from the desk of the director dr. ernestine h....

“Parents are very important people.”

The Title I Staff developed the Title I Parent Connection Newsletter to in-form parents and to encourage Parental Involvement in activities at their respective schools. The Newsletter also is an avenue for parents to re-quest workshops or training at their child’s school. All of our Title I schools are encouraged to provide workshops and post events on our Parent University web page. For more information about What’s Happen-ing at your school, visit our website at http://web.richmond.k12.va.us/

Programs/FederalPrograms/TitleI.

From the Desk of the Director—Dr. Ernestine H. Scott

Welcome!

Dr. Dana Bedden, Superintendent

Richmond Public Schools

Inside this issue:

Fisher 2

Chimborazo 2

Miles Jones 3

Cary 3

Boushall 4

Broad Rock 4

Bellevue 5

Oak Grove 6

Greene 6

Greene 7

Swansboro 8

Special points of interest:

Compass Learning

Reflex Math (Both Parents and

Students can benefit)

Poem by Maricia S. Hayes

Yewande Lewis’s Arts and Crafts

Brain Teasers

Spring 2014


Volume 1, Issue 2

TITLE I PARENT CONNECTION Newsletter

University page is a wonder-

ful resource to educate, in-

spire, and empower parents

and caregivers to meet the

needs of their children.

Please contact Jennifer

Gentgen, Parental Involve-

ment Facilitator or Dr. Char-

lene Brooks, Principal at

(804) 327-5612.

As a new Title I school,

Fisher Elementary is reach-

ing out to parents using

Parent University, located

on the RPS Title I web site.

This page provides a list of

parent involvement activi-

ties and dates for all Title I

schools. We are excited to

launch RPS Parent Univer-

sity with activities sched-

uled for our parents. Our

activities and resources will

help parents enhance their

role in shaping their chil-

dren’s educational develop-

ment. Sessions will focus

on a variety of topics in-

cluding child development,

help with school issues,

effective parenting skills,

strategies to empower par-

ents as teachers, activities to

provide a clearer under-

standing of how children

grow and learn, and infor-

mation about the teaching

and learning process of

RPS. Our postings on Par-

ent University will help par-

ents support learning at

home, at school and develop

leadership roles that will

impact school, community,

personal and professional

growth. The Title I Parent

ALL Hands on Deck at Chimborazo to Read

Fisher Elementary Supports Parent University

TITLE I PARENT CONNECTION

Chimborazo Elementary School’s entire student population as well as fac-

ulty, staff and family members participated in reading “Donavan’s Word

Jar” by Monalisa Degross. This occurred over a two week period with

both teachers and families reading one chapter of the book per day. As it

is stated on the book’s cover, “Donavan is fascinated by words. They seem

to leap out at Donavan from books, signs, even the back of cereal boxes.

He savors each word as he learns to say it and discovers its meaning. He

actually keeps the words he collects on slips of paper in a big glass jar.

One day the jar is almost full and Donavan has a dilemma. How can he

make room for new words without giving up all the terrific words already

in his jar? A visit to his grandmother provides the unexpected solution in

this heartwarming story about how important words can be.”

Chimborazo Elementary School family invites you to read Donavan’s Word

Jar to learn Donavan’s grandmother solution. Students participated daily in

a trivia contest, completed individual or small group projects related to the

book. This book exemplified many of our Community of Caring values:

caring, respect, responsibility, trust, and family.

For more information and a copy of the book contact Principal, Cheryl

Burke or Sonata Koger, Title I Parent Facilitator at (804) 780-8392.

Compass Learning: Help-ing Parents Help Students

Many parents are asking that age-old question “How can I support my child’s learning at home?” Compass Learning has the answer!

This internet-based pro-gram offers curricula for every grade, across every subject, and will help teach-ers and parents reach every student. The Compass Learning Odyssey program is in most Title I schools and is used to improve student performance in multiple content areas. Another im-portant feature is that stu-dents can also access the Odyssey program from home to help support class-room instruction.

The Compass Learning Od-yssey program offers par-ents and teachers another tool to build skills and mon-itor student progress. To find out more about how your child can take ad-vantage of this resource, please contact Lois Townes, Title I Parent Coordinator at (804) 780-7790.

