English Policy 24

Hamilton Elementary School

Parent and Family Engagement Plan for Shared Student Success

2024-2025 School Year

5110 GA Hwy 111

Hartsfield, GA 31756

229.941.5594

Kristyn Nelms, Principal

Plan Revised May 20, 2024

What is Title I?

Hamilton Elementary School is identified as a Title I school as part of “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA). Title I is designed to support State and local school reform efforts tied to the challenging State academic standards to improve teaching and learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support family engagement. All Title I schools must jointly develop with parents and family Members a written parent and family engagement plan.

School Plan for Shared Student Achievement

What is it? This is a plan that describes how Hamilton Elementary School will provide opportunities to improve family engagement to support student learning. Hamilton Elementary School values the contributions and involvement of parents and family members to establish an equal partnership for the common goal of improving student achievement. This plan describes the different ways that Hamilton Elementary School will support family engagement and how parents can help plan and participate in activities and events to promote student learning at school and at home.

How is it developed? Hamilton Elementary School invited all parents to attend our annual Spring Input Meeting to review and revise the Parent and Family Engagement Plan as well as the district’s Parent and Family Engagement Plan, the School-Wide Plan, Building Staff Capacity, the School-Parent Compact, and the Parent and Family Engagement budget. Hamilton Elementary School also welcomes parent input and comments at any time regarding the plan. The plan and input form are posted on our school website for parents to view and submit feedback. The plan is also available in the school office and parent resource area. Parent and Family Engagement Plans were distributed to all parents during the annual revision meeting. They are also frequently distributed via REMIND and are in the handbook. All parent feedback was used to revise the school plan.

Who is it for? All students participating in the Title I, Part A School-Wide program and their families, are encouraged and invited to fully participate in the opportunities described in this plan. Hamilton Elementary School will provide full opportunities for participation of parents with limited English or parents of children with limited English, parents with disabilities or parents of children with disabilities, and parents of migratory children.

Where is it available? At the beginning of the year, the plan is included in the student handbook that is given to all students. The plan will also be posted on the school website and social media. Parents can also obtain a copy of the plan in the Parent Resource Area located in the media center at Hamilton Elementary School.

CCSD Strategic Plan Goals

The Colquitt County Board of Education adopted the Colquitt County School District Strategic Plan on June 26, 2022 (through 2027). The plan represents input from the community, families in our school district, students, and staff. Through community surveys, strategic planning sessions, SWOT analysis, and data review, the district developed this strategic plan to lay the foundation for the work that will be done over the next 5 years. The plan highlights the initiatives and performance goals that align with the Vision, Mission, and Beliefs of the district. Visit our webpage at CCSD Strategic Plan of Action to view the goals and action steps. Specific goals for 2024-2025 are: The CCSD seeks to 1. Increase student achievement in literacy as measured by GMAS; 2. Increase CCRPI climate and culture indicators.

2024-2025 School Goals

Hamilton Elementary has chosen to focus on the following student-centered goals for the 2024-2025 school year:

By the end of the 2024-2025 school year, there will be a decrease in the number of students scoring Level 1 or Level 2 on the Georgia Milestones assessment in English Language Arts.
By the end of the 2024-2025 school year, there will be a 5% increase in the Achievement percentile on the MAP Growth assessment.

Let’s Get Together!

Hamilton Elementary School will host the following events to build capacity for strong parent and family engagement to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement. Meetings will be conducted at various times in an effort to meet the needs of parents’ schedules, and some meetings will be offered more than once. All meetings will also be offered virtually via the website and/or a link sent through REMIND for parents who are unable to attend. All information furnished at meetings will be provided to parents the week following the meeting and will be available for download on the webpage. Information will be provided in both English and Spanish and in a format that parents can understand.

