WEST BOURBON ELEMENTARY
PARENT INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM
2008-2009

As a Parent:

Parental Involvement in Developing the Policy

The Building Level Team, WBE Site Base Council, and Student
Improvement Team consisting of parents, teachers, principals,
and members of the community have input in the
development of our Parental Involvement Program.


School-Parent Compact

According to the Title 1 regulations, each school must share
responsibility with parents for high student performance by
developing a school-parent-student compact jointly with the
parents. These compacts must outline how parents, staff, and
students will share responsibility for promoting high student
achievement. Parents on each of the school's advisory
committees will be involved in designing these compacts.
Parents will receive the compact from WBE with a checklist o
f responsibilities that teachers, parents, and students will each
have for helping students achieve their goals.

Build Capacity for Parent Involvement

The education of students is best served through the joint efforts of students,
parents, teachers, and staff. It is the goal of WBE to keep parents informed of
school activities and actively involved in the education of our students
through classroom notes, district newspaper articles and our school web site.
In keeping with this goal, WBE participates in the following activities:

As a school:

PowerSchool Student Information System -The PowerSchool program allows teachers
to provide student information on line. This provides parents with easy access
to children's grades, attendance records, and homework assignments. Parents can
see the child's progress daily. PowerSchool can be accessed by using the
following link. http://usd235.powerschool.com/public  

District Web Site - The district web site located at www.uniontown235.org
provides information about USD 235 to teachers, parents, students and the
community. Through the USD Web Page parents can find information about teacher
qualifications, a school calendar with weekly lunch menu and school events as
well as medical and permission forms. Parents can also access PowerSchool
through the web page.

Handbooks for parents - The school handbook is given to parents every school
year. It provides the parents with the schools mission and vision statements,
school regulations and policies, map of the building, staff phone numbers,
school calendar and a variety of other information.

Eagle Country News - The Eagle Country News is a free newsletter to the patrons
of the district. It contains school related news and events. If you are not
receiving this, please contact the board office at 756-4302.

Parent/Teacher conference - This is a meeting after the first and third nine
weeks for parents and teachers to discuss student progress.

Thanksgiving lunch - The parents/patrons are invited each Thanksgiving to eat
lunch with their children and participate in classroom activities.

Christmas & Spring Music Programs-The music department presents a play at the of
each semester. Many parents are involved with preparing the production. Every
year the kindergarten, first, second and third graders perform a Christmas
program for their parents and the community. The fourth, fifth, and sixth
graders perform each Spring for their parents and community.

Halloween Parade and parties- WBE has a parade involving all children who wish
to participate. The parade route is short, but allows children and parents the
opportunity to enjoy seeing all the costumes. Following the parade the parents
are asked to join in classroom parties.

Book Fair-Throughthe Scholastics company, the school provides a bookstore for
parents, students, and teachers to purchase books and other educational
materials. The purpose of this fair is primarily to encourage children to read.
Parents are involved in both working at and attending the fair. The school
earns educational materials (books, etc.) for each of the classrooms through
this program.

Home Room Parents-Each classroom has parent volunteers to host holiday parties
throughout the year. Parents plan games and provide refreshments for the
students.

Important Parent Volunteer (IPV)-Parents and/or patrons volunteer time to help
with students. This program allows individuals to come into classrooms at
prearranged times to work with students in small groups or one-on-one.

Jump Rope for Heart-This is a twofold activity which provides children with both
physical activity and awareness of health education. Jump Rope for Heart is an
opportunity for the community to be involvement in charitable events.

WBE Track Meet-This end-of-school track meet involves all WBE students in track
events. One afternoon involves, PreK-3 students and the next afternoon involves
4-6 graders. Many parents, family, and community members attend these events.

Reading Renaissance-Reading Renaissance is a very successful supplemental
reading program used at WBE and many other schools throughout the country. The
program has four main components. The components include:
1. TWI -  Reading To, With, and Independently.
2. LIS -The learning information system, primarily Accelerated Reader. Here the
students read books on their own reading level, then take a short test on
computer over the book.
3. RMS -The reading motivation system. At WBE we include the point clubs, AR
(accelerated reading) Store, and certification levels to motivate students to
read.
4. MIMI - The teacher motivates, instructs, monitors, and intervenes.

