Como Park Senior High School Family Engagement Plan 2017-2018

Como Park Senior High School is committed to partnering with our Como parents and the Como community in order to help all of our students reach their full potential.

The Family Engagement Plan (FEP) is organized into four impact areas. We will be working together this year to build positive and goal-oriented relationships in each area. Staff and parents of Como Park Senior High School work together each year to develop this plan.

Welcoming Environment
Our school has staff member(s) available for families to discuss this plan and ask questions / Principal: Theresa Neal
Parent Outreach Coordinator: Dede Hammond / weekly / monthly / quarterly / annually
Communication and interpretation services are available to parents and the school community.
Face to Face:
Online:
Written Materials:
Phone Calls/Robo Calls: /
  • I Annual Meeting
  • MonthlyParent and Community Council (PCC) meetings
  • Cultural Parent Affinity Group Nights
  • Parent Teacher Conferences
  • Parent Outreach Coordinator is available to assist with parent needs
  • Interpreters are available at all parent events
  • CPSHS website:
  • Twitter: @ComoPark_hs
  • Title Parent Portal/Schoology for attendance and grading
  • Teachers post homework/ school assignments on Schoology
  • Staff can email messages to parents if an address is provided
  • Teachers post class syllabuses on school website
  • Weekly e-mail Newsletters in PDF-form
  • Guidance Bulletin in CPSHS Newsletter
  • Counselors Twitter Account @ComoCounselors
  • Parent Outreach Coordinator is available to assist with parent needs via email
  • Postcard invitations are mailed in English, Spanish, Karen, Somali, and Hmong for parent events
  • Progress reports are sent home
  • Report cards are sent home
  • Graduation status letters are sent home to seniors in the fall and second semester in English and translations
  • Credit status letters are sent home to 9-11 grade students during second semester in English and translations
  • Park Bugle School News and Midway Monitor Como News
  • Good News postcards are sent to parents about student achievements
  • Conference invitations will be made through automated calls in English, Spanish, Karen, Karenni, Somali, and Hmong
  • Recorded messages on the phone system (Robo Calls) provide information to English speaking and non-English speaking families about all family events
  • RoboCalls are made in English, Spanish, Karen, Karenni, Somali, and Hmong
  • Parent Outreach Coordinator is available to assist with parent needs by phone
  • When families call, email, or send a note, we do our best to respond within 24 hours
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The achievement gap, or rather the “opportunity gap,” between students of color and white students in Saint Paul Public Schools is unacceptable. Our school is working to change practices and systems by identifying the barriers that make it harder for students of color to succeed and for their families to support their learning.
We have developed Restorative Practices and Talking Piece Circles to resolve disputes and deal with problems between students OR students and teachers.
A monthly SCIT meeting reports on School Climate Improvement. / For more about our work on racial equity, contact: Principal, Theresa Neal
  • Staff Equity committee
  • Monthly Equity committee meetings
  • Monthly equity chats open to all staff
  • Continuation of Dare 2 Be Real group (student anti-racist leadership team)
  • Our Cultural Parent Nights are designed to build the capacity of our parents to be involved in their children’s education
  • The African American Parent group works toward expanding its membership and towards integration into a larger Parent Community Council to address issues with the achievement gap
  • Representatives from our Affinity Groups and our Intervention Teams give updates/reports at the Parent Community Council
  • Parent Academy in five languages is working toward better understanding of high school for all parents
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Transitions between schools can be challenging, and we work to help families as their children start and leave our school.
For students and families moving to the next school in their pathway, we support their transition. / For new students and families, we support the transition:
  • Provide shadowing opportunities for students and tours for families of 8thgrade students
  • Bring ELL students from Murray to shadow Como ELL students.
  • AP Advanced Placement information night
  • Showcase our school to highlight our academic programs and our extra-curricular opportunities.
  • Provide two registration nights for incoming 9th graders and their families
  • Provide half day Link Crew Orientation for incoming students the week before school starts.
  • Link Crew program assists 9th grade students transition comfortably to high school.
  • 9thGrade Orientation Night for students and parents
  • Encourage ninth grade parents to attend Parent Academy
For Students:
  • CIS and AP classes
  • MEP, Upward Bound, AVID, College Possible, PSEO
  • Career and Counseling Resource Center
  • National College Fair
  • Career Day
  • Career Pathways
  • Gateway to College
  • Naviance: A six year plan for students
  • College Representative visits to CPSHS
  • MNACC College Fair at CPSHS
  • MEP, Upward Bound, AVID, College Possible, PSEO
For Parents:
  • FAFSA nights for students and parents in
  • AVID Night
  • Provide Post Secondary information in appropriate languages at Cultural Parent Meetings
  • Parent Academy Seminars help parents guide their children toward post-secondary education
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Family Partnerships
Our school-parent compact establishes the shared responsibility for student success between the school, families, and students. Families and teachers work together to develop the compact. /
  • Copies of the compact are available: The Compact will be included in the Family Information Folder given out in the fall. The compact will also be posted on the school website. Copies will be available at conferences and in the Parent Resource Center and Main Office.
  • Teachers will share the compact with parents at conferences.
  • May 2016, Compact was developed with AVID students, parents, and CPSHS Family Engagement committee
  • The compact will be updated: Spring 2017 with parents, staff, and students

