Sundown Elementary

Parental Involvement Policy

Statement of Purpose

Sundown Elementary seeks academic excellence. We believe with parent and teacher cooperation, children can learn and work as responsible citizens of the Sundown Community and the world. Our goal is to build a collaborative partnership between our school and our parents which will then benefit the students of our school. We recognize that parental involvement in a child’s learning is essential in achieving academic success. When the school and the home form a strong partnership together they promote high expectations which help all students succeed. Sundown is committed to all students succeeding in their academics.

Developing the Policy

A committee which includes parents, Title 1 parents, teachers and staff, principals and administrators was formed to help develop the Parental Involvement Policy and revise the School-Parent Compact. The committee chose a time and place to meet that was convenient for everyone. At this meeting we discussed the policy and the many different aspects of parental involvement. We provided our parents with a questionnaire to receive feedback related to communication with parents and barriers that effect parental involvement. Our School- Parent Compact and our Parental Involvement Policy will be translated into Spanish so that all parents can read and understand it in a language that is clear and specific. We encourage parent volunteers to serve on this committee as liaisons to the community so that the diversity of our campus is represented.

Annual Meetings

Sundown Elementary will hold a minimum of three annual Title 1 Parent meetings each school year. The first of these will be an orientation meeting to discuss the Title 1 program and the services available at our school. This meeting will educate all parents on our purpose, goals and expectations. We will also discuss parental involvement, parental participation and the Parental Involvement Policy. We encourage all parents to actively participate in the education of their child. During the school year, Sundown will also hold two other Title 1 Parent meetings, or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Nights to encourage parents to be involved with their child’s education. Letters and/or invitations will be sent home with each child prior to the meeting followed by a reminder communication. Information will also be posted on the Sundown website. The Katy Independent School District will also hold a fourth meeting at the end of each school year. All parents are invited and encouraged to participate in this Title 1 Public Meeting so that we can review the Title 1 program. This meeting is scheduled in the spring at the K.I.S.D. Educational Support Center Board Room. Sundown Elementary encourages all parents to offer input of the Title 1 program. We value your suggestions, comments, and welcome your ideas on ways our program can be improved. At the beginning of April, we ask that all parents complete a Family Questionnaire evaluating the effectiveness of our program and to offer us any suggestions that could help better our program. Our goal is to meet the needs of the students, school, parents and community.

Building Capacity

Parental involvement is a crucial component in the education of children because it enhances student achievement and helps create a positive school environment. It is important that both the school and the parents build a strong working partnership and share in the responsibility of working towards student progress. Our School-Parent Compact is a voluntary agreement and a promise of commitment between the parents and the school. With this agreement, Sundown Elementary promises to provide a high-quality instruction of standards-based curriculum for each child and to be taught by highly qualified teachers. We also promise to communicate with parents frequently and encourage volunteer efforts from parents. We ask the parents to agree to send their child to school regularly and on time, as well as make sure that homework is completed. We would also like for the parents to volunteer whenever possible and to stay informed on their child’s education. Many parents expressed that the easiest way to increase communication is through email. Staff email addresses are located on the KATYISD website. Parents and teachers are encouraged to exchange email addresses at the beginning of the school year. This will help keep parents informed of their child’s progress, upcoming meetings/conferences and parental involvement activities. Research shows that children do better in school when parents communicate on a regular basis with teachers and become involved in the school and education of their child. If there are any questions about a child’s education, the curriculum, and/or grade level objectives, you can always visit the Katy Independent School District website at or the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website at

Programs and the School Community

Sundown Elementary seeks input from all parents in order to revise and improve our Title 1 program. Parents are asked to complete a questionnaire/ survey that include comments and suggestions that could be used to develop more effective programs that address the current needs of the students and the campus. Parents feel that the easiest way to provide us with feedback is through notes in the student planner or the exchange of email. We expect all students to demonstrate continual growth in academics. If a student needs academic support, we offer a variety of instructional programs to accommodate each child.

