At the Winchester School, we recognize the need for teachers, staff members, and administrators to work with families and the community in positive ways in order to increase student success. Our School-Family-Community Partnership Program is based on a comprehensive, research-based framework that identifies and targets six types of family and community involvement. We encourage the parents of all of our students, as well as community members, to attend our annual Partnership Team meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to develop a plan of activities and events that are not only linked to the framework below, but are also directly linked to our school’s goals for improvement. The date and time of the annual meeting is posted in advance both in the school newsletter and on the school’s web site. In addition, parents and community members are invited and encouraged to participate in all of our committee meetings as posted on the school’s website.

1. PARENTING: Assist families with parenting and child-rearing skills, understanding child and adolescent development, and setting home conditions that support children as students at each age and grade level. Assist schools in understanding families.

Teacher: Help families understand the conditions that support their child’s learning in the classroom. Encourage and establish a partnership relationship with families. Identify students that have specific parenting needs through Child Concern Team meetings, communications with the school guidance counselor, the school social worker, nurse, etc. so that families can be connected to services that will help them. Attend workshops and/or seek other opportunities that help the teacher better understand students and their families.

Facilitator: Develop and maintain a school/family compact that reflects our partnership policy and our goals for student achievement. Meet annually with parents, community members, and school staff to develop a yearly plan for workshops, communications, and other events for families and the community that support children as students. The coordinator will supervise the implementation of the yearly plan.

2. COMMUNICATING: Communicate with families about school programs and student progress through effective school-to-home and home-to-school communications.

Teacher: Establish an open line of communication with families via telephone and written communications, Open House, monthly newsletters and at least 2 parent/teacher conferences per year. Keep families informed of academic, behavioral, and attendance concerns as well as positive news. Encourage parent feedback to all communications and home links.

Facilitator: Regularly inform and update the community about our school’s goals, activities and events, volunteer and involvement news, etc., through newsletters, the school’s web site, and regular contact with The Keene Sentinel. Keep the school staff informed about partnership activities, news and issues. Offer partnership training and research updates to staff as needed.

3. VOLUNTEERING: Improve recruitment, training, work and schedules to involve families as volunteers and audiences at the school or in other locations to support students and school programs.

Teacher: Encourage a classroom atmosphere that welcomes parent and community volunteers. Seek ways for volunteers to assist students at school, in the classroom, or at home. Invite families to participate in school events, assemblies, all-school meetings, and celebrations. Encourage students to be volunteers in their class, at school, and at home.

Facilitator: Develop and maintain a policy for volunteers in our school. Facilitate the recruitment, training, and schedules of volunteers. Facilitate events and activities that involve families and community members as volunteers and audiences at school. Recognize and thank our volunteers publicly, and coordinate end-of-year celebrations.

4. LEARNING AT HOME: Involve families with their children in learning activities at home, including homework and other curriculum-related activities and decisions.

Teacher: Assign homework that enables students to discuss and demonstrate at home the skills that are being taught in class. Encourage children to share daily class work with their families. Guide families to monitor their children’s homework and to discuss report card grades and academic goals with their children.

Facilitator: Offer training as needed to teachers on designing interactive homework that (a) enables all families to become involved but does not ask parents to teach subjects or skills that they are not prepared to teach, (b) asks students to share their work, ideas, and progress with their families, and (c) provides families with an opportunity to comment and request other information that will support their child’s learning.

5. DECISION MAKING: Include families as participants in school decisions, governance, and advocacy through PTA, school committees, the Partnership Action team, and other organizations.

Teacher: Invite and encourage families to participate in decisions about school programs that affect their own child’s learning, i.e. parent-teacher conferences and special education meetings. Support activities that provide family and community members with opportunities to participate in decisions about our school, i.e. PTA, Partnership Team meetings, committees (curriculum, report card, hiring new staff, planning events, etc.), and others. Encourage and promote an atmosphere of partnership with family and community members who are involved in decision-making.

Facilitator: Communicate accurate and updated information to family and community members about school policies and programs, goals for improvement, and opportunities to offer ideas and reactions. Encourage and remind the staff and administration to include family and community members in decision-making opportunities as described above.

6. COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY: Coordinate community resources and services for students, families, and the school with businesses, agencies, and other groups, and provide services to the community.

Teacher: Share ideas for human, economic, material, and social resources that may support our school, our families, and our students. In addition, share ideas where the educators, parents, and students may help the community. Support programs that connect our school, students and families with the community (i.e. Pickle Festival, Read Across America, visits to the nursing home, etc.).

Facilitator: Establish and maintain a list of community businesses and civic organizations that may have resources and services that support our school. Keep these businesses and organizations informed of our school’s goals for improvement as well as specific opportunities for collaboration. Coordinate programs that involve community collaboration. Recognize and thank those who contribute.