Stakeholder+Communications+and+Relationships

The principal surveys our stakeholders regarding their expectations and satisfaction with the school. The surveys are a formal and anonymous way to identify what works and what areas are in need of improvement. The survey solicits the opinions of parents, students, teachers, support staff, and community members. The results are shared with stakeholders during the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) meetings and quarterly School Action for Excellence (SAE) monitoring. There are many other ways we collaborate with stakeholders. One is through parent/student/teacher conferences, as well as, principal/parent conferences. Parents are encouraged to express concerns about their child and the school during these conferences. Additional ways collaboration occurs include: ·  The principal addresses stakeholders through PTA meetings. ·  At the beginning of the school year, Open House is held to introduce the teachers to the parents, to make parents and students aware of expectations, specific procedures, and classroom policies. ·  The principal and teachers utilize parent volunteers, a valuable school resources. Volunteers work in the school on a daily basis. Their input is solicited and greatly appreciated. They interact with the principal, office personnel, teachers, and staff regularly. ·  The school hosts many parenting activities. Statewide Parenting Day is scheduled to offer workshops, activities, and information for parents. The school cafeteria hosts many holiday lunches where parents and/or grandparents are invited to share lunch with their children. ·  The school also has several Partners in Education and community supporters. These community members and organizations are very supportive of the school, its vision, programs, and goals. They also provide input related to community expectations and satisfaction. Our Partners in Education include: o  West Wilmer United Methodist Church o  Rhonda Smith Photography o  Wal-mart 853 Schillinger Rd.   o   Francia’s Formal Affair o  Stirm Surveying LLC o  Panera Bread o  Barnes and Noble To foster a learning community, the school hosts many functions that involve the community. ·  Each year, the school hosts a Fall Festival, Read Across America Celebration and Book Parade. During these festivals and activities, the school, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), parent volunteers, and community volunteers work together to ensure safety and enjoyment of all who attend and to raise money for the school. ·  The school provides an opportunity for incoming kindergarten students to learn about the school and its expectations through Bridges, a transitional program to give kindergarten students a familiarity with the school and its learning environment. ·  The fifth grade students participate in a transition field trip by visiting the feeder middle schools they will attend the following year. This helps familiarize them with the learning expectations and environment they will be entering in the fall. ·  The school hosts special assemblies to increase our students’ exposure to cultural and environmental experiences. Example, a guest speaker and his dog taught students in second and fifth grades about search and rescue procedures. ·  Honor’s Day assemblies are held quarterly to provide recognition to those students that have achieved the requirements for: o  A/B Honor Roll o  Perfect Attendance o  Accelerated Reader ·  The Accelerated Reader (AR) program is based on goal setting where each student works toward an individualized point and percentage goal based on his/her independent reading level. Student progress is monitored to encourage and motivate readers. ·  The library is focusing on materials to encourage all readers. High interest, low level books are being added to the collection and new releases are purchased to motivate students. ·   The school participates in many programs that educate students. These programs include: o  The drug education program provides age-appropriate instruction empowering students by providing information necessary to make informed life choices. o  The Mobile Infirmary’s Drug Education Van visits the school annually. The 5th grade students are educated on the effects of drug and alcohol abuse. o  Regular whole group counseling classes focusing on character education (grades kindergarten through 5th) and construction of a career program. o  A yearly Fire Safety assembly is held to educate our students on the proper procedures to follow in case of a fire in their home. This interactive program allows students to practice the proper procedure. o  Our fifth grade students participate in the “Classroom in the Forest” program sponsored by the Alabama Extension Office. Presentations are given to students and a field trip to a forest is provided free of charge. ·  The school welcomes parent and community reading volunteers to share their love of reading with the students. Volunteers share their favorite books by providing read alouds to groups of students. On Grandparents’ Day, our visiting grandparents are given the opportunity to share a favorite book with students. ·  Parent volunteers are in the school on a daily basis providing a positive influence to students, and immeasurable assistance to teachers and administration. ·  Technology classes provide students with the knowledge and tools to utilize technology for information, communication, and as an interactive tool to improve their educational knowledge and skills. Lessons are integrated with classroom content to show students the real-life connections between subject material and technology. ·  Additional projects provide opportunities for students to demonstrate compassion and caring for others in the community. These include: o  The Week of Caring, Thanksgiving baskets for needy families o  United Way fund raising o  Visits to a local nursing home, Stacey’s Manor o  Student Council organized a project to support our local SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) The school utilizes many avenues to communicate information to stakeholders about students, their performance, and school effectiveness. ·  The school website provides information pertaining to school, activities, needs, and individual teachers’ classrooms and assignments. Our Accelerated Reader program is also updated to parents on our school website. This communication tool has proven very effective in communicating current information to stakeholders. o  Our school website now links to a wikispace that offers information about media center activities and events. ·  Our Accelerated Reader program is a web-based site that has a “Home Connect” for families to track student progress. Parents can view the student’s quiz results and help the student search for books on his/her reading level that is of interest to the child. ·  Through the Software Technologies Incorporate (STI) Home program, parents are able to securely access their child’s current grades, attendance, and discipline information, using an assigned login and password for each student. This information is accessed from our school website. ·  Every teacher has a district e-mail account which is utilized to communicate with stakeholders. Faculty and staff can also receive e-mails through the school’s website. E-mail is also utilized to communicate with our Partners in Education to plan activities, events, and rewards for faculty and students. ·  Parent conferences- The teachers conduct parent/student/teacher conferences and the principal holds principal/parent/teacher conferences. These conferences are utilized to discuss academic progress and any other concerns regarding a student. ·  Progress reports are sent home at mid-quarter. Report cards are sent home every nine weeks. ·  Teachers regularly contact parents via newsletters regarding assignments and any upcoming events. These newsletters are available on the school website. ·  The school distributes parent bulletins to notify parents of school-wide events, activities, needs and concerns. ·  The marquee at the front of the school displays messages about programs and upcoming events. The messages welcome community attendance and participation at a variety of programs, and to express gratitude to the community. ·  Parents are invited to celebrate student success at Honor Roll functions each quarter. ·  Parents are invited to join students at a reception after earning the title of reading millionaire. ·  Bulletin boards are used to display student work samples in all content areas and technology. ·  The bulletin boards in the main building displays photos of students demonstrating good character and recognizes students for honor roll, attendance, and AR goal accomplishments. ·  Our county offers a School Messenger system that allows our principal to create messages for parents regarding upcoming events and important information. This telephone service has been an excellent way to communicate with a large number of people in a short amount of time.
 * 1. ****How does the school’s leadership ensure that the school is responsive to community expectations and stakeholder satisfaction? (6.1 and 6.2)**
 * 2. How does the school’s leadership foster a learning community? (6.3) **
 * 3. What avenues are used to communicate information to stakeholders about students, their performance, and school effectiveness? (6.4 and 6.5) **