Family Involvement Plan

 Family Engagement Plan

2025-2026

 Thomas Elementary School

Anthony Stubbs, Principal

Tysha’ Magee, Parent Educator

Mission Statement

Thomas

Inspires

Great

Educational

Results for all

Students

Belief Statements

Thomas Elementary believes that it is essential to educate students in such a manner that they become life-long learners by actively engaging them in meaningful learning through effective communication between the school, parents, and students.  Thomas Elementary believes that we should strive for excellence on behalf of all students through a united effort of all stakeholders delivering a quality education necessary for tomorrow’s successful and productive citizens.

Introduction

Thomas Elementary consists of Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade.  We have a total enrollment of 733 students.  Thomas Elementary is located in a rural community with very few cultural and/or social activities.  Low-income families comprise 97% of the school’s population.  In addition, 40% of the parents of the students at Thomas do not have a high school diploma, and 88% are living below the poverty level. 

Thomas Elementary will host a variety of activities throughout the school year at convenient times to foster parental involvement in student education.  These activities will cover a variety of topics, including the following:

1.  Hold annual meetings to keep parents involved:

   1. Parents will help develop the School Improvement Plan during School Leadership Team meetings.

2. Offer flexible number of meetings:

   1. School Leadership Team/SIP: two per semester 

3. Involve parents in planning, reviewing, and improving programs:

   1. Parents will be surveyed in order to gather ideas to improve student learning.

   2. Parents will be asked to give suggestions on activities to improve student learning. 

   3.  Parent Resource Center allows parents to have access to the internet or videos on parenting skills such as how to parent, discipline, or assist their child with school work. 

4. Provide parents with their child’s school performance profiles and assessment results:

   1. Parents will be informed about their child’s performance on DIBELS / Acadiance (4th-5th), and i-Ready Diagnostic by sending home test results.

   2. Parents will be provided assistance in interpreting their child’s test results.

   3. Parents will be provided with a copy of our school’s Performance Profile by sending home brochures.

   4. Provide parents with a description of the curriculum in use and forms of assessment used:

   5. Parents will be informed of Louisiana State Standards, 

Acadience and LEAP 2025 assessments via email, school messenger, and school website.  

Parents will be provided assistance in interpreting and

understanding the Louisiana State Standards.

5. Develop a home-school compact with parents:

   1. Parental Involvement committee members will review, edit, and revise the Thomas Elementary Family Involvement Compact.

   2. Compacts will be distributed to all students.

   3. Parents, teachers, students, and administration will sign the compacts.  Signed copies will be stored in the Family Involvement binder.  

6. Hold parent-teacher conferences regularly:

   1. Parents can sign-up for parent/teacher conferences by calling the school, using a communication app (Remind/Class Dojo), or email.

   2. Teachers will contact parents to discuss student progress by sending home letters, calling parents, Google Meet, and using a communication app (Remind/Class Dojo).

7. Report to parents about their child’s progress:

   1. Parents will be able to communicate with the teacher through planners, conferences, Remind App/Class Dojo, Google Meet, and e-mail. 

   2. Parents will be informed of their child’s progress by sending home progress reports, report cards, home-school folders, and/or parent conferences, phone calls, and letters.

   3. Parents will be informed of the Parent Command Center to access student grades, attendance, and discipline reports.

8. Provide assistance to parents in interpreting and understanding the Louisiana State Standards:

   1. Parents will be informed of the LA State Standards, Acadience/DIBELS, i-Ready Diagnostic, and LEAP 2025 assessments on school website, brochures/newsletter, and Google Meet.

   2. Parental conferences will be held to provide assistance in interpreting and understanding the Louisiana State Standards.

9.  Provide opportunities for parents to volunteer:

   1. Sign-in sheets will be maintained in the office to verify the purpose of the visit.

10.  Develop “Partners in Education” activities:

    1. Collection of Box Tops and Community Coffee labels.

    2. Washington Parish Library bringing applications for parents to fill out their child a library card.

    3. Riverside Hospital provides activities on the importance of handwashing.

    4. Washington St. Tammany Electric Coop to provide information on using electrical circuits.  

    5. 4-H to foster skill development in 4th & 5th grade students.

    6. BETA to foster community involvement and service.

    7. Fundraisers and special events.

    8. Community Business Leaders promote literacy skills by coming to read to students. 

11.  Coordinate Family Involvement activities:

    1. School Messenger is implemented to notify parents of school events.

    2. Communicating with parents concerning school events through a digital sign in front of school.

    3. The Parent Command Center is available for parents to access in order to view their child’s grades, attendance, and discipline.

    4. Parent Resource Center allows parents to have access to the internet or videos on parenting skills such as how to parent, discipline, or assist their child with school work. 

    5. Teachers will communicate with parents through written letters, planners, phone calls, school website, Remind App/Class Dojo, Google Meet, and conferences.

12. Ensure that school information sent home to parents is in their native language:

    1. Assistance is provided by the Migrant and ESL Programs.

13.  Arrange for teachers and/or other educators to conduct in-home conferences for parents unable to attend school meetings:

    1. Educators will communicate with parents through written letters, email, and phone calls, and Google Meet.

14.  Reserve at least 1% of Title I allocation to Thomas Elementary School, in addition to the Parental Involvement monies dedicated at the district level for family involvement activities. 

    1. Video tapes, books, and brochures will be purchased with family involvement funds.

    2. Parent Resource Center allows parents to have access to the internet or videos on parenting skills such as how to parent, discipline, or assist their child with school work. 

    3. Parents will be informed on how to use the Parent Command Center to check their child’s grades, attendance, and discipline reports.