Hannah Hargrove and Kristen Olinde

Port Allen Elementary Family Involvement Plan

Port Allen Elementary
Port Allen Elementary is an elementary school for students beginning at HeadStart to 2nd
grade. It is located in Port Allen, Louisiana and is classified as a low socio-economic school.
The school is a part of the West Baton Rouge district.

Parenting
Parents sometimes need additional support or information to ensure the growth and
development of their child. As a teacher, we want to make sure these parents are aware of the
data and resources available to them. We can do this by compiling a list of helpful resources
around the community that will support families and young children. For example, SNAP from
the Department of Children & Family Services provides healthy food for low-income families,
National Child & Family Services provides mental health services for families who need
support, etc. Updated data on parenting strategies will be available in Google Classroom and
will come directly from the NAEYC website. These resources are a good fit for families at this
school because families in this area suffer from poverty and low income, so services like SNAP
and mental health guidance are fitting.

Communication
Reciprocal communication with families is very important as an Early Childhood Educator.
There are a variety of strategies that can be used for this type of communication. For example,
Google Classroom is an excellent communication tool for both parents and teachers. Google
classroom allows constant communication between parents and teachers through messages,
pictures, and Google Meet. This is a quick and easy resource to use in the classroom. Parents
will always be invited into the classroom for face-to-face meetings or conferences. These can be
scheduled through Google Classroom. Port Allen does not use an online communication tool.
They communicate through text messages, calls, and emails. A weekly Newsletter will be sent
home with updated information for the week. There will be a comment section on the newsletter
where parents can ask questions and express concerns. For Spanish speaking parents, both
classroom messages sent on Google Classroom and weekly newsletter will be translated into
Spanish. Mrs. Sanchez, our interpreter at Port Allen, is available for face-to-face or phone call
conferences. These communication strategies would be effective for building relationships with
families at PAE for many reasons. Google Classroom allows teachers to communicate with
parents at any time throughout the day, sending pictures and sharing good news about a child.
The parents can receive a message on their phone for the most efficient response time. We will
use the paper alternative to communicate with parents or guardians who are not so tech-savvy,
which is important for the many students that live with their grandparents.

Learning at Home
In second grade at Port Allen elementary, no “interactive family homework” is sent home with
students. Something like this would be a great addition. PAE has relatively low readers in
second grade, so we believe sending home literacy bags would be both beneficial for the child
and parents. The students will be given a bag large enough to hold a book that will be sent
home each night along with a discussion sheet. The book will change each week and every
 Hannah Hargrove and Kristen Olinde

child will have a book on their personal reading level. Based on family feedback and
assessments, the child may receive a more challenging book the next week. This will insert the
parent directly into the learning of their child and connect home and school. For a mobile
learning experience, there will be a link to Education.com in Google Classroom for students to
play math games with their family. These games are competitive and fun, but also support
learning in the home environment. This plan is effective for our families because the literacy
bags include all the materials needed to read and discuss the book, and the math games
provide a fun learning experience that takes some of the pressure off of the child.

Volunteering/School Engagement
A large contribution to the lack of volunteers at PAE is due to lack of volunteer opportunities. We
believe that parents would volunteer if given the chance. We plan to invite them to join the
school and classroom on days when extra help is needed. For example, families could volunteer
to work the book fair, assisting students in finding a good book and checking them out, or Fall
Fest, working the game booths and passing out treats. PAE is looking into taking more field trips
in the future and parents should be invited on these as well. Once parents have the opportunity
to volunteer, we will pay attention to those who come often and make an effort to keep them
coming. The school does not have a PTA but are working toward creating one, so who better
than the families that show their faces at school? On a day when second graders have a pizza
party in the classroom, a couple parents should have the opportunity to volunteer to help pass
out the pizza and drinks. Being present in the classroom, no matter how, will strengthen
relationships with families. We believe these volunteer opportunities will be amazing for our
families because they are fun and interactive.

Decision Making
Decision making is all about open, reciprocal communication with families. At PAE, anytime a
decision is in the making regarding a specific child, the family is invited to a conference. Of
course before this occurs, documentation of the issue/concern is collected to provide evidence
and the teacher has been in communication with the family prior to the conference. IEP
meetings are always scheduled around the availability of the family and either in person or
through a phone call, depending on their preference. PAE does a great job of communicating
with families on a classroom-level, but could use some improvement on a more school-wide
level. For example, creating a PTA where families and educators can collaborate on scheduling
for the school year, additional family involvement opportunities, address concerns, etc. Many of
the families at PAE work several jobs and may not always be able to attend at five o’clock on a
Wednesday, which is why an itinerary for the meeting should be sent out ahead of time.
Families who cannot make it can refer to the itinerary and submit any questions or concerns
they may have prior to the meeting.

Collaborating with the Community

Currently, PAE is in collaboration with the Fire and Police departments local to the area. The
firemen bring their firetrucks and talk fire safety with the students and they love it. The
policemen visit as well in their cars and motorcycles to be a friendly face in the community.
Throughout the school year and during Red Ribbon Week, Seniors from Port Allen High visit the
 Hannah Hargrove and Kristen Olinde

classrooms at PAE to give a speech about saying no to drugs and alcohol. This bridges the gap
between elementary and high school, giving the young students someone to look up to. We
believe it would be very beneficial for a local dental office to bring dental hygienists to talk to the
students about oral hygiene and give them each a baggy of oral necessities. Some students do
not always have access to things like toothpaste and a toothbrush, so this would be a
phenomenal addition.