Successful Implementations
Leadership Day
Leadership Day
An elementary school event, designed to showcase students' engagement with leadership concepts based on Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.
An elementary school event, designed to showcase students' engagement with leadership concepts based on Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.
WPMS
WPMS
Homecoming 2016
Homecoming 2016
A middle school event designed to create a welcoming environment for families and community members to fellowship together. This type of event can be beneficial at every level.
A middle school event designed to create a welcoming environment for families and community members to fellowship together. This type of event can be beneficial at every level.
Facts and Figures
Facts and Figures
234 Family and Community Members Attended
234 Family and Community Members Attended
53 Staff Members Attended
53 Staff Members Attended
67 Students Actively Involved
67 Students Actively Involved
9 Student Groups Provided Entertainment
9 Student Groups Provided Entertainment
2nd Annual Event During 2017 School Year
2nd Annual Event During 2017 School Year
Standards Addressed
Standards Addressed
Standard 1: Welcoming All Families into the School Community
Standard 1: Welcoming All Families into the School Community
Standard 6: Collaborating with Community
Standard 6: Collaborating with Community
Activities to Promote Fellowship
Activities to Promote Fellowship
Student-Led Entertainment
Student-Led Entertainment
Band Performance
Orchestra Performance
Dramatic Readings
Student-Led Activities
Student-Led Activities
Double-Dutch Jump Roping
Create Your Own Art Masterpiece
Student/Staff-Led Projects
Student/Staff-Led Projects
Construction of Vermicomposting Boxes for School Garden
Creation of Sets and Props for the School Play
Evaluation of the Event
Evaluation of the Event
Surveys were administered to:
Surveys were administered to:
Staff members
Staff members
Families
Families
Students
Students
Implementation committee analyzed survey data and recorded recommendations for improvements. The committee also created an Executive Summary to communicate results and make recommendations to increase family and community involvement.
Implementation committee analyzed survey data and recorded recommendations for improvements. The committee also created an Executive Summary to communicate results and make recommendations to increase family and community involvement.
Virtual Open House
Virtual Open House
A high school event (but, is useful at every level) designed to introduce students, parents and the community to teachers virtually!
A high school event (but, is useful at every level) designed to introduce students, parents and the community to teachers virtually!
Click on the URL to access our Open House Videos! www.vimeo.com/FMHSteachers
Click on the URL to access our Open House Videos! www.vimeo.com/FMHSteachers
Why was a Virtual Open House necessary?
- Our school is on a semester block schedule.
- We hold an Open House for the fall semester
- But, we don’t hold an Open House in the spring
- School data showed work schedules, childcare, transportation and health of family members were all cited as barriers to attending open houses and school functions.
- Student achievement data was also examined as the committee considered the impact a Virtual Open House could have on increasing student learning.
As a result, I decided it was time to get creative!
Goal – Increase family involvement by welcoming families into the school’s community to support student success. Encourage family participation through innovative and creative means in order to make them feel welcome and connected to classroom learning.
Objective - Provide families with the opportunity to virtually attend open house to meet each of their student’s teachers.
The logistics involved in creating a Virtual Open House:
- Buy-in from teachers
- Help from our TV production teacher and her awesome students (You don’t need a trained professional! I promise you can do this on your own with no fancy equipment.)
- Teacher training on how to create a video
- Write a script
- Record your own video OR have a TV student produce it for you
- Publish your video on a site like Vimeo or YouTube
- ADVERTISE to families and the community via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, your school's website, etc.
Assessing the plan
- Teacher survey data (at the right):
- Parent Survey Quotes:
- “I found the Virtual Open House is a good alternative for parents whose schedules might not allow them to attend a traditional open house.”
- “As a parent of two busy children, this was a wonderful option to the traditional open house.”
Unforeseen Benefits of the Virtual Open House:
- Guidance counselors used the Virtual Open House Videos in several ways:
- For students who enrolled after the school year started and open house had already passed: Counselors were able to introduce parents and students to teachers virtually.
- For course planning in yearly parent/student/teacher conferences: Counselors were able to access videos to help answer parent and student questions when planning future courses to take.
- TV Production students experienced working for a client. Students were paired with teachers to script, record, edit and produce Virtual Open House videos to the specifications and approval of the teacher. They also had several deadlines to meet along the way. Producing the videos was a great simulation of working as a TV producer.
Community Partnerships & Career Exploration
Community Partnerships & Career Exploration
A High School event designed to develop positive relationships with students, such that students are prepared to cope with life’s challenges and ensure students are prepared to be resilient, productive global citizens.
A High School event designed to develop positive relationships with students, such that students are prepared to cope with life’s challenges and ensure students are prepared to be resilient, productive global citizens.
Why?
- In our annual self-assessment (2015), we realized that while we said we did college visits, and had developed strong community relations, they were actually very limited:
- College visits: 2
- Community partnerships: 1
Identifying Strengths
- Determined Leaders:
- Project Facilitator
- Business Partnerships:New Career Development Counselor
- Student Growth Plan: 2 Teacher leaders
- Implementing the plan
- Setting up meetings/relationships
- Leading, facilitating, supporting
- Funding
Career Exploration
- Who: All
- When: Twice a year during early release days
- Where: Business partners identified through collaboration with Guilford Education Alliance
Job Shadow
- Who: Specific students
- When: One day during school year - must work with college class schedule
- Where: Offices of business partners identified through parent collaboration and business partnerships
Tools
Annual Self-Assessment
- Conducted the last day of required teacher workdays in a calendar year
Student Sense of School Survey
- Fall and spring student led conferences
Results
College Visits: 5
Community Partnerships
- 35 (over 2 years)
Student Sense of School
- Fall 79% ~ Spring 87%
Sustaining
Establishing a common message
Maintaining relationships
Funding for transportation: College Visits, Business trips
Assessing each trip
Watch this video for an inspiring story that is full of successful implementations of family and community engagement.
Watch this video for an inspiring story that is full of successful implementations of family and community engagement.
Visit the Resources for Further Study and Support to gather additional information or revisit the Perspectives and Resources page to choose your next step.
Visit the Resources for Further Study and Support to gather additional information or revisit the Perspectives and Resources page to choose your next step.