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    Tawanka Elementary School Parent & Family Engagement Policy

    2024-2025

    Tawanka Elementary School is dedicated and committed to helping each child gain the skills, knowledge and behaviors that will empower him/her to become an active and successful member of our school and community. We are proud to be a Title I school that embodies a diverse population of learners with unique learning preferences and needs.  

    A vital part of the Title I program includes parent engagement. Each Title I school writes a Parent and Family Engagement Policy with parents to help focus and guide how they plan to serve and work alongside families. It falls under the umbrella of the District Parent and Family Engagement policy and is specific to the individual school’s needs.

    The following Parent and Family Engagement Policy was developed and revised jointly with parents of Tawanka students to meet the specific needs of Tawanka Elementary families for the 2024-2025 school year. The policy will be updated annually, posted on Tawanka’s Title I website, and distributed to parents through email.      

    Tawanka Elementary School’s Parent and Family Engagement Policy:  

    • Parents will be invited to collaborate in the planning, review, and improvement of the school's Parent and Family Engagement Policy and the Title I Program at the annual Title I and Parent Advisory Council meetings which is held twice annually.  The meetings will be offered both virtually and in person at various times throughout the day.  Parent input into Tawanka’s Parent and Family Engagement Policy is also collected twice throughout the school year via Parent and Family Engagement Surveys.

     

    • Parents will be informed of Tawanka’s participation in the Title I program at Back to School Night and the annual Fall Federal Programs and Title I Meeting. An explanation of the requirements of the Title I program and parents’ right to be involved will be given during these parent events.  

     

    • At Tawanka Elementary School, parent meetings and conferences will be held at different times during the day to accommodate parents' schedules. Parents will be given the option to attend in person or virtually whenever possible.   

     

    • Tawanka families will be informed via emails and regular school newsletters about the Title I program throughout the year.  Information regarding Title I and schoolwide events will also be posted to the Title I page on Tawanka’s website. 

     

    • Parents will be provided with a description and explanation of the curriculum and the Pennsylvania State Standards, the forms of academic, local, and state assessments used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet at Back to School Night, parent conferences, Parent Universities, Title I meetings, and on our school/district website.  

     

    • Parents may request opportunities to meet to formulate suggestions and participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children by calling or emailing your child’s teacher, counselor, reading specialist, or principal. These requests will be responded to as soon as practically possible. 

     

    • Parents are invited to participate in the joint development of the Schoolwide Program Plan under Section 1114. Please contact Tawanka’s principal, Mr. Donald Palmer (dpalmer@neshaminy.org), if you are interested in serving on this team. 

     

    • Tawanka has a Home-School Compact that is jointly developed with Tawanka families and outlines how students, parents, and staff will work together to improve academic achievement. This compact is updated in conjunction with Tawanka families at the annual Fall Parent Advisory Council meeting that is held both in person and virtually. Tawanka’s Home-School Compact will be shared with all Tawanka families via email and will be included in Tawanka’s Title I Parent Handbook which can be found on Tawanka’s website and in the Parent Resource Center in the main office.  

     

    • Tawanka will provide materials and trainings throughout the year to help parents work with their children at home. Trainings will include topics such as literacy, math, and technology, based on responses from parent surveys sent twice annually.

     

    • Tawanka Elementary School is committed to supporting parents' participation in our school's programs. Title I funds may be used to pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parent involvement activities, including transportation and childcare, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions. 

     

    • Tawanka will use Language Line to translate parent meetings and events into families’ native languages when appropriate. Teachers can also utilize Pocketalk translation devices, iPads with Google translate and Timekettle translation earbuds. Additionally, announcements and paperwork sent home, except for student homework, will be provided to families in their native language whenever possible. 

     

    • Tawanka will educate teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents and family members, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents and family members as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and family members and the school by sharing State Parent Advisory Counsil videos annually to Title I staff.

     

    • Tawanka will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with other federal, state, and local programs including public preschool programs and conduct other activities that encourage and support parents and family members in more fully participating in the education of their children by inviting parents and families of those students to participate in meetings and activities throughout the year as appropriate.

    Revised: October 2024

    This Parent & Family Engagement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I, Part A programs, as evidenced by the parent meeting held on October 2, 2024. This policy will be in effect for the period of one year. The school will make available this policy to all parents of participating Title I, Part A children on or before October 31, 2024.