September 2023

The written school Parent and Family Engagement Policy establishes the school’s expectation for Parent and Family Engagement and describes how the school will build the school and parent capacity for strong parent and family engagement. This plan includes all federal requirements, was developed with and agreed upon with parents, distributed to parents, and is being implemented.

The Pigeon Forge Primary Parent/Community Engagement Plan is developed to:

• Support the Sevier County Board of Education’s Consolidated Plan.
• Increase and improve the level of family involvement in our students’ education.
• Ensure that all parents are notified and kept informed about Pigeon Forge Primary as a school-wide  Title I project school.
• Address needs identified in our schools SACS/AdvanEd self-study. 

(1) Parents are notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand. 

A copy of the plan is distributed to parents and is available at all times in the school office and on the school website. Specific portions of the plan are reiterated in the school newsletter, information pamphlets, and student handbook. Translated materials are appropriately distributed as needed.

(2) The school’s parent involvement policy/plan is made available to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school. 

Copies of the plan are available in the school office and on the school website. The plan is updated periodically to reflect school needs based on data from our annual Family and Community Engagement survey results. Copies of the monthly newsletter reflecting specific portions of the plan are sent home with students and mailed to businesses and stakeholders in the community. Translated materials are distributed as needed.

(3) The school has convened an annual meeting to inform parents about the school’s parental involvement programs, Section 1118 requirement, and the rights of parents to be involved. 

Parents who participate in “Meet the Teacher” night are informed about various parent involvement programs and are also apprised of their right to be involved in their child’s education. A PowerPoint will be shared through virtual means including the school Facebook page and google classrooms. Throughout the year, parents are encouraged to participate in various parent involvement opportunities.

(4) The school offers a flexible number of meetings – mornings or evenings. 

Since a large percentage of our student population qualifies for free- or reduced lunch, we continually take measures to accommodate families from diverse backgrounds. Meetings are generally scheduled after school and late afternoon. However, teachers and administrators are available to meet with parents before, during, and after school on an as-needed basis. A translator is available if needed. The staff’s availability to parents is a priority throughout the school year. Virtual meetings, phone conferences, and email are also used. Home visits are also conducted.

(5) Parents, or an adequate representation of parents, are involved in an organized, ongoing, and timely  way in planning, reviewing, and improvement of the school parental involvement policy and joint  development of the school-wide program plan (SIP) 

Our prioritization committee meets to review assessment data and our school improvement plan to make decisions that will benefit our overall program. Parents are notified through the school newsletter, website, and additional notes.

(6) The school provides parents with timely information about school programs under NCLB section 1118.

A student handbook containing general information, school policies, and school calendars is given to each student upon enrollment; Spanish copies are also available. In order to regularly communicate with parents, Pigeon Forge Primary sends a monthly newsletter, the Tiger Tale, which informs parents about school and grade-level activities. A monthly calendar and school menu is also included. Both the handbook and monthly newsletter are available on the school website. Grade level student planners are used for home-school communication on a daily basis; Google classrooms also provide up-to-date information for individual classes. In addition, teachers send home progress reports and six-week report cards/progress reports to inform parents of their child’s academic performance.

(7) The school provides parents a description and explanation of the curriculum the school uses, forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet. 

A student handbook containing general information, school policies, and school calendars is given to each student upon enrollment; Spanish copies are also available. In order to regularly communicate with parents, Pigeon Forge Primary sends a monthly newsletter, the Tiger Tale, which informs parents about school and grade-level activities. A monthly calendar and school menu is also included. Both the handbook and monthly newsletter are available on the school website. Grade level student planners are used for home-school communication on a daily basis; Google classrooms also provide up-to-date information for individual classes. In addition, teachers send home progress reports and six-week report cards/progress reports to inform parents of their child’s academic performance.

(8) Per parent request, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practically possible. 