There are many opportunities for families to build connections to the school and to each other. /
  • Title I Annual Meeting where we will share information about school programs.
  • The Title I Annual Meeting will be held during the Open House on September 27.
  • Ninth grade information meeting for parents will be held on Orientation night
  • Senior Class information night for parents held in September
  • All-school Open House will provide Title I, and school information to all Como families
  • Parent Academy Seminars will meet for threenights on October 17, October 24, and November 7
  • The Parent and Community CouncilPCC meetings will be held once a month throughout the school year.
  • Parent involvement on the SCIT committee
  • Parent meetings will be held in Somali, Spanish, Hmong, and Karenwith interpreters.
  • Monthly African American Parent Meetings.
  • Bi-monthly Coffee with the Principal will be held during the day to provide parents with school information.
  • Coffee with the Principal will be offered for Hmong, Karen, Latino, and Somali parents once during the school year: each group separately with interpreter.
  • Bi-monthly Coffee with Counselors will be held to give parents an opportunity to ask questions of our counselors.
  • Coffee with the Counselor will be offered for Hmong, Karen, Latino, and Somali parents once during the school year: each group separately with an interpreter.
  • Como Booster Club will meet monthly to build parent relationships and to support CPSHS.
  • Develop a Parent to Parent Partnership program
  • National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) will be on February 13, 2017, Cinco de Mayo celebration for families in May, and Hmong New Year celebration sponsored by CPAAC
  • Taste of Como event—All-school potluck
  • Parent Outreach Coordinator is available to assist parents with school needs.

We work to make these meetings and events available for every family in the school. /
  • Invitation postcards are translated into Spanish, Somali, Hmong, and Karen.
  • Automated calls are made in Spanish, Somali, Hmong, English, Karenni, and Karen.
  • Parent and Community Council PCC meetings will provide interpreters for non-English speaking parents.
  • Parent Meetings meet during the supper hour so a light supper is always served.
  • Taxis or bus tokens are provided for parents who need transportation.
  • Coffee with Counselors and Coffee with the Principal meet in the morning for parents who are available during the day. Transportation is provided.
  • We provide Coffee with the Counselor and Coffee with the Principal for our non-English speaking families

Our school supports families as advocates and provides opportunities for parent leadership /
  • Parents should contact their student’s teacher through phone call or email if there are concerns about student learning
  • Provide Parent Leadership trainings—Parent Academy
  • Two staff development trainings on Family Engagement will be held during the 2016-2017 school year.
  • Parent Academy Seminars provide instruction for parents to become educational advocates for their children.
  • Parent and Community Council will be a resource for information about school and a place for family involvement. All parents are welcome to be a part of PCC.
  • We are working toward parent leadership in each of the cultural parent groups.
  • The Family Engagement Plan and School/Family Compact will be developed with parents from the PCC, cultural groups and Parent Academy.

