Parent Support for Classroom Instruction
Consistency and ease of use facilitate the communication flow with teachers and parents. Every teacher will post assignments, announcements, and class information in Schoology, which is the same Learning Management System (LMS) used in every grade level and content area district-wide. Schoology is also connected to the electronic grade book system, PowerSchool, so students and their families can see grades and attendance reports in real-time.
Parent Meetings, Conferences, and Activities
Registration day and back-to-school night are the first opportunities for the school to interact with families. To limit crowding and respect parents’ time, registration times are assigned but alternate times are also available to accommodate various family schedules and needs. Teachers post online open-house information in Schoology for parents who cannot attend face-to-face and record Meet The Teacher videos on FlipGrid to introduce themselves. QR Codes to the videos are posted next to each classroom door so they can be scanned at any time, which helps with crowded times at Parent-Teacher Conferences too.
Conferences are held in the gym so every teacher is in the same room at the same time to help parents find the people they need easily. Activities are scheduled at least quarterly, starting with a block party in the park just before school starts to kick off the school year. Activities are planned and coordinated by the high school student council in collaboration with the parent-teacher organization under the supervision of the principal and CEO. Halloween Treat Street (October), the Santa Sprint (December), Family Game Night (February), and an annual Silent Auction (April) are also fun ways to encourage parents to engage with the school, build community and school pride, and to get younger students excited about moving up to the high school. |
Parent Volunteer Opportunities
The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at each building supports volunteerism and tracks hours to follow up with parents and recognize outstanding contributions to the school. Every family agrees to two hours per month of volunteer service or a financial contribution in lieu of time. The PTO communicates with members via remind and email while also inviting nonmembers to participate by posting events and live streaming their meetings via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Teachers can also send emails to parents for each class to express specific needs or projects or submit requests to the PTO for purchasing items or sponsoring student fees for families in need of assistance.
School-Parent Compact
The School-Parent Compact has been developed in a joint effort by the PTO, School Accountability Committee, SAC, and Banning Lewis Academy school staff. It is spelled out in the student handbook and starts as follows: “Because every child needs stability, continuity and a champion who believes in his or her human potential, Banning Lewis Preparatory Academy works to foster a close connection between home and school.”
Parental Involvement in Decision-Making
The SAC is very intentional about recruiting and retaining members to represent the student body as a whole, including diversity in race, ethnicity, ability, activities/athletics, and socioeconomic status. Together with school administrators, teachers, and community members, parents on the SAC set goals for the school improvement plan (UIP), to make recommendations to the school board about financial decisions, and to nominate representatives for the school at the District Accountability Committee. |
Parent Resources
The school maintains an active website and uses an app to push notifications to parents regarding upcoming events, deadlines, and safety information during inclement weather. Parent University courses are available at the school biweekly and online in the Schoology LMS in both English and Spanish. Course titles include What You Need to Know About Concurrent Enrolment for students interested in taking college courses while in high school, Parenting with Love and Logic to support healthy family relationships, Digital Citizenship to educate about internet and social media safety, and Financial Peace University which is offered in conjunction with the church that rents space in the building. The courses are promoted through Schoology and the school’s social media.
References
Banning Lewis Ranch Academy. (2019). BLPA Student Handbook. Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://www.blracademy.org
Banning Lewis Ranch Academy. (2018). Colorado’s unified improvement plan for schools: Banning Lewis Ranch Academy UIP 2018-2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019 from http://co-uip-cde.force.com/?dcode=1110&scode=0555
Bambrick-Santoyo, P. (2012). Leverage Leadership: A practical guide to building exceptional schools. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons: Jossey-Bass.
Daniel, J. (2017, August). Strong collaborative relationships for strong community schools. National Education Policy Center. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED578684.pdf
Banning Lewis Ranch Academy. (2019). BLPA Student Handbook. Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://www.blracademy.org
Banning Lewis Ranch Academy. (2018). Colorado’s unified improvement plan for schools: Banning Lewis Ranch Academy UIP 2018-2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019 from http://co-uip-cde.force.com/?dcode=1110&scode=0555
Bambrick-Santoyo, P. (2012). Leverage Leadership: A practical guide to building exceptional schools. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons: Jossey-Bass.
Daniel, J. (2017, August). Strong collaborative relationships for strong community schools. National Education Policy Center. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED578684.pdf