Page 2

No Bullies at John B. Cary Elementary

Miles Jones Elementary Enhances Parent

Teacher Conferences

Volume 1, Issue 2

Reflex Math

(Both Students and Parents)

Title I and the Department of Instruction are using Reflex Math, a computer game based learning sys-tem, to help students mas-ter basic facts for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This fun adaptive online program helps students become more fluent and skilled in mathematics. Reflex Math monitors each child’s pro-gress and adapts to their individual needs in an en-tertaining way. Students can access Reflex Math from any computer, wheth-er at school, home, library, or recreation center. Reflex Math provides a way for parents to monitor their child’s progress by signing up for a Parental Reporting Account. This account will allow parents to see how well their child is doing with learning their math facts. Reflex Math will also send weekly pro-gress updates via email. If you would like to register for a Parental Reporting Account, please go to the website: www.reflexmath.com and click “Sign up for a free Reflex Parent Account Today!” near the bottom of the page. You will sign in using your email, your stu-dent’s Teacher Username, Class, and Your Child’s Password or you can just call us at Redd for the sign up information. Encourage your child to get on Reflex daily and watch fluency grow! For more information con-tact Principal Sherry Whar-ton-Carey and Linda Jae-ger, Title I Mathematics and Parent Facilitator, at (804) 780-5061.

At Miles Jones Elementary School,

we provide something extra during

our Parent/Teacher Conferences. It’s

a Welcome Booth! We set up a place

for parents to get vital information

about parenting as well as community

information. In addition, treats are

available for our students, provided by

community partners. Our parents are a

part of the Miles jones Team and we

encouraged them to let us know how

we can help them support student

learning at school and at home.

For more information contact Sheila

Jordan, Parent Facilitator or Sonya

Shaw, Principal at Miles Jones Ele-

mentary School (804) 319-3185

The John B. Cary Elementary School Cougars

community celebrated Anti-Bullying Awareness

month by providing a parent workshop concerning

this very relevant topic. On October 29, parents,

grandparents, students, and staff all gathered to

engage in a discussion facilitated by Mrs. Jentae

Scott-Mayo from Commonwealth Parenting.

Each participant left the workshop with a folder

full of resources and information for parents to

share with their children. One of the highlights of

the night was the extensive library of children’s

literature, containing actual books and lists of ti-

tles, about bullying, conflict resolution, and

friendship.

The Cougars at Cary seek to continue to strength-

en the school/family/community connection with the Title I Parent Workshop

Series “Chat & Chew”. This series is held on the second Friday of each month

and started in December. Group facilitators include Sarah Allison (VCU

School of Social Work Intern), Christina Bowman-Peterson (School Social

Worker), and Tawana Mason (Professional School Counselor). Each forty-

five minute session is held in the John B. Cary media center beginning at

8:30am.

For additional information, contact Principal, Brenda Phillips or Tawana Ma-

son, Title I Parent Facilitator at (804) 780-6247.

BOUSHALL TAKES THE SOL’S TO BOOT CAMP


Recently, Boushall Middle School created “SOL Boot Camp” as an initia-

tive to help parents understand what their children are expected to learn and

SOL they need to pass for the school year as an RPS student. Parents will

have the opportunity to go online and actively participate by completing

practice tests directly from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)

website. In addition, they will be given resources, strategies, and practice

testing materials to further assist their children at home. SOL Boot camps

began in October, and they will continue throughout the school year.

Parents are invited to attend upcoming SOL Boot Camps. For more infor-

mation, please contact Principal, Widad Abed at Boushall Middle School

(804) 780-5016.

“School is Cool”

Written by Maricia S.

Hayes

Every day before I leave

home for school, my Parents

remind me to be good and

follow the rules.

I get to school and see my

friends

and that’s when my problems

begin.

I’ve been accused of clown-

ing around in the hall,

I’ve been told to “Pull my

pants up before they fall!”

“Take off that hat and get to

class”…

no one wants to go to the

office and get a tardy pass!

School is cool, I come every

day…

but lately some mornings I

hesitate!

Bullies and Gang Members

come to school too,

It’s hard to concentrate…

What am I to do?

Surrounded by an environ-

ment like this makes me

think,

School safety IS important…

I will not hesitate.

If I see something that does

not look right,

I will let someone know then

I’m going to stay out of sight!

School Safety is now our

most important rule…

my friends and I

STILL think…

Our School is Cool!

Broad Rock Named Title I Distinguished

School

Broad Rock Elementary School has been named as a Title I Distinguished

School by the Virginia Board of Education. To qualify, schools must meet

all state and federal accountability requirements and achieve average read-

ing and mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) scores at the 60th percen-

tile or higher. During the last three years, Broad Rock has averaged scores

of 93 percent in reading and 95 percent in mathematics. Title I salutes Prin-

cipal, Carmen Rush, students, parents, faculty and staff at Broad Rock . For

more information contact Ms. Rush at (804) 780-5048.

and students earned raf-

fle tickets for each ac-

tivity they participated

in, and the evening cul-

minated in a turkey

give-a-way! According

to Rasinski and Freder-

icks, “A literate home

environment doesn’t

teach children how to

read; rather, it provides

children with opportu-

nities to enjoy reading

and discover the many

ways it can be used to

enrich the experiences

in their lives” (1991).