  • Title 1 Support Service Programs
  • E.S.L. (English for Speakers of other Languages)
  • Compensatory Education Support
  • RTI-(Response To Intervention)
  • Dyslexia Intervention
  • Tutorials
  • Imagination Station (Computer Program for Phonics Instruction)
  • Imagine Math (Computer Program for Math Improvement)
  • FASTT Math (Computer Program for Fact Fluency)
  • Bilingual Program
  • Gifted/Talented Classes
  • Technology
  • Pre-Kindergarten
  • P.P.C.D. (Pre-school program for children with disabilities)
  • Speech/Language Intervention
  • DREAMBOX (Computer Program for Math)

Staff-Parent Communication

Communication between the home and school is the key factor in helping our students succeed. Sundown offers many different ways to communicate with our parents. We want all parents to be informed on upcoming events, their child’s academic strengths and weaknesses and if there are any behavioral concerns. We ask that each student purchase a daily planner at the beginning of the school year for $3.00. These daily planners are used for the students to write down homework assignments, upcoming events, and daily reminders. It is also an easy, convenient way for parents and teachers to communicate daily about any questions, comments and concerns they might have. All parents are asked to initial the student planner every evening to indicate that homework has been completed and important messages have been read. Teachers will also send home progress reports, comment sheets and report cards to keep parents informed on their child’s progress. Parent/Teacher conferences throughout the school year will be scheduled at the convenience of the parent so that progress can be discussed and any concerns that either party might have. Other forms of communication include the “Parent-Student Handbook” given to each student at the beginning of the year, the first day of school folder, a monthly calendar of events in Blackboard, the Katy Independent School District’s Discipline Management Plan and Student Code of Conduct, District and Campus Websites, e-mail addresses of teachers and staff members, KatyISD Automated Messaging System (E News), Sundown Facebook page, Twitter #Sundownstrong, @Sundown_e, and telephones in every classroom. The telephones make it easy for parents to call at their convenience and leave messages for teachers at any time during the day. Every Tuesday, teachers will send home each student’s Tuesday take home folder. This folder contains information on upcoming events, conferences, discipline card and the most recent graded papers. Every parent has access to HAC(Home Access Center) through KISD with an individual login code which allows access to their student’s grades. Parents may contact the office if they do not have this code. Each parent will be able to see how their child is progressing, which skills they are being successful in or struggling with and their child’s recent grades.

Evaluation

Sundown Elementary will hold an annual meeting consisting of parents, Title 1 parents, teachers and staff, principals and administrators to evaluate the effectiveness of the Parental Involvement Policy. Family/Teacher Questionnaires, parent suggestions and comments, and other resources will all be used to determine what adjustments need to be made to better meet the needs of our campus. We asked that all parents provide us with their input. Their input will help us develop revised strategies for student success. Many parents suggest that work, lack of information, and communication are some barriers that limit parent and family participation in the parental involvement program.

Funding

K.I.S.D. is required to set aside 1% of its Title 1 funds for the purpose of parental involvement. Those funds will be divided among the Title 1 campuses. The campus principal will consult with the Campus Advisory Team about allowable uses of the funds. The campus principal will then authorize the use of the funds designated for parental involvement. Sundown Elementary will spend Title 1 funds according to identified comprehensive needs and Title 1 guidelines, and will document activities and expenditures in the Campus Improvement Plan.

Conclusion

Sundown is committed to the success of students. We will continue to work together with parents to monitor the effectiveness of our parental involvement program and our Title 1 program. Our goal is to provide excellence in education. We believe that every child is gifted, talented and intelligent. Sundown Elementary is striving for excellence one student at a time.”

2017-2018 School Year

*Comments and suggestions regarding the above document

are welcomed. Please feel free to email or call 281-237-5741 281-237-5442

281-237-5749

281-237-5772

281-237-5443