When a student is experiencing difficulty, teachers conference with parents during regularly scheduled conferences or at a time that is convenient for both parties to discuss how to motivate the child and offer suggestions for remediation/enrichment. The administrator is always available to address concerns and offer suggestions. The teachers and support staff work together with the parents to provide the best educational experience possible.

(9) A process is in place to submit parent comments on the school-wide program (SIP) if it is not satisfactory to the parents when the school makes the plan available to the district/LEA.

Parent comments and/or suggestions are always welcome at Pigeon Forge Primary School. The administration is available upon request to meet with parents to address concerns. Family and community members can submit comments via a link on the school-wide program on the district’s website at http://www.sevier.org/TitleI/index.html or in a direct email to the principal  (sharoncoker@sevier.org). 

(10) Building capacity for involvement – Assistance is provided to parents in understanding topics such as the State’s academic content standards, State student academic achievement standards, State and local academic assessments, how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve student achievement. 

Parents are informed through the school newsletter, parent/teacher conferences, RTI Parent  Brochures, and the website of curriculum changes, assessment dates, etc.  

(11) Building capacity for involvement – Materials and training are provided to help parents work with their children to improve their achievement, such as literacy training and using technology to foster parental involvement. 

The school guidance counselor has scheduled parent sessions to offer suggestions to parents regarding testing, helping with homework, etc. Title I parent materials are available in the school office and copies of Home School Connection (in both Spanish and English) are provided to every student each month. Parent involvement activities are held during and after school,  including literacy nights, grade-level musical programs, “Muffins in the Morning”, lunch with grandparents, kindergarten Feast with Family & Friends, etc. Many of these activities are on hold, however remote opportunities are being developed to encourage family involved during the time of Covid-19 restrictions. A translator as well as an ELL teacher, who is fluent in Spanish is available to answer any questions about school, homework, ways to help their children at home, etc. The media specialist is available during parent/teacher conferences to meet with parents regarding questions and help with AR and Renaissance Home Connect.  

(12) Building capacity for involvement – Staff are educated with the assistance of parents in the value and contributions of parents, and in working with parents – how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, build ties between parents and the school. 

The staff and grade levels frequently brainstorm suggestions for raising the level of parental involvement. An open-door policy encourages parents to contact the school throughout the year. Conferences are held on a regularly scheduled basis and also on an as needed basis. The school-wide newsletter, school website, student planners, and class newsletters keep parents informed and involved.

(13) Building capacity for involvement – Title I-A - Parental involvement strategies are coordinated and integrated with parent involvement strategies under other programs, such as Head Start, Reading First,  Early Reading First, Even Start, Parents as Teachers, Home Instruction Program for Preschool  Youngsters, State-run preschool programs, and Title III language instructional programs.

Every effort is made to smooth the transition from home to school for young children. Kindergarten registration is an opportunity to welcome new parents and students,  gather paperwork, communicate needs, and begin a positive working relationship between home and school. Staggered enrollment for kindergarten students serves to ease the transition from Pre-K or home to regular kindergarten classes. Pre-K students and parents participate in a  kindergarten readiness day prior to entering regular kindergarten.  

(14) Building capacity for involvement – Provide other reasonable support for parent involvement activities per parent request. 

Every effort is made to assist parents. Staff members are always available to help parents in reading forms and completing paperwork. Translators are available when needed and most written material is available in both English and Spanish. In some instances, child care has been made available so parents can attend meetings/sessions. Child care may also be available through the Boys and Girls Club and the Pigeon Forge Community Center. The school psychologist and principal make home visits when parents are unable to attend IEP meetings.  

(15) Accessibility – Local educational agencies and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities,  and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports in a format and,  to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand. 

All communication and documents (Spanish and English) are presented in formats that are easily understood. An ELL teacher or translator is present at parent/teacher conferences and multi-disciplinary meetings to facilitate participation and understanding. Translated SPED  forms are available as needed. The student handbook and many school announcements are available in Spanish. Two-way communication occurs in a variety of ways including the student planner, phone calls, parent conferences, M teams, and email.