Bellevue’s Family Lit-

eracy Night demon-

strated that a literate

home environment does

not require a lot of

money. Rather it re-

quires a few everyday

materials, a bit of crea-

tivity, a little teacher

modeling! For more

information, contact

Principal Regina Farr

or Jennifer Bentley,

Title I Reading Special-

ist at Bellevue Elemen-

tary at (804) 780-4417.

We know parent in-

volvement impacts

student success!

Therefore, its im-

portant to build posi-

tive relationships that

support parents as

partners by providing

ideas, resources and

experiences that can

occur beyond the

school day. At Belle-

vue Elementary

School, the fall Fami-

ly Literacy Night ac-

complished this by

inspiring and equip-

ping parents with

strategies to promote

literacy beyond the

walls of our school.

Students and parents

from Pre-K through

5th grade visited dif-

ferent “rooms of the

house” to learn and

participate in activi-

ties that can be done

to promote literacy

rich experiences at

home. Together with

teachers, they learned

activities for “Literacy

in the Kitchen,”

“Literacy in the Living

Room,” “Literacy in

the Car,” and “Literacy

before Bed.” In each

room, teachers modeled

for parents the activity

and coached as they

took part in the fun.

Parents were given in-

structions to take home

to replicate the activi-

ties that were done us-

ing every day materials

parents have at home.

At Literacy Night, stu-

dents and parents read a

recipe to make Green

Eggs and Ham, learned

literacy games to play

in the car, made retell-

ing bracelets, learned

muffin tins for phonics

practice, created bed-

time journals and more.

In addition to literacy

rooms, students and

parents were able to

visit the PTA as well as

shop at the Scholastic

Book Fair. Families

Your children can enjoy fun art

activities while you enjoy your

Parental Involvement session!

Yewande Lewis, Title I Tutor at

Blackwell Elementary will

offer:

Arts and Crafts

Face Painting

Portrait (Silhouette) Drawing

Placemat Weaving

For more information, contact

Lois E. Townes , Title I Parent

Coordinator at (804) 780-7790.

Bellevue Elementary School Family

Literacy Night

Volume 1, Issue 2

Keeping our kids

motivated; one parent, one

teacher, one school at a

time!

Oak Grove—Bellemeade Cultivates Excellence


Reading

Mathematics

History

Science

Social Studies

Health & Physical

Education

Music

Arts

Foreign Language

Technology

Together, let’s

remind our

children/students

what learning is all

about!!

Perfect Attend-

ance

Teamwork

Good Behavior

Respect

Willing to learn

Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary staff has been off to a wonderful start

in fulfilling it’s vision of “Cultivating Excellence for Every Child, Every

Day”. In November, the school held it’s first annual Fall Into Learning

Conference. At Oak Grove we believe, parents have the most influence on

their children’s education. Therefore, we designed our conference to

strengthen the relationships between our families and the school communi-

ty by providing fun and hands-on learning activities. Parents had the op-

portunity to choose from a wide variety of sessions that focused on curricu-

lum objectives designed to empower parents to be actively engaged in the

education of their children. For more information, contact Principal Mary

Townes or Denise Harris, Title I Parent Facilitator at (804) 780-5008.

Greene Elementary Celebrates

E.S.H. Greene Elementary School held their Annual 100 Days of School

Celebration on Friday, February 14, 2014. This event was a celebration of

the school’s partnership with families, Richmond Public Schools and com-

munity and business partners for their efforts to increase higher student

achievement with excellence, equity, and empowerment. For more infor-

mation, contact Parental Involvement Coordinator, Gregory Gilliam or Prin-

cipal, Linda Sims at (804) 780-5082.

