders. 

      3. To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, École Saint Landry shall: Section 1116 (e)

         1. provide assistance to parents of children served by the school, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the challenging State academic standards, State and local academic assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children; Section 1116 (e)(1)

         2. Explain our grading system clearly in the Parent Packet

         3. Organize at least two Parent-Teacher events per school year

            1. Open House

            2. Parent-Teacher Conferences Mid-Year

         4. Send home progress reports

         5. Provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy), as appropriate, to foster parental involvement; Section 1116 (e)(2)

         6. The availability of the regular “Helping Children Learn” newsletter in both English and Spanish as provided by the St. Landry Parish School Board.

         7. Staff availability to train parents in use of Chromebooks when necessary.

         8. Organization of a Family Literacy Night open to all parents and students.

         9. Organization of a Math Madness school event open to all parents and students.

         10.  A page of useful French phrases to get new students started, available in our Parent Packet.

         11.  Educate teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school; Section 1116 (e)(3)

         12. To the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with other Federal, State, and local programs, including public preschool programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children; Section 1116 (e)(4)

         13. Provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request. Section 1116 (e)(14)

 

This policy was approved by Lindsay Smythe, Principal, on October 2, 2023.

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We welcome feedback from parents, guardians, and other family members of our students. 

If you would like to see anything added, if you have any comments or suggestions, please use this form to send them to us.