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ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALS SURVEY: PARENT INVOLVEMENT
What Opportunities Are Provided for Parents?

The following list is a compilation of parent involvement opportunities provided to parents of students attending Renton Elementary Schools:

Home-School Communication | Parents as Supporters of School Activities

Parents as Learners | Parents as Teachers| Parents as Educational Decision Makers

Home-School Communication

• August “New Family” Orientation Meetings (evening time)
• Spring and August kindergarten orientations
• August BBQ for all families
• August teacher and/or building welcome letters mailed home
• Principal meets each new family upon registration
• All office staff are encouraged to know and recognize families by name
• All staff wear name tags daily
• Parents are provided:

  Calendar of year’s activities
  Parent/Student Handbook
  Classroom newsletters monthly
  Building newsletter monthly (include parenting tips)
  Building and program brochures
  Progress reports (some buildings send weekly; some buildings send bi-monthly)
  Report cards
  Building homework policy; homework expectation plan
  Information on student homework assignments and projects
  Special notices (early dismissal)
  Notice of special after school classes: chess club, drama, math, aerobics, etc.
  Information on “Family Fun Nights” and other all-school events
  Schoolwide discipline policy
  District flyers (sexual offenders, weapons letter, levy/bond information)

• Phone calls by staff
• Voice mail--teachers numbers published
• Site Council voice mail box for input
• Classroom phone tree
• ESL phone tree
• Reader board messages
• Parent conferences (some include students; at least one late evening scheduled)
• Parents at ET meeting
• Parents asked to check and sign homework
• Use of regular Tuesday (or Friday) Take Home Day
• Success letters
• Positive Post Cards
• Certificate of Merit
• Super **** Certificate and Letters
• PTA notices
• Attendance calls
• Discipline calls
• Daily academic/behavior forms for some students
• Parent Forums
• Parent Resource Center
• Classroom observations
• Parent representation on school committees
• Teacher representation on PTA committees
• Student assemblies and programs
• Scheduling of performances to provide optimal attendance
  and space for families
• School website
• Principal makes personal calls/sends letters and personal
  thank you notes to parents whenever possible
• Principal messages in newsletter recognizing all levels
  of parent support
• “Take Ten for Reading” home visits by principal
• Home visits by staff--family liaison, counselor
• Parent support groups
• Photo displays of students and students with families
• Special events highlighted on exterior bulletin boards
• Reading is Fun program
• All-School Million Minutes reading program
• Principal writes on every report card
• Principal and staff visit Head Start/ECEAP parent meetings

Parents as Supporters of School Activities

• Fundraising
• Field trip chaperons
• Room parents
• Classroom volunteers
• Assisting in library
• Assisting in computer lab
• Assisting on playground
• Sharing special talents in classrooms
• Selling popcorn
• Assisting in school store
• Assisting in orientation on opening day
• Assisting in health screening
• Offering after school clubs (ecology, drama)
• Enrolling their children in after school clubs (computer, Sci. Adv., Spanish)
• Attending and/or coordinating functions at Open House
• Attending and/or coordinating school assemblies
• Attending and/or organizing school events (science fairs)
• Attending and/or organizing skating parties
• Attending and/or organizing entertainment programs (evenings)
• Attending and/or organizing Family Mariner or Tacoma Rainiers baseball nights
• Attending and/or organizing Title 1 Parent Night
• Attending and/or organizing class or grade level activities/celebrations
• Attending and/or organizing Family “Fun Nights”--

  Math
  Reading
  Bingo for Reading
  Dance/Sock Hop
  Games
  Storytelling
  Truck

• Attending and/or organizing awards assemblies
• Receiving levy/bond information
• Providing treats for staff
• Serving on Aesthetic Committee
• Volunteering through community groups/agencies

  West Hill Community Council Fire Dist. 20
  KC Skyway Library
  Local VFW Post
  Churches (offer tutoring)
  Neighborhood Associations
  Neighborhood libraries

• Coordinating Volunteer Recognition Wall
• Serving as parking lot monitors
• Serving as Math-a-Minute volunteers
• Organizing holiday food drives
• Recycling clothes
• Supporting families in need due to illness and/or death
• Participating in the 5th grade camp project
• Providing kindergarten snacks
• Helping in all-school programs like Reading Is Fun; providing books and reading program support
• Bringing items to the “Family Cultural Night”--desserts, artifacts, music, family treasures
• Organizing support for distant schools (Ghana)

Parents as Learners

• Attending PTA meetings with special topics
• Attending Open House
• Attending Back to School or Group Conference Night
• Participating in parent/community classes in computer lab Volunteering in classrooms
• Participating at ET meetings
• Attending parent/teacher and IEP conferences
• Reading newsletters and take-home projects
• Following up on counselor suggestions for reading, etc.
• Reading information on community resources
• Reading notices of board meetings and other special district learning opportunities
• Reading school and district websites
• Observing in classrooms (frequent invitations; special classroom events)
• Using the Parent Resource Library
• Attending school, district, and PTA workshops

  School reform information
  Information on WASL and ITBS
  Evening parent workshops--how to support learning to read
  LAP/Title 1 conference
  Workshops provided by staff--reading, math, LAP
  Family Guide to Second Step Curriculum workshops
  District workshops such as 40 assets

• Attending school board meetings
• Serving on district committees such as ERC
• Attending parenting classes
• Previewing instructional materials before adoption
• Taking volunteer training
• Participating in parent/student/teacher book clubs

Parents as Teachers

• Mentoring
• Volunteering
• Home tutoring
• Classroom tutoring
• Playground volunteers
• Assisting with art projects
• Assisting with computers
• Monitoring behavior/assignment communications
• Reading to kids 20 minutes a night
• Monitoring and helping with homework
• Following through on teacher-generated suggestions
• Supervising on field trips
• Providing opportunities for cultural and other enrichment
• Taking children to the library
• Providing summer learning opportunities (math program)
• Promoting student involvement in PTA programs such as Reflections
• Teaching in after school activities
• Teaching at 5th grade camp
• Sharing personal experience/talents with students
• Becoming district employees

Parents as Educational Decision Makers

• Site council membership
• Building committee membership--continuing

  CSIP
  Emergency preparedness
  LAP Advisory

• Ad hoc building committee (i.e.,parking)
• PTA leadership roles

  School
  District
  State

• District committee membership

  Citizens Advisory Committee on Instruction
  Capital Projects Advisory
  Diversity Advisory
  District General Instruction Committee
  Enrollment Review Committee
  Budget Advisory
  Special Education Advisory
  Gifted Education Advisory
  Renton Technology Coordinating Council
  Other ad hoc committees

• Becoming school board director
• Working with legislators and county council members
• Responding to parent survey
• Sharing concerns with appropriate individuals
• Organizing parent meetings

Document prepared: Spring 2003