Thomas Jefferson Elementary
Parent Involvement Plan
2016 - 2017
Standard I: Communication
Goal: Communication between home and school is regular, two-way, and meaningful.
To facilitate effective communication with parents about our school program and children’s
progress,
TJE will:
1. Prepare informational packets including, but not limited to:
A. TJE’s parental involvement plan;
B. The recommended role of the parent, student, teacher, and school;
C. Ways for parents to become involved in the school and his or her child’s education.
Parent Information Packets
In order to encourage parents to become involved as partners with the school in their child’s
education, a brochure describing Thomas Jefferson Elementary’s Parent Involvement Program and
the various ways parents can volunteer in the school will be designed and distributed to parents in the
parent information packets. The brochure also lists parent involvement opportunities planned during
the 2016 - 2017 school year.
The recommended role of the parent, teacher and student will also be included in the parent
information packet.
A letter from the parent involvement coordinator will include an invitation for parents to become
involved in their child’s school by joining P.T.O.
Important dates of interest for the upcoming year will be included on the school calendar that is
posted on the Thomas Jefferson Elementary school website.
Parenting tips will be included on the Thomas Jefferson Elementary website as well as for Tuesday
folders.
Two-Way Meaningful Communication
In order to establish a routine method for parents to review their children’s work on a regular basis,
weekly communication folders, known as Tuesday folders, will be sent home to parents containing
student work for parental comment and review along with other school information.
Each teacher/team will publish a weekly newsletter which will be distributed via Tuesday folders and
sent out in digital formats as well. Each teacher/team will communicate via e-mail regarding
homework assignments as needed, and will e-mail individual parents when there are concerns.
Parents are encouraged to communicate with teachers on a continuing basis through e-mail.
Student progress will be reported to parents on a regular basis. Kindergarten – 4th grade report cards
will reflect the learning goals of the Common Core State Standards, and the Arkansas Frameworks as
required by the state of Arkansas. Grades assigned to students for performance in a course shall
reflect only the extent to which a student has achieved the expressed academic objectives of the
course. A standards-based report card (Kindergarten – 4th) will be issues every nine-week period. If a
student retention is being considered at any time, that information will be communicated and regular
progress reports will be made regarding possible retention. Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled
at least once a semester; however, conferences may be requested at any time a need arises.
Teachers will communicate with parents regularly through phone calls, e-mails, and notes in agenda
planners and Tuesday Folders.
2. To encourage communication with parents, the school shall schedule no less than two (2) parentteacher conferences per school year.
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School will host two parent-teacher conferences during the school year
which will accommodate the varied schedules of adults and language barriers. Parents will be
encouraged to share their child’s strengths and learning preferences and emphasize that parentteacher partnerships will help assure their child’s future career goals.
Academic Improvement Plans and IRI’s are developed during the fall teacher conferences by parents
and teachers for those students who did not score at the proficient level on their prior ACT Aspire or
ITBS Test.
Thomas Jefferson Elementary’s goal is to have 100% parent contact during parent-teacher
conferences. Every effort will be made to reschedule and follow-up as needed with parents. Home
visits or phone conferences will be made by the teacher, counselor, and/or administrator if a parent is
unable to come to school to attend a conference.
3. The school may plan and engage in other activities determined to be beneficial to encourage
communication with parents.
Every staff member’s e-mail address can be accessed through the district’s web-site.
In order to effectively communicate with more parents, Bentonville Schools has established a
“Welcome Center” for the parents of ESL students. The center will be available to all Bentonville
Public School parents.
Standard II: Parenting
Goal: Parenting skills are promoted and supported.
To promote student learning, schools will:
1. Purchase parenting books, magazines, and other informative material regarding responsible
parenting through the school library, advertise current selections, and give parents an opportunity to
borrow the materials for review.
A Parent Involvement Center has been established for parents and families and will include a lending
library that provides information to parents on a wide variety of parent/family information and
support materials including family information packets, parenting videos, brochures, and books that
focus on parenting the elementary school-aged child.
Reading selections from the Parent Involvement Center Library will be periodically highlighted in
the monthly school newsletter to increase parent awareness of the available resources.
Parenting books, parenting magazines, and parenting videos will be available in the school library in
the Thomas Jefferson Parent Center section for check-out.
2. Create parent centers.
Parenting resources will be available in the Parent Involvement Center section of the school library to
assist parents in working with their children. All materials are available for check-out.
Parenting Information Sites and a computer are also located in the Parent Involvement
Center/Library for parent use. A television and DVD player/or computers are available for parents to
view materials in the Parent Involvement Center or TJ Counseling Center.
The Parent Involvement Center will be a resource center to support parents and families with training
through workshops such as “Beyond the Hard Places - TBRI, Parent and Child Series, and Magic 12-3”, and Conscious Discipline.
