LAKEVIEW SCHOOL’S PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY

After careful analysis of the Lakeview 2005 Family Survey, reflection and study of Humphreys County Parental Involvement Policy, Lakeview School’s Parental Involvement Policy was developed and agreed upon by a committee made up of Lakeview parents, administrators, teachers, educational assistants, and community members. It was decided by consensus of the committee that the policy be reviewed annually and updated appropriately to meet the changing needs of parents, community, and school. The adopted policy will be sent home with each child each year and will be made available in each classroom.

Welcoming Environment-(In an effort to develop and maintain a positive school/community climate)

1. All Lakeview staff will continue to be friendly and helpful to all visitors. 1-4
2. Parents and community members will continue to have an open invitation to visit Lakeview School and eat lunch with their child, help with parties, special events etc. 1-4
3. All visitors will continue to be required to sign in as a visitor in the office (for safety and security) and also so they can receive proper direction and assistance from our staff. (Directional signs may in the future be added to help visitors move about the building more easily.) 1-4
4. All office staff (all staff) will do all possible to be courteous to visitors and to those who contact the office by phone or note. 1-4
5. The office, classrooms, and all other parts of the building will be clean and maintained in such a way that they are attractive and welcoming to the public. 1-4
6. Special events such as Halloween Parade, Fall festival, Field Day, Mother’s Day, Grandparents Day, Awards Day, 8th Grade Graduation and Recognition, sports events, Beta Induction, Band Concerts, Science Fair, etc. will continue to include faculty, students, parents, and community. 1-4
7. All special messages, calls, etc. from parents to students, teachers, staff, or administration will be delivered and addressed as promptly as possible. 1-4
8. Lakeview will continue to maintain a climate that is friendly and inviting so teachers can teach, children can learn, and parents/community can serve as a partnership with the school and its functions. 1-4

Communication:(In an effort to keep lines of communication open-)

1. School event calendars and menus will be sent home at the beginning of each month. 1-4
2. Special notes from the administration or from the classroom teacher or group sponsor will be sent when appropriate to notify parents about field trips, parties, homecoming, movies, plays, etc. 1-4
3. All parents will be given school/faculty contact numbers in the student handbook.(Teachers and administrators will continue to be approachable.) 4
4. Letters will be sent to parents about problems with discipline, attendance, and homework. (Phone calls will also be made.) 4
5. Each new and returning student will be given a student handbook/planner each year to communicate all policies and important information, school calendar etc. 1-4
6. Parents of students who are absent will be contacted by 9 A.M. each day to determine the reason for the absence. 1,2,4
7. Magnetic school calendars will be given to each new and returning student so that parents can keep up with the school calendar at a glance, report card distribution, holidays etc. 1,2,4
8. Parents will be notified immediately when there is a question about the health or safety of their child. 1,2,4
9. Parents can access important school and homework information using the Homework Hotline (535-3600). 1,2,4

Degree of Involvement:(In an effort to create a true parent/community/school partnership)

1. The Lakeview parental policy will be sent home with each student. It will be revised and updated as needed. Parents will be required to sign a handbook/parental policy form stating they have seen the handbook and parental involvement policy. A copy of the Parental Involvement Policy will be available in each classroom. 1-6
2. Staff will continue to provide information to parents about educational issues- GED, TCAP, No Child Left Behind, state benchmarks, etc. 1-4
3. Parent Teacher Conferences will be held at various times (day/night) to accommodate the working schedules of the parents, so more parents will be able to attend. (All parents are encouraged to schedule individual meetings when necessary.) 1-4
4. Parents will be encouraged to volunteer to help with school programs and projects: PTO, Field Day, Fall Festival, snack day, field trips, parties etc. 1-2
5. Open House (Family Friendly Night) will be held right before the new school year begins. All parents and other members of the community are encouraged to attend to meet new members of the staff and find out about new programs. Students and parents will meet new homeroom teachers and get the year off to a good cooperative start. 1-7
6. All parents/ community members will be encouraged to join the PTO and take an active part in its projects and support of the school. 1-2
7. Children who are not school age and their parents will continue to be welcome and invited for special events, assemblies, and programs at Lakeview School. 1-2
8. The building will continue to be accessible to youth and community groups for use with the principal’s approval. (Vision League/ Basketball , Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Karate, Police Department, Fire Department, Dance/ Gymnastics lessons and recitals, Charger Football, Nursery School graduation, local business meetings etc. 1-2
9. Lakeview will continue to seek the support and sponsorship of local businesses and groups for such things as awards for students for 8th grade graduation. 1-3
10. Community organizations and businesses, parents, and the school will continue to work together in an effort to improve services to the students and the community. 1,2,5

