The Family and Community Engagement Plan and all other Title I information are available on our school’s website at https://www.gcpsk12.org/NortonES under the Title I Section. Families can also find paper copies of the Family and Community Engagement Plan in our Family Engagement Center. New families to Norton Elementary will also be able to review the School Family Plan/Promise and other Title I documents with the school registrar.

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.

Norton Elementary 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, School Website, Teacher Websites, Friday Folders, Parent Portal, Roadside and Car Rider Marquees, and Scroll Down TVs throughout the building. Parents may request information or set up a face-to-face meeting by calling the main office at 770-985-1933 or the Parent Center at 770-736-2015.

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. Promote student and staff wellbeing through prioritizing selfcare, physical and mental health, and social emotional learning. Implement a comprehensive framework to fully operationalize a multi-tiered system of supports to address academic and non-academic student needs and remove barriers to success. Expand student opportunities to engage in and have access to high quality, rigorous, and culturally relevant curriculum, and enrichment activities (e.g. the arts, gifted, STEM, computer science education). Transform human resources function into a strategic talent management organization that supports educators and staff to achieve district goals. Be the first choice of students and families for excellent schools and the employer of choice for educators and staff to fulfill their careers.

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 at the Annual Parent meeting and during the Fall and Spring
  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.

Norton Elementary will…

• Norton will provide face to face and virtual workshops to teach parents strategies to use with their children at home.

• Norton will host a Family Math Night and a Family Literacy Night, school wide events where parents will learn of fun games and activities that they can play with their children to practice math fact fluency and problem solving.

• Norton will host Family English Learner Nights, a school wide event where parents will engage in activities that support Language acquisition with their students at home to practice strengthening reading comprehension in both fiction and non-fiction texts.

• Create class newsletters, webpages, and virtual resources, which provide opportunities and resources for parents and students, so they may practice skills, which align with our goals of reading comprehension and math problem solving.

Please ensure all activities engage families in the education of their children.

 

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Principal’s Signature                  Date

As Students, we will…

• Invite my parents to attend the workshops on math fluency, problem solving, and reading comprehension and then practice with my parents a few times each week to improve my skills.

• Ask my parents to take me to Family Math Night, Family Literacy Night, and Family EL Nights, where my family and I can learn fun games and activities to play at home to practice math fluency, problem solving, and reading comprehension.

• Explore my class webpage, websites, and other virtual resources with my family to work on my math fluency, problem solving and reading comprehension.

As Families, we will…

• Attend the workshops on math essential skills and reading comprehension and then practice a few times each week to improve their skills.

• Attend Math Family Night, Family Literacy Night, and Family EL Nights with my children, where we can learn activities that we can do at home to practice skills related to math essential skills and reading comprehension using both fiction and non-fiction texts

• Explore my child’s class webpage, websites, and virtual resources with my child to work on math fact fluency, problem solving, and reading comprehension using technology. Visit the Norton ES Parent Center to check resources and learn from the PIC how to use them to best help my child succeed in math and reading.

Norton Elementary 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, our school’s website, teacher websites, Friday Folders, Parent Portal, Roadside and Car Rider Marquees, and scroll down TVs throughout the building.

If you need interpretation and/or translation services, please contact: Beverly McKellar 770-736-2015

Proposed Workshops and Events

• August 2023 – Title I Annual Parent Meeting / Curriculum Night

• October and March Early Release – Parent/Teacher Conferences

• Family Literacy Night

• ELL Workshops in the Fall and Spring

• Family Math/Science Night

• eClass Data Bases Technology Workshop

• Georgia Milestones Workshop

• Kindergarten Transition

• Title I Planning Meeting

• Planning Meeting Draft Document Review

• 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. 

Our Parent Outreach Liaison or Parent Instructional Coordinator is Beverly McKellar.  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 by the front office.

Hours: 8:15 am - 3:15 pm Tuesday & Wednesday, 8:15 am - 11:15 am Thursday

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

 (770) 736-2015

Beverly.McKellar@gcpsk12.org

 

Parents are encouraged to take part in school functions as well as observing their child’s work in the classroom. Please check with your teacher for any type of appointment. Parents are encouraged to volunteer in classrooms, media center, chaperone for field trips, etc. Ask Beverly McKellar (PIC) for any information.