Volume 1, Issue 2

Greene Elementary Continues to Build

Strong Bonds with Parents

La Escuela Greene Continúa Creando

Conexiones Fuertes con los Padres

The Greene Elementary School Family continues to build strong relationships with parents and com-munity partners to help the students grow academically, socially and culturally. A welcoming atmos-phere is encouraged from the mo-ment people step out of their vehi-cles and walk to the school. We collaboratively work with our par-ents to meet the needs of the stu-dents at our school. Our communi-ty partners and CIS (Communities In School) coordinator, Ms. Gueva-ra, team with us to provide necessi-ties such as coats, shoes and food for families in need. They serve as mentors, lunch buddies or class-room helpers. Greene Elementary promotes pa-rental involvement by opening the doors daily for their assistance or participation in various activities. During our monthly Perfect Attend-ance Program, the parents are awarded certificates for sending their children to school daily and on time. When students attend school daily, everything moves in the right directions. Parents are in-vited to attend monthly workshops, such as, Understanding WIDA test-ing, and participate in chats about concerns, questions and Shout Outs about the school. This is our school and our parents are one of the main ingredients to the success of the students. The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) continues to grow with approxi-mately 125 participants. The staff is encouraged to work with the par-ents to expose them to the curricu-lum and activities at the school. The students are presented with many creative and motivational techniques to increase academic achievement, build strong relation-ships and maintain attendance in school. It’s ALL HANDS ONBOARD, at Greene Elementary School using programs like Grow-ing Greene Gardening Club, 100 Days of School Celebration, Danc-ing Classrooms, Singing for Suc-cess, Monthly Attendance Assem-blies, Soccer Club and many more. Parents are always involved in ac-tivities at the school.

La familia de la Escuela Primaria Greene continúa construyendo sólidas relaciones con los padres y los socios de la comuni-dad para ayudar los estudiantes a crecer académicamente, socialmente y cultural-mente. Un ambiente acogedor se aconse-ja desde el momento en que las personas salgan de sus vehículos y caminan a la escuela. Trabajamos en colaboración con nuestros padres para satisfacer las necesi-dades de los estudiantes de esta escuela. Nuestros socios de la comunidad y de la CIS (Communities In Schools) coordina-dora, la Señorita Guevara, ajuntaron con nosotros para proveer necesidades tales como abrigos, zapatos y alimentos para las familias necesitadas. Ellos sirven co-mo mentores, compañeros de almuerzo o ayudantes de aula.

La Escuela Primaria Green promueve la participación de los padres cada día en forma de asistencia o participación en varias actividades. Durante nuestro Pro-grama de Asistencia Perfecta mensual, se les entrega certificados como premios en recolección de enviar a sus hijos a la es-cuela todos los días y a tiempo. Cuando los estudiantes asistan a la escuela todos los días, todo se mueve en la dirección correcta. Los padres están invitados a asistir charlas, tales como, las pruebas Understanding WIDA, y participar en conversaciones sobre las preocupaciones, preguntas y comentos sobre la escuela.

Esta es nuestra escuela y los padres son uno de los ingredientes principales para el éxito de los estudiantes. La asociación de padres y maestros sigue creciendo con aproximadamente 125 participantes. Se alienta al personal de nuestra escuela a trabajar con los padres para exponerlos a los planes de estudios y las actividades en la escuela. Los estudiantes se presen-tan con muchas técnicas creativas y de motivación para aumentar el logro acadé-mico, construir relaciones fuertes y man-tener la asistencia a la escuela. Es todas las manos a bordo, en la Escuela Prima-ria Greene usando programas como Club de Creciendo el Jardín de Greene, Cele-bración de 100 Días, Aulas de Bailar, Cantando para Éxito, Asambleas Men-suales de Asistencia, Club de Fútbol y muchos más. Los padres siempre están participando en las actividades en la es-cuela.

Math Brain Teaser!!

A woman has seven

daughters and each

daughter has a broth-

er. How many chil-

dren does the woman

have all together?

2. What was T. Rex’s

favorite number?

3. Why did the student

do multiplication

problems on the

floor?

4. What 3 numbers

have the same

number whether

they are added or

multiplied?

Answers are on the back.

Title I Parent Involvement Summit at

Swansboro Elementary


Reading Brain Teaser

1. What did the paper

say to the pencil?

2. What is the smart-

est state?

3. What’s the king of

the classroom?

4. A clerk at a butcher

shop stands five

feet ten inches tall

and wears a size 13

sneakers. What

does he weight?

A Parent Involvement Summit was held in the Swansboro Elementary

School auditorium. The parents were welcomed by the principal, Mr. Her-

man Mizell.

The keynote speaker for this event was Lisa F. Townes. She spoke on The

Challenge of Parenthood, which was the theme for the Summit. Ms.

Townes, discussed the many obstacles that often become a part of the job

description of parenting. She suggested that in order to address the

“Challenge of Parenthood”, you must do the following: give each child one

-on-one time with you, develop a trust relationship, embrace each child

with a sense of unconditional love and develop a mutual respect for your

child.