Services established at this time:
    Lions Club- eye screening and eyeglasses
    Anonymous donations of clothing and toys
    Parents, Teachers, and Community services
    Dental team from local dentists/ dental hygiene
    Water Safety presented by TVA volunteers
    Meriwether Lewis Electric- programs, contests, and grants
    Bridges Program- visits to school by nursinghome staff/ visits to nursinghome by students
    High School students help with Santa Shop, Fall Festival, Mentor Mates, other activities
    4 H Program
    STARS
    Student Assistance Program
    McDonalds- visits by Ronald
    Hunters’ Safety
    Staff/Prayer Partners with local churches
    Book donations to First Graders by local businesses and educational organizations
    Backpacks and School Supplies donated by local churches
    Beta Club programs and projects: Angel Tree, tutoring, Thanksgiving meals    

Support for Home Learning-( In an effort to insure that parents are equipped to work at home to help their children improve their academic achievement-)

1. Children will take home educational materials. 3
2. Parents will be made aware of services available in our county such as : the GED program, educational classes held at the community college, pre -k program, Strengthening Families Program etc.- and how to register for these programs. 1-4
3. Parents will be kept informed of their child’s progress. Teachers will send home Wednesday folders, report cards each six weeks, standardized achievement test scores as soon as they are made available, as well as scores obtained on teacher made and/or textbook designed tests. Mid six weeks reports may also be sent. (Grading and discipline policies covered in the handbook, will be explained upon request.) 4
4. Assignments will be posted on the Homework hotline each day (535-3600) so parents can help students at home with assignments. The hotline mailbox numbers will be provided in the handbook/planner. 3-4
5. The Home-School Connection will be sent home at the beginning of each month to give parents ideas about helping their children at home. 4
6. On request when a student is sick, books and assignments will be sent to the office for the child who is sick. 3
7. Afterschool care ($3.00) per day per child (M-F) and tutoring on Wednesday (at no charge) will be provided. Parents will be given information about both programs. 4
8. The school guidance counselor will be available to assist parents and their students with concerns. 1-4
9. Information about additional programs will be given to parents- Beta Club tutoring, Mentor Mates, STARS, Student Assistance Program, etc. 1,2,4
10. The school nurse and health department will make sure student immunizations are up to date. (At school immunizations will be provided by the health department to help parents with transportation problems- just an easy way to obtain the shots they need.) 1,2,4
11. The Student Assistance Counselor will be available to help parents and their students with problems. 1,2,4
12. The newly adopted math textbooks for grades 6-8 will provide an online textbook for student access at home and some tutorials. Important support information for 6-8 Science and Social Studies is also online through the textbook companies. 3-4
13. The school library will have the book fair open afterschool to accommodate working parents. 1-4
14. Lakeview students will continue to be able to take library books home during holidays or school breaks. 1-4
15. Lakeview Elementary will host an early registration in the spring of each year to provide a smooth transition into public school for all students entering Kindergarten and Pre-K. The times and dates will be announced in the local paper. At registration all K students will be scheduled for a readiness assessment. After the evaluation, teachers will make suggestions to the parents on things to work on during the summer. A readiness checklist will be given to each parent enrolling a kindergarten student. (Pre-k registration will be held and each class will consist of 20 at risk 4 year old students.) 3-4
16. The counselor at Lakeview will hold 4 year plan meetings for all 8th graders and their parents. The counselor will assist students and their parents in planning a 4 year plan of study for high school. (We will continue to strive to have 100% parent /student participation.) 3
17. Parents/community members and students will be asked to serve on School Improvement and Parental Involvement Committees. 5,7
18. The staff will provide materials, explanations, training etc. for parents when needed to explain: 1-4

                    the National Education Goals
                    Tennessee’s content standards and student performance standards
                    the state’s responsibilities in providing assistance to school districts
                    the school district’s responsibilities in providing assistance to schools identified for:
                        improvement
                        the components of a schoolwide program
                        state and local assessments
                        parental involvement requirements
                        how to monitor a child’s progress/ work to improve child’s performance
                        how to participate in decisions relating to the education of their child

19. If parents can not read or write, or speak English, the teachers will do oral presentations of materials. Information will be written in a language parents can understand and/or an interpreter will be provided when possible for parents unable to speak English. Efforts will be made to include parents with disabilities in all activities as well. 6
20. All parental requests for training and /or parent involvement activities will be submitted to the principal for consideration and possible referral to the Parent Involvement Committee. (Reasonable requests will be considered.)