Capshaw students will exceed state academic standards and demonstrate exemplary citizenship.
The vision of Capshaw Elementary is to become a collaborative community in which students are motivated to excel academically through differentiated learning opportunities and become active life-long learners. Students will leave Capshaw with advanced digital skills, a solid academic foundation, and the social skills necessary to become conscientious members of the community.
In order to improve Parent/Family participation, Capshaw Elementary has adopted the Putnam County Schools Family Engagement Implementation Plan.
To increase family involvement within Capshaw Elementary, school staff will implement the following:
Communication with Parents:
- School website
- Teacher website
- Monthly Capshaw Connection Newsletter
- Teacher weekly communications
In order to meet the Putnam County Policy requirements, the following standards will be met:
Standard 1: Family Involvement is incorporated as a strategy to achieve any goal in the School Improvement Plan.
- Distribute volunteer forms at beginning of school year to all parents
- Volunteers in computer lab with students
- Maintain a database of family and community volunteers
- Monthly calendars sent home with students
- Parental help with reading and crafts
- Enrichment math teachers for first and second grade
- Muffins for Mom in kindergarten
- Dinner for Dad in kindergarten
- Parents work in library
- Open House
- Ed Tech nights for families
- Weekly curriculum guide in kindergarten on teacher websites
- Parents encouraged to attend field trips, classroom parties, and to eat lunch in the cafeteria with their child
- Parents assist teachers in computer lab
- Parents are trained and then do science lessons with students in Logan's Lab
- Provide monthly communication through The Capshaw Connection
- Provide weekly communication through teacher websites
The school improvement plan will include goals to address parent involvement.
Standard 2 : Everyone who works at the school strongly believes that family involvement is important to student's success and academic achievement.
- Provide a family support center, which offers materials and resources to encourage effective parenting and educational support
- Provide a brown bag lunch series, which provides timely topics important to parents concerning their child's education
- Assure that all information sent home is clear and understandable
- Begin each school year with a PowerPoint Presentation by the teacher in a class meeting with parents
- Support by parents for extracurricular activities such as chess club and chorus
- Hold parent/teacher conferences, as needed, and on countywide conference days
Standard 3 : School staff use creative ways of reaching out to families who have not been involved in their children's education.
- Parent/teacher conferences are held twice yearly, with follow-ups as needed
- Weekly folders of students' work are sent for parents to review and sign
- Mid-nine week and nine week reports sent with students for parent review
- Regular use of notes, phone calls, newsletters and other communication
- by teachers
- Teacher web sites provide information of current week work and responsibilities
- Materials translated for those students who are ELL
- Phone calls and home visits made by principal, when needed
- Special assistance as required for parents who are unable to meet because of transportation issues
- Email used by school staff to reach parents
- Planners used by students daily
- Pre-school end of year picnic
- Parents create materials for centers and special events
- Guidance counselor is readily available to assist families
- Open House each year
Standard 4 : There is a strong partnership among school staff, students, families and community members that increases students' success and academic achievement.
- Quarterly meetings with school adopters to discuss support they can give the school
- Partner with TTU Baseball Team to provide academic tutoring to students
- Partner with America Reads to provide one-on-one instruction to students
- Partner with TTU Department of Education to provide classroom assistance to students
- Match Community Grant money to successfully meet goals for the school
- This grant money was received through fine arts. The money will be used to perform a children's opera in the spring. The community will be invited to attend the performances. Parents, along with Capshaw PTO, have matched grant funds.
- Inform families of community programs that support learning, such as mentoring and tutoring
- TTU professors do in-school field trips and math enrichment groups
- Restaurants and adopters provide prizes for Celebrations of Learning
- America Reads Volunteers working individually with students
- Community adopters are recruited by administration, faculty, and Capshaw parents. Some potential adopters contact the school and request to become adopters. Parent volunteers are taken from a parent information sheet filled out at the beginning of the year, or at student registration. Parents select areas where they are most interested in volunteering.
