FAQ: Parent Involvement - St. Albans City School

St. Albans City School Information Sheet
FAQ: Parent Involvement
How can parents get involved at St. Albans City School? Parents are always welcome at St.
Albans City School. Signing in at our front desk is part of our Safety Procedures. If you wish
to meet with a teacher, we ask that you schedule the meeting to be sure that the teacher is
available to speak directly with you and is not in the process of teaching class.
During the year there are many opportunities for families to be involved at our school.
Many are standard events you can expect each year; First Day, Open House, Culminating
Events, Learning Showcases, Unified Arts Night, Personal Learning Plan Presentations and
Graduations.
There are also band and chorus concerts, sports events, and other special events. If you
have a talent or would like to volunteer in our school please speak with Desiree Gunter,
Jennifer Seymore or your child?s teacher. Every year we need parents for picture day, to
chaperone field trips and dances.
How do I get approved to chaperone and volunteer? If you would like to chaperone or
volunteer schools are required to have you complete a VCIC Form. Please speak with
Helene Biggie or Caroline Fitzgerald and they will help you through this process. They are
also available at the Resource Fair which is held the First Day of School and at Open House.
How can parents stay informed? There are many ways to get information about what is
happening at the school. Parents who have access to electronic information can choose
from email, Facebook and Twitter to receive the daily announcements. These are the
announcements that students see each morning, and the main place for communication.
Parents usually appreciate this level of information because it helps them start
conversations with their child, and it helps them get an understanding of what is
happening. Many parents subscribe to several electronic options. Facebook provides more
parent-focused information. We will often share information with parents there that is not
shared with students, such as summer camp options that have a cost associated with them.
Our website is another major form of communication. From there parents can view their
child?s Learning Community pages, watch a school board meeting, check the calendar or
find a number for their child?s teacher.
We provide a weekly article each weekend in the St. Albans Messenger Weekend Edition.
Each article highlights a specific activity, project or achievement within our school. These
articles are designed to keep our whole community included in our school.
Parents will be kept informed by their child?s teachers. email, newsletters, Friday folders,
blogs and websites are just some of the tools used. Parents should make sure they ask
their child?s teacher to explain the various ways that they will be kept informed. Parents
who do not have electronic access should make sure they inform their child?s teacher so
that alternatives can be arranged. All parents are welcome to use the Learning Commons
Monday through Friday unit 5:00 so that they can have access to all of the electronic
information.
What is the responsibility of parents at St. Albans City School? St. Albans City School
recognizes that when families are involved in school, student achievement academically,
socially and emotionally is more successful. Each person involved in a student?s schooling
plays an important role. Our Home School Compact defines the roles and responsibilities
and is an agreement that includes parent, student, teacher, and administrator.
Safety at school is a priority and if there is an emergency we need to be able to contact the
right person(s). Therefore it is essential that we have your families contact information
current. All phone number changes need to be shared immediately.
How are parents informed in the case of an emergency? ALERT NOW Notification Service is
used for inclement weather, cancellations, delays, early dismissals and if the need to know
arises that all families should be notified about a school-wide issue or emergency. In order
for ALERT NOW to reach your family we need current information such as accurate phone
numbers.
The nurses will inform you if your child is injured, sick or there are any health issues. They
use the information we keep on file about your family If we do not have current
information we may have difficulty reaching you in the event that there is an emergency.
If a student is having a difficult day and is demonstrating very poor choices or unexpected
behaviors we will need to contact you. When a behavior escalates or the student is being
unsafe it is critical that we be able to contact you so that we can work together. Current
information is key here as well.