Parent Academy Seminars provide the foundation of parents’ information and skills for becoming more involved in our school. Parent Academy Seminars are held on three nights for families. /
  • Parent Academy Seminars will be held: October 24, and November 7, 2016
  • The Parent Outreach Coordinator will coordinate the Parent Academy Seminars
  • Recruiting will focus on parents of ninth graders, but provide open invitations to parents of all grades.
  • Recruitment calls will be made in English, Spanish, Somali, Hmong, and Karen for classes in those languages.

Teaching and Learning
Our school shares information about student achievement with families in multiple ways /
  • Report cards and progress reports will be distributedat conferences and mailed home quarterly.
  • Parent-Teacher conferences are held quarterly.
  • Parent Portal/Schoology provides up to date information on student progress in all classes.
  • Graduation status letters are sent home to seniors in the fall and second semester in English and translations.
  • Credit status letters are sent home to 9th through 11th graders second semester in English and translations.
  • PCCwill address student achievement and SCIP goals during monthly meetings.
  • Student achievement will be highlighted in the weekly email newsletter.
  • Student achievement will be highlighted on the school website
  • Good News postcards will be mailed to parents to inform them of studentachievements.
  • Park Bugle and Midway Monitor will highlight CPSHS student achievement

Our school will engage families in Personalized Learning as a key strategy to accelerate student achievement, as these changes come to our school /
  • Parent Portal/Schoologyinformation will be available by contacting: Aaron Bryant at 651-744-2591
  • Parents are encouraged to use Parent Portal/Schoology weekly to keep up on student grades and information
  • Language interpreters will assist parents in activating and using Parent Portal/Schoology.
  • Students are encouraged to use Student Portal/Schoology on a regular basis to keep track of schoolwork and grades
  • Parents will learn more about Personalized Learning through thePCC and cultural parent meetings as information becomes available.
  • Teachers are adapting their curriculum to technology through Schoology, and parents will be kept informed of their progress.

Many before- and after-school enrichment and support opportunities are available for students /
  • College Possible
  • Upward Bound
  • MEP
  • Robotics
  • Sanneh Foundation/Dreamline homework help
  • Rock Star Supply Company/MOI homework help
  • YWCA Impact
  • Urban Debate
  • Math team
  • Musical theater programs
  • APPs Club
  • New Lens
  • Anime Club
  • Dare 2 Be Real
  • Future Educators
  • Big Brothers, Big Sister
  • Technovation Challenge for girls
  • National Honor Society
  • InterCulture Club
  • Muslim Student Association
  • Korean Culture Club
  • CPAAC-Como Park Asian American Club
  • Environmental Club
  • Jazz Band
  • Science Club
  • Teachers post after-school hours for academic help
  • Library is open three days per week after school and all week before school
  • ELL Extended Day Program

Community Partnerships
Our school develops community partnerships to provide additional support for students and their families.
Partnerships with Colleges:
Partnerships with Businesses (AOF)
Partnerships with Community Organizations:
Job Opportunities for Students: /
  • College Possible
  • Upward Bound
  • St Paul College
  • Century College
  • Metro State University
  • Xcel Energy
  • City of St Paul Finance Department
  • Thomson Reuters
  • Hiway Credit Union
  • Top Line Credit Union
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
  • US Bank
  • Prudential
  • Travelers Insurance
  • Best Prep
  • Brand Lab
  • Saint Paul Public Schools Finance Department
  • Ramsey County Work Force
  • Grant Thorton
  • Junior Achievement
  • Hubbs Center for Lifelong Learning
  • International Institute of Minnesota
  • Hmong American Partnership
  • Vietnamese Social Services
  • Galilee Community Gardens
  • Karen Organization of Minnesota
  • Dispute Resolution Center
  • Health Start Clinic
  • Genesys Works
  • Right Track
  • YWCA

This plan is available as part of our school’s SCIP, or School Comprehensive Improvement Plan at scip.spps.org, is on our school website at comosr.org, and printed copies are available in the office and in the Parent Resource Center.

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