Following the keynote speaker, Linda Jaeger, Mathematics Resource Spe-

cialist and Rosalyn Brown, Life Skills Management Consultant conducted

tutorial sessions. Mrs. Jaeger taught parents and students how the Compass

Learning and Reflex Math Programs can be used to improve reading, writ-

ing and mathematics skills. Mrs. Brown emphasized the importance of do-

ing homework daily and this must involve both parent and the child for ac-

ademic success to happen. She suggested that time must be given each day

for studying and that all homework should be checked daily by the parent.

In addition, she suggested that reflection on what has been taught reempha-

sizes the learning experience.

The session ended with a Question and Answer period which proved to be

most informative. At the close of the Summit, door prizes were given and

refreshments were served.

For more information, contact Principal, Herman Mizell or Angelyn Poe,

Title I Parent Facilitator at (804) 780-5030.

Answers on the back.

April 2014

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1

2 3 4 End of 3rd

Nine Weeks

7 8

9 10 Kindergarten

Registration

11

14 Spring Break 15

16 17 18

21 22

23 24 25

28 29

30

Staff Development Days and Schools:

April

End of 3rd Nine Weeks 4

Kindergarten Registration 10

Spring Break 14-18

Welcome to Parent University! Our newsletter and Title I web page target parents and caregivers and provide

them with opportunities to gain new or additional skills that support learning for their children at school and at

home. On our web page, parents will find workshops and activities at various school locations that have been

planned especially for them. Topics in this issue of our newsletter range from Help with Bullying to SOL Boot

Camp. As we expand our Parent University offerings, we will provide more workshop opportunities, information

and tools that will increase parent participation across the school district. Our goal is to empower parents with new

or additional skills to become full partners in their children’s educational success. Let us know your interests and

concerns by contacting me at the Title I Office (804-780-7790).

Dr. Ernestine Scott, Director of Federal Programs

Parent University

Parent University

June 2014


2 3 4 5 6

9 10 11 12 13

Last Day for

Students

16 17 18 19 20

23 24 25 26 27 CLOSED

30

July 2014


1

2 3 4

Independence

Day

7 8 9 10 11 CLOSED

14 15 16 17 18 CLOSED

21 22 23 24 25 CLOSED

28 29 30 31

May 2014


1 2

5 6 7 8 9

12 13 14 15 16

19 20 21 22 23

26

Memorial Day

27 28 29 30

Staff Development Days and Schools:

May

June

Last Day of School 13

Summer Work Hours

Central Office

(7-5:30)

23-26

July

Summer Work Hours

Central Office

(7-5:30)

1-31

Independence Day 4

Sponsored by:

Richmond Public Schools—Office of Federal Program -Title I

If you have an update at your school, a story you would like to

share, or an event to highlight, please contact:

Lois Townes

Title I Parent Coordinator (804) 780-7790

[email protected]

Erica Coleman Federal Programs Office Assistant & Assistant Newsletter Editor

(804) 780-7790 [email protected]

Dr. Ernestine Scott

Federal Programs Director & Newsletter Editor [email protected]

We are on the web!

http://web.richmond.k12.va.us/ProgramsFederalPrograms/TitleI

301 North 9th Street

12th floor, Office of Federal Programs

- Title I

Richmond, VA 23219

Phone: 804-780-7790

Fax: 804-780-7605

E-mail: [email protected]


Math Brainteasers answers:

1. She has eight children.

2. Eight!

3. The teacher told her not

use tables.

4. 1,2, and 3

Reading Brainteasers answers:

1. Write on!

2. Alabama, it has four A’s

and one B!

3. The ruler!

4. Meat!

In accordance with federal laws, the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the policies of the School Board of

the City of Richmond, the Richmond Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, age, reli-

gion, disabilities or nation origin in the provision of employment and services. The Richmond Public Schools operates equal opportunity and affirmative action programs for students and staff. The Richmond Public Schools is an equal

opportunity/affirmative action employer. The Title IX Officer is Mrs. Angela Lewis, Clerk of the School Board, 301

N. Ninth Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219-1927 (804) 780-7716. The Section 504 Coordinator is Dr. Michelle Boyd, Executive Director of Exceptional Education and Student Services, 301 N. Ninth Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219-

1927 (804) 780-7911. The ADA Coordinator is Ms. Valerie Abbott-Jones, 2015 Seddon Way, Richmond, VA 23230-

4117, (804) 780-6211. The United States Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights may also be contacted at

550 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20044-4620, (202) 245-6700

School Board

Donald L. Coleman, Chairman

Kristen Larson, Vice Chairman

Kimberly B. Gray

Jeffrey Bourne

Shonda M. Harris-Muhammed

Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.

Derik Jones

Tichi Pinkney Epps

Dr. Dana Bedden, Superintendent

from the desk of the director dr. ernestine h....

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