Standard 5 : The principal and site council provide active leadership in increasing the level and quality of family involvement in children's education.
- Meetings held quarterly to discuss parent involvement
- Technology open house held for parents
- In the school improvement plan, one objective will be to increase parent involvement. We will do this through a survey sent out at the beginning of the year asking for parent input. Teachers will also be given a family that is at risk for not participating next year. This teacher will send personal invitations, as well as check on the need for transportation with the family.
- Parent participation will be encouraged through the school's web site, teacher and administration communication. Because Capshaw is moving to a healthier no snack incentive, food will not be given as rewards. Instead, recognition given by the principal for outstanding attendance will be given. This will be through announcements, the Capshaw Connection, and the school web site.
Standard 6 : The school is responsive to the needs of its families.
- Parent/teacher conferences held as needed to address student's educational needs
- Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets given to needy families
- Bicycle helmets given to needy students by Pilot club
- Coats provided for students in need
- Hearing aid batteries provided by Lions club
- Vision screening for students by the Lions club
- Parent meetings and orientations held at the beginning of each year
Standard 7 : School staff, families, and community members work together to plan, put into action, and evaluate family involvement efforts.
- Family Involvement committee meets quarterly to evaluate and address involvement efforts
- PTO Advisory Board meets monthly to plan family involvement events
- Grade level teacher meetings are held weekly to address the school calendar and how families can be involved in the child's education
- The community is informed of programs that support learning, such as mentoring, tutoring, business partnerships, and other programs
- Family surveys will be given at the end of each event to evaluate the success
- Parents sign in at each event to keep attendance of events well received
- Staff in-service will be given at faculty meetings throughout the year (mentoring families, poverty training, etc.)
- A separate site council group will be identified as we develop a PTO committee for next year
Standard 8 : Everyone who works at the school draws upon the knowledge and expertise of all families to support the school as a whole.
- Parents volunteer as reading partners and math teachers to supplement the regular education program
- Parents serve as art teachers, science teachers, and computer assistants
- Parents speak to students during unit study about career awareness and community helpers
In order to met the Putnam County policy requirements, the following classroom standards will be met:
Standard C-1 : Families are seen and treated as partners in their children's education by teachers and other instructional staff.
- Parents are used as support instructional staff
- Parents are provided information on homework policies and how to monitor and discuss schoolwork at home
- Parents are provided calendars and other resources for school activities
Standard C-2 : Each family's experience, knowledge, and culture are respected and valued by teachers and other instruction staff.
- Parents are encouraged to share their cultural beliefs with the school
- The school respects cultural differences on holidays
- Children share about culture and heritage through projects
- Toys, art supplies and manipulatives for children of different races are purchased for the classroom
- Bulletin board characters are used from different cultures
- Second grade teachers involve family members with a school project on community
- The school cafeteria recognizes special dietary needs due to religion
- All kindergarten classes have manipulatives of different races
Capshaw Elementary School
Parent and Community Plan Committee
2008-2009
Kim Wright, Principal
Barbara Whitefield, 1st Grade Teacher
Jean Webb, Kindergarten Teacher
Wren Saylors, Kindergarten Teacher
Michelle Hale, 4th Grade Teacher
Clarissa Miller, Music Teacher
Jessica Erdeljac, 1st Grade Teacher
Beverly Stanton, 4th Grade Teacher
Sharon Smith, 3rd Grade Teacher
Stephanie Chaffin, Parent
Jennifer Olson, Parent
Marjorie Garcia, Parent
Nancy Roberson, Parent
Mary LeFave, Parent
Lisa Stricklin, Parent
Lisa Ebersole, Parent
Bess Clemons, Parent
Tammy McCoy, Parent
Angela Bregenzer, Parent
Shelia Reed, Parent
Missy Wilson, Parent
Brenda Ferrell, Parent
Brooklyn Jared, Parent