Site Council-This is an advisory team for the QPA process. The team meets
quarterly and consists of administrators, teachers, parents, and community
members. Many positive changes have occurred as a result of this advisory team.  

Young Author's Conference- This program, sponsored by PSU, encourages students
to learn about writing, editing, and publishing their own stories. WBE has
several activities to recognize our authors locally as well as sending a group
to PSU.

School-Parent-Student Compact-This compact outlines how parents, staff, and
students will share responsibility for promoting high student achievement.

Assessment Scores Letter-Annually, parents are sent letters explaining their
child's Kansas  Assessment scores and ITBS results. Staff are available to help
parents understand the state standards and annual testing results.


As individual classrooms:

Preschool/KIDS-The teacher compiles a photo album of each child's year, and
sends a weekly newsletter. Parents are asked to help with and/or attend all
parties. The teacher makes phone calls about student progress, sends individual
notes to parents, and visits with parents as they pick-up and drop-off students.

Kindergarten-The teacher sends a weekly note and flashcards home on Fri.
Pictures of student's family are requested for a bulletin board once a year.
The teacher contacts parents 2 and 5 weeks after school begins, sends positive
notes to parents, and sends a monthly cookie list. Birthday parties are given
at school by parents for each child who wants to participate. Kindergarten
participates in Book It and Scholastic reading programs to donate books to kids
in need (Classrooms Care: Reading is Giving).

First Grade-Students have a take home bag that includes books & activities that
reinforce skills taught at school. The teacher sends home a weekly newsletter
and a classroom handbook. The teacher calls parents and sends notes home as
needed. Children have nightly reading homework. First grade participates in the
Book It and Scholastic reading programs to donate books to kids in need
(Classrooms Care: Reading is Giving).

Second Grade-At the beginning of year, the teacher sends home a classroom
newsletter. The teacher also calls and sends notes to parents concerning
classroom parties, homework for reading stories every night, and spelling lists,
as well as providing needed information during the year. Second graders
participate in Book It, and a Valentine's Day box decorating event with parents
help.

Third Grade- We make phone calls and send notes home with the students to keep
the parents in touch with their child's needs. We have field trip parent
sponsors.

Fourth Grade-The fourth grade teachers have parent sponsors for field trips.
Parents are invited to see the Native American Indian unit presentations in
November. They are invited to the fourth grade plays in May. The teachers send
progress reports home every two weeks with current grades.

Fifth-Parent sponsors are asked to attend field trips. They have the parents
sign the student assignment books. Student timelines and demonstrations are
presented each year. Parents help students develop them and are invited to come
view the final products.

Sixth-Parent sponsors are asked to attend field trips. Parents contribute to the
annual May carnival. Students will have a promotion to the 7th grade at the end
of the school year.

Music-Parent volunteers make props and costumes for 3rd and 6th grade plays
during the Christmas & Spring programs respectively. Sixth grade attends the
Nutcracker Play. Students participate in music contests which parents attend.

Title 1-The title I teachers coordinate a Book Swap and Book Fair with parent
volunteers. Parents are also invited to come to these activities with their
children. They update the school's Web Page for parents to access student
information and the school calendar. The Title I Teacher also has articles in
the Eagle Country News regarding the Accelerated Reader program.

Physical Education - The Physical Education teacher has parent volunteers for
Jump Rope for Heart. This is a charity event raising money for the American
Heart Association. She also coordinates the WBE Track and Field Day, bowling,
and ropes course field trips. A Cup Stacking Tournament is held annually. Cup
Stacking is an exciting individual and team sport in which students stack and
unstack 12 specially designed cups (Speed Stacks) in predetermined pyramid
patterns. Students race against the clock for individual times. When Cup
Stacking, students are using both sides of their body and brain to build the
various stacks. Cup Stacking promotes hand-eye coordination, quickness,
concentration and ambidexterity.
Bal-A-Vis-X is a course taught daily to increase student concentration and hand-
eye coordination.