A “School & Community Resource Guide” of nonprofit and private community referral sources for
families seeking resources outside of the school and families in crisis will be disseminated as needed.
Thomas Jefferson Elementary will provide parents and families with information on developing
home environments that support learning. Brochures such as “Homework: How to Motivate Your
Child” will be disseminated to all parents during parent-teacher conferences.
3. Plan and engage in other activities determined by the school to be beneficial to promoting and
supporting responsible parenting.
Community parenting class notifications and schedules will be made available to parents. These
opportunities will be announced in monthly school newsletters, on the school’s web-site on the
counselor’s page, and/or notes sent home in Tuesday Folders. Coffee Corner for Parents will be
conducted once a month to further educate parents about important TJES information and to
collaborate concerning items of interest.
Standard III: Student Learning
Goal: Parents play an integral role in assisting student learning.
To help parents in assisting students, Thomas Jefferson and/or the District shall:
1. Schedule grade level “Parent Involvement Meetings” in the evening where parents are given a
report on the state of the school and an overview of:
a. What students will be learning;
b. How students will be assessed;
c. What parents should expect for their child’s education;
d. How parents can assist and make a difference in his/her child’s education:
School’s agenda planners will contain information regarding homework policies and consequences of
not turning in homework. In addition, the agenda planners will provide information regarding how
parents can foster learning at home, give appropriate assistance, monitor homework, and give
feedback to teachers. Teachers will regularly assign interactive homework that will require students
to discuss and interact with their parents about what they are learning in class.
Parents are encouraged to attend the school’s weekly Tiger Rally Assemblies to celebrate excellence,
improvement, and citizenship with their child.
Staff development for teachers during the school year will focus on successful approaches to
engaging parents in their child’s education along with ways to deal with parents effectively.
Standard IV: Volunteering
Goal: Parents are welcome in the school, and their support and assistance are sought.
To organize volunteers to support and assist, Thomas Jefferson shall:
1. Have policies and procedures that encourage parents to visit school, specifically including:
a. Policies requiring parents to pick-up his/her child outside the school building each day; and
b. Written procedures allowing parents to visit their child’s classroom during school events;
c. Ensure that the office staff greetings and signs near the entrances and any other interaction with the
parents create a climate where parents feel valued and welcome.
2. PTO & the Parent Involvement Coordinator will work together to coordinate those who wish to
volunteer at our school by:
a. Sending out a volunteer form letter that outlines the many ways a parent can volunteer.
b. Determine how frequently a volunteer would like to participate, including the option of just one
(1) time per year;
i) Include options for those who are available to help at home;
ii) Use the volunteer form to help match school needs with volunteer interests.
iii) Training will be provided for parent volunteers regarding school protocol, routines and
procedures, volunteer expectations and equipment usage.
Statements attesting to Thomas Jefferson Elementary’s commitment to parental involvement will be
published in the school newsletters and other written material to be distributed to all parents regularly
throughout the school year.
Engage in activities determined by the school to welcome parents into the school, such as:
1. Workroom volunteers, sign in through the office
2. Tutoring, mentoring, helping at parties
3. Spring luncheon to recognize volunteers
4. School marquee will be used to welcome, inform, and show appreciation to parents
5. Provide training for parents to become effective volunteers
6. Provide a welcoming atmosphere that is friendly and encourages volunteerism.
Standard V: School Decision Making and Advocacy
Goal: Recognize that a parent is a full partner in the decisions that affect his or her child and
family. To encourage parents to participate as full partners in the decisions that affect his or
her child and family, the school shall:
1. Publish the school’s process for resolving parental concerns, including how to define the problem,
whom to approach first, and how to develop solutions (school handbook)
2. Formation of PTO to identify and respond to issues of interest to parents
3. Engage in other activities that the school determines will encourage parents to participate as full
partners in the decisions that affect his/her family.
4. Parents at Thomas Jefferson Elementary will be surveyed for their ideas and input on various
school decisions.
5. Develop clear and understandable procedures that enable all to participate
6. Treat parent concerns with respect and demonstrate genuine interest in developing solutions
Standard VI: Collaborating with the Community
Goal: To recognize that the community resources strengthen school programs, family
practices, and student learning. To take advantage of community resources, Thomas Jefferson
shall:
1. Engage in activities that the school has determined will utilize community resources to strengthen
school programs, family practices, and student learning.
2. Thomas Jefferson will utilize business and community resources to provide school supplies and
clothing for needy children.
3. Participate in the following programs for children: Bright Futures; TJ Gives Back; Clothed with
Compassion; Caring and Sharing; Samaritan House Snack Pack Program; etc.
4. Utilize the expertise of community members and invite them to be guest speakers for teacher inservices, parenting workshops, Rise and Shine Assemblies, Operation Beautiful, Boys of Honor, and
the Cub Connections School-Based Mentoring Program.