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

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.

Duluth Middle School is committed to frequent two-way communication with families about student learning. Some ways we can foster effective communication include Parent Portal, Wildcat News (school weekly newsletter), school website, school marquee, progress reports, Duluth Middle School social media (Facebook & Instagram), Parent/Teacher conferences, Talking Points communication, and SST meetings.

Families may request teacher conferences at any time. Please contact the teacher via email to schedule. All teacher email addresses can be found on the Duluth Middle School website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/DuluthMS 

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 high quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment to meet high academic standards.

Duluth Middle School will continue to provide all students with high-quality instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment to meet high academic standards.  

Teachers across all content areas will incorporate strategies to prepare each and every student for the Georgia Milestones and GCPS Standardized Assessments. We will increase the number of students reaching proficient or distinguished performance levels.  

To achieve this goal, we will continue to focus on Reading, Writing, and Math skills during Wildcat Pride time and throughout the academic day. We will regularly assess our students in order to differentiate instruction, providing remediation and enrichment as needed.  

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 [Tell how your school will review the School-Family Promise with families throughout the school year. Include examples such as reviewing the Promise at building parent capacity activities and parent-teacher conferences.]

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: The Parent Portal 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.

Duluth Middle School will…

• Plan and implement engaging and rigorous instruction in classrooms and parent workshops.
• Plan parent workshops and school-wide events to create a sense of community and engage in conversations about academic support at home.
• Provide space, resources, and communication that equip parents to support their student's academic progress at home (parent portal, parent engagement center, interventions, etc.).

 Cindy Kinchen    5/18/2023

Principal’s Signature                  Date

As Students, we will…

• Actively engage in the daily learning activities in all classes.
• Be informed about my own progress, strengths, weaknesses, and academic opportunities through eCLASS, conversations with teachers, and monitoring my grades.
• Complete all assignments, come prepared for class, and participate in help sessions as needed.

As Families, we will…

• Attend informational meetings and  practice vocabulary acquisition strategies at home.
• Attend and participate in family workshops.
• Promote literacy (reading at least 20 minutes each night at home).
• Communicate and collaborate with the school regarding student achievement.

Duluth Middle School effectively communicates to establish trust, respect, and transparency among parents, students, and teachers.  

• Phone Calls
• Talking Points
• Social Media
• US Mail
• Email
• School Messenger
• Website Communication

If you need interpretation and/or translation services, please contact: Elfy Horne at 770-814-4760. 

Families are encouraged to get involved at Duluth Middle School. We offer many opportunities for you to learn more about our school, our curriculum, and our community. 

• Title I Planning Meeting
• Title I Draft Document Review
• Annual Title I Parent Meeting
• PTSA Meeting
• Curriculum Night
• International Night
• GMAS Movie Night
• Literacy Night
• Parent-Teacher Conferences
  • October 18/19, 2023
  • March 6/7, 2024
• Rising 6th Grade Transition Meeting

Parents may also contact the Parent Instructional Coordinator, Elfy Horne, as well as the grade-level counselors.  

• 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.

Duluth Middle School strives to inspire all students to achieve academic excellence and embrace the rigor required to thrive in a global society. 

Our Family Engagement Center has learning games, books, and many other resources available for families to check out and use at home. Our Parent Instructional Coordinator is Elfy Horne. 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 in the A1 Hallway, Room 1.100.  

Hours of Operation: 8:20 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

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

770-814-4760

Elfy.Horne@gcpsk12.org 

Families are encouraged to volunteer for various activities throughout the year.  If you would like to be placed on our volunteer list, please contacts the DMS Family Engagement Center.