Title I Annual Meeting in August 2024 Agenda: Title I overview to inform parents of the requirements of Title I and their rights to be involved; Title I funding, Title I Parent and Family Engagement Activities, CCRPI update, and 2024-2025 Testing Data Update
Parent Capacity Activity Q1 “Understanding Technology and the Google Platform- Bring Your Own Technology”, “Math for Kids and Parents”, “Welcome to My View Reading and Writing” – September/October 2024- Agenda: Parents will be introduced to the apps and Google platform used at Hamilton; Apps will be downloaded on home devices; Math Computers in the Media Center will be available as will Math teachers for take-home math activities to help with new math standards for the year; Parents will learn about the new Reading and Writing Program “My View”
Parent Capacity Activity Q2 “Family Holiday Fun, Focus on Guidance, and Academics Take-Home Activities” – November/December 2024– Hamilton will provide fun holiday activities for the whole family, as well as academic take-home activities to make and guidance suggestions that satisfy parental needs as reflected by the Fall Survey, 2024.
Parent Capacity Activity Q3 “De-Mystifying the Georgia Milestone and MAP Tests” Grade 3-5 and “What is MAP Benchmark? And How to Avoid the Summer Slump” Grades K-2 – February 2025 – Agenda: Parents and all stakeholders will have the opportunity to learn about the Georgia Milestone and MAP Benchmark and participate in a simulated testing environment; Parents of lower grades students will learn about MAP Benchmark and receive summer activities and computer programs, as well as competition guidelines for fun challenges at Hamilton for the Summer of 2025.
Title I Revision and Stakeholder’s Input Meeting – March 2025 – Agenda: All stakeholders will have an opportunity to meet to share strategies to build partnerships: Parents and families will give input on our Title I Program including the school and district Parent and Family Engagement Plan, the School-Parent Compact, the parent engagement budget, the Title I Plan, and building staff capacity. Meetings will be offered virtually and person-to-person at a variety of times.
Parent Capacity Activity Q4 “STEAM and AG Day at Hamilton- Celebrating Ag in the Classroom”- April/May 2025- Agenda: Parents will be invited to attend a day-long celebration of STEAM and Ag in the Classroom. Students will participate in experiments and exhibits, and parents will receive at-home activities, as well as activities to prevent the Summer Slump, and register to help care for Hamilton’s Garden and Animals through the Summer of 2025.

School-Parent Compacts

The parents, students, and school staff developed the School Parent Compact. The teachers suggested home learning strategies, parents added ideas to make them more specific, and students told us what would help them learn. An annual revision meeting is held each year to review the compact and make changes based upon the needs of students. Parents and stakeholders are welcome to provide feedback on the compact and plan throughout the school year. All feedback will be used to revise the plan for the next school year. Visit our website at http://hes.colquitt.schooldesk.net/ for more information on our compact.

Parent Resource Area

Hamilton Elementary School Parent Resource Room/Area is located in our media center and is open to all parents from 8:00 – 2:00 each day. There are resources available for parents to check out for student use at home. A computer is also available for appropriate parent use in the media center. Parent Resources are available in the front hallway of the school.

Contact our school parent liaison

Dr. Kimberly May at 229.941.5594 or by email at kimberly.may@colquitt.k12.ga.us

for more information.

Parent and Family Engagement

Hamilton Elementary School believes that family engagement means the participation of parents and family members in regular two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:

That parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning.
That parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school.
That parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.

Hamilton Elementary School is committed to helping our parents and families attend the family activities listed in this plan. Please call or email us if you need assistance with child care or transportation in order to participate in our programs.

Kristyn Nelms

PRINCIPAL

229.941.5594 or

kristyn.nelms@colquitt.k12.ga.us

Dr. Kimberly May

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

PARENT LIAISON

229.941.5594 or

kimberly.may@colquitt.k12.ga.us

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

We want to hear from you. If you have any suggestions, or if there is any part of this plan you feel does not align with the students’ or the schools’ goals for academic achievement, please feel free to contact us and share your comments and ideas for improvement. There is also an opportunity to provide suggestions online at http://hes.colquitt.schooldesk.net/

Building Capacity

Hamilton Elementary School will take the following measures to promote and support parents and family members as an important foundation of the school in order to strengthen the school and reach our school goals. We will:

Ensure that all information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent home in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese posted on the school website, Facebook and school marquee, and included in school newsletters.
Educate our staff via PLC’s, faculty meetings or planning periods and emails on strategies to improve communication with parents and ideas to increase family engagement with reading and math activities for students outside the classroom.
Communicate with all families on a regular basis regarding parent and family engagement events and activities, such as phone messages, social media, and flyers; Use progress reports and Infinite Campus to assist parents in monitoring their child’s progress.
Provide necessary materials for parents at conferences, meetings, and activities to help parents work with their child to improve their child’s achievement, including the harms of copyright piracy.
Listen and respond to parents’ request for additional support for parent and family engagement activities and provide parent resources to meet our parents’ needs.
Partner with early childhood programs or other programs (as applicable) to help prepare parents and their children for successful school transitioning.
Work with our parents to develop relevant trainings and helpful presentations to educate our staff on the importance of parent and family engagement and how to support student learning.
Offer literacy and computer classes for parents and family members to help further enhance their various educational levels and English Acquisition (at District level)
Collect feedback from parents and family members at all events, place input cards around the building, and post a suggestion form on the school website in order to respond to parents’ requests for additional support for parent and family engagement activities.

Parent and Family Engagement Standards

HAMILTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and our parents have adopted the National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnerships as the school’s model in engaging parents, students, and the community. These standards are:

Welcoming All Families
Communicating Effectively
Supporting Student Success
Speaking Up for Every Child
Sharing Power
Collaborating with Community

Revised 07/24/2024