School/Community Planning

School and Community Planning

ISLLC Standard 1: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by
facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of
learning that is shared and supported by the school community.

When families, schools, and community institutions collectively agree upon their goals and decide how to reach them, everyone benefits. Schools enjoy the informed support of families and community members, just as families experience many opportunities to contribute to their children's education, and in the end, communities look forward to an educated, responsible workforce.

Experience

Annual Open House and STEM Night

School Field Trips

Student Handbook

School and Community Planning Log

Creating environments where students, family, and the community feel welcomed is one of the top priorities of Alice Harte Charter. We understand, as well as share the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. Therefore, as often as possible, we create opportunities for families to come together in the school setting. Each year we conduct an annual open house to allow students, families, staff, and the community to bring in the new school year. At this time, visitors are able to meet the faculty and staff, as well as learn more about the goals and vision of the school.

One program that follows Annual Open House is STEM Night. A STEM Night is an evening of hands-on science, math, and engineering activities for students and families to complete together. The event includes a range of activities covering different STEM topics and connections to exciting STEM careers. STEM Night provides an opportunity for teachers to step up and gain leadership experience because it is teacher-organized and teacher-led.

Throughout my experience during Annual Open House and Annual STEM Night I gained more insight in the following area:

Planning: Regardless of the event, teachers have to have the opportunity to extensively plan and prepare. For example, open house requires teachers to have a presentation, clean rooms, handouts, displayed student work, and any other helpful information accessible. As a building leader, it is important to be visible before, during, and after this event to ensure things flow as smooth as possible. My school leader also takes an extra step to create time rotations for parents to rotate to each teacher.

Reflection: One factor that I would change for open house, would be to have all teachers in one location during open house for the initial meet and greet because many parents have multiple students at the school in different grade levels. This will ensure that parents have the opportunity to meet all teachers, and to not feel rushed. Then, in order to build leadership among students, I would allow students (ie. student government) to conduct tours around the school for parents. At that time, teachers will remain in the central location, and to be able to answer any questions from parents before leaving the premises. During this time, refreshments will be served so that food is not eaten around the school campus.

Just as planning is important for on campus school events, planning is also critical for school field trips. Over the course of my internship, I've learned that it is important for staff members to be trained to plan and conduct off campus field trips. Planning a field trip takes way more than just getting forms signed and making phone calls. The following areas are important for planning a field trip:

Trip Selection

Identify the rationale, objectives and plan of evaluation for the field trip.
Select the site to be visited. Contact the educational coordinator for the site and arrange the date and time. Obtain the pre-trip information package if one is available. Record addresses, directions, contact persons, phone numbers, email addresses, etc.
Conduct a pre-visit to familiarize yourself with the major features of the field trip.

Logistics Planning

Apply for administrative approval from departmental chairperson, curriculum administrator, or building principal
File requisition for bus transportation reservation
Make arrangements for meal or sack lunch if needed
Develop schedule for the day
Arrange for special equipment -supplies, film, video camera, digital camera
Prepare name tags for students and chaperones
Collect money for admission fees
Compose parent permission letter including
- Date and location of field trip and transportation arrangements
- Educational purpose of field trip
- Provision for special needs students
- Cost
- Clothing for the trip
- Lunch arrangements
- Money needed
- Trip schedule
- Whether a child will need prescribed medication administered
- Parent signature
Send a letter to parents or include in the class newsletter a request for help as chaperones, communicate assigned duties/responsibilities, review field trip objectives, and list activities and schedule.
Provide alternative arrangements for pupils who will not be going on the trip.
Inform the cafeteria staff if students will be away during the lunch hour.
Submit a list of students who will be attending the field trip to other teachers if their schedules will be affected.
Collect the money for the trip and deposit it in your school's account. If required, send the advanced fee to the field trip site.
Create a list of all student names and home phone numbers for use in an emergency.

Final Planning

Check all permission slips the day before the field trip.

Conducting the Trip

On the day of the trip:

Pass out name tags and get a total count
Divide class into small groups and assign chaperones to groups
Assign each student a partner
Place a class list and student emergency forms in a folder
Secure a cell phone if possible
Take along an emergency kit
Take inventory of food, specific equipment, and other supplies pertinent to the particular field trip

Below are documents that reflect some of the planning/logistics that I encountered during my internship while being in charge of some 8th grade field trips:

The primary purpose of the Student Handbook is to provide students and parents with information, guidelines and policies for attending and receiving education at a school. The following attributes are critical components that students, parents, and school faculty/staff should know:

Mission and Vision Statement
Academic Information
Special Programs and Student Services
Responsibilities and Rights of Students and Parents/Guardians
Acceptable Use Guidelines
Attendance and Instructional Policies
Discipline Policies
Legal Policies and Requirements
Student Dress Code
Communication
Transportation
Parent/Student Handbook Agreement Statements

After reviewing Alice Harte’s Student Handbook, while doing further research to compare our handbook to other school’s handbooks from around the nation, the handbook does measure up to sound standards of expectations, but there were some areas that could be improved or changed. The following document notes changes/improvements that can be made in the student handbook, as well as my justification for each change

Changes: