Parental Involvement Plan
Northside Elementary
501 West Elgin Street
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
(479) 524-4126
http://northside.siloamschools.com/
us on
Mission
Empowering future leaders……one student at a
time.
Vision
Northside Elementary will influence the
future by equipping students to be innovative
thinkers and leaders in an ever-changing
world.
Introduction
Parents are welcome at Northside Elementary. The Northside Elementary School
(PreK–Kindergarten) Parent Involvement Plan was developed to comply with Act
603 of the Arkansas General Assembly, 2003 and (amended by AR ACT 307 (2007)
and addresses the six standards set forth by the National PTA. This plan was
created as a means to formalize Northside’s commitment to parents/guardians. The
committee is composed of two classroom teachers, one principal, one vice principal,
one counselor/parental involvement coordinator, one media specialist, and four
parents. Members of this committee worked to develop a plan that was
comprehensive across both grade levels of our building, Pre-K and Kindergarten.
Standard I
Communication: Communication between home and school is regular, two-way,
and meaningful.
To encourage communication with parents, Northside Elementary School attempts
to inform parents and guardians of the events in which parents can be involved.
These events include, but are not limited to the following:
 Parent-Teacher Conferences in the spring and in the fall
 Monthly PTO meetings (Parent Teacher Organization)
 Monthly character education assemblies
 Class parties, which vary from year to year due to the food days that we are
able to have from the state, but we usually have a fall treats party, holiday
party, & Valentine’s Day party
 Parent nights in the fall and in the spring
 Donuts with Dads in September
 Tea and cookies for moms in May
Northside Elementary has also developed Parent Informational Packets/Family Kits
which are distributed at Parent/Teacher conferences in the fall and will be available
in the parent center throughout the year. These packets include the following:
A copy of the Parent Involvement Plan
School, parent, and student compact explaining the roles
parents, students, and teachers will do in the child’s
education
 A variety of information to help parents learn ways to become
involved with their child’s education
 Parent center information
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Dates of activities to encourage parental involvement are available on the following
resources: district calendar, Northside Elementary newsletter, other handouts
distributed to families and our school website: http://www.siloamschools.com.
In order to allow parents and teachers to communicate in a two-way and
meaningful manner, Northside encourages multiple communication approaches.
The following methods have been a result of positive feedback from both parents
and staff:
 Communication Folders: Every Northside student will be provided with a
communicator folder. It will be sent home containing students’ papers and
work samples of the week and can be used to send notes back to school from
the parents. Every attempt will be made to communicate with parents in their
home language. The teachers will routinely contact parents on an individual
basis to communicate about their child’s progress.
 Monthly Newsletters: The school distributes a monthly newsletter to parents
that is developed with participation of the PTO, principal, staff, and parent
volunteers. It includes school news, a calendar of school activities, and
parenting tips related to school achievement such as homework tips,
organizational skills, and study skills.
 Handouts: The school distributes handouts and they go out on an as-needed
basis to inform parents of other school activities.
 Phone or Email: Parents can reach the principal or any school faculty member
by phone or email. The school’s phone number and web address are always
included in the newsletter. Phone and/or email messages may be sent out
school wide to inform parents of various activities.
 Website: Northside Elementary has a website that also houses classroom
websites for each teacher. Homework assignments and pertinent classroom
information will be available on each of the classroom’s websites.

School-Parent-Student Compact: School staff, parents, and students will
develop a school-parent-student compact. This compact will outline how
parents, school staff, and students share responsibility for improving student
academic achievement and the means by which a school and parents will build
and develop a partnership to help children achieve the state’s highest academic
standards. All participants in the compact will review and sign this compact
during the first Parent Teacher Conference meeting of the academic school
year.
Standard II
Parenting: Parenting skills are promoted and supported.
To promote and support responsible parenting, Northside Elementary
School has purchased, and will continue to purchase parenting books,
magazines and other parenting materials. These materials are housed in
our Parent Center located behind the stage, Counselor’s Office, and the
Library. Parents may check out materials on a weekly basis and handouts
are available at no charge.
Northside holds various activities throughout the year which give parents
the opportunity to learn how to help their children at home. Some of these
include:
 Parent/Teacher Conferences
 Monthly presentations in the parent center
 Literacy Night
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Parent Involvement Night (see Standard III)
Parent’s night in the spring for incoming Kindergarten students
Math/Science Family Night in the spring
Parents will be notified of these activities through notes in the communication
folder (see Standard I), notices in the school facilities and public buildings, and
local newspapers.
Standard III
Student Learning: Parents play an integral role in assisting student learning.
To help parents in assisting students, Northside shall schedule at least two -“Parent
Involvement Nights.” The first of these will include a report from the principal on
the state of the school each school year. The following information will also be
addressed during the principal’s report on the state of the school:
• What students will learn at school.
• How students will be assessed.
• What parents can specifically expect from their child’s
education.
• How parents can play an important role in their child’s
education.
Northside Elementary will engage in other activities to assist parents in encouraging
their child’s learning. The State Board of Education’s Standards for Accreditation of
Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts shall require no fewer than two (2)
hours of professional development for teachers designed to enhance the understand
of effective parental involvement strategies. No fewer than three (3) hours of
professional development for administrators designed to enhance understanding of
effective parent involvement strategies and the importance of administrative
leadership in setting expectations and creating a climate conducive to parental
participation. Some of these events may include:
 Math/Science Night and other workshops
 Parent center topic events
 Special speakers
 May Parent Night for incoming Kindergarten students
Northside Elementary will inform parents of our new Measure of Academic Progress
(MAP Testing) that will provide us with data to use throughout the year on where
our kids are at academically.
Standard IV
Volunteering: Parents are welcome in the school and their support and
assistance are sought.
Northside Elementary will encourage parents to be part of the
school. A volunteer handbook will be available with the school
counselor. This will describe different ways that you can be involved at the school.
Northside Elementary teachers will send home a volunteer information sheet
detailing volunteer opportunities for their classroom.
Northside Elementary will ask parents to fill out a parent interest survey at the
beginning of each school year to get information from parents concerning the
activities they feel will be most beneficial in the efforts to support their child
academically.
Northside Elementary enables the formation of a Parent Teacher Organization
(PTO) to help foster parental and community involvement within the school. This
organization will help provide other opportunities inside and outside your child’s
classroom to be involved. An effort will be made to include working and
nonworking parents.
Northside Elementary will also send home the Siloam Springs Student Policy Manual
along with a Northside Rules & Procedure Guide to give parents information on:
lunch, field trips, school hours, etc.
In an effort to make volunteers feel welcome at Northside Elementary School and
assure safety for our students, volunteers will need to go through a Volunteer
orientation. This orientation will explain the use of the equipment, school protocol,
volunteer expectations, and volunteer procedures. This will help provide parents
and community members with information they need to participate as school
volunteers in order to put them at ease to make the experience pleasant and
successful. These trainings are available throughout the year and on an as needed
basis. Additional information about our district volunteer program can be obtained
by going to http://siloamschools.com/ and clicking on the Parents & Students link.
There you will see a section on Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS).
Standard V
School Decision Making and Advocacy: Parents are full partners in the decisions
that affect children and families.
To communicate effectively with parents, the principal will share a
presentation on the state of the school during –“Parent Involvement
Night (see Standard II) Report to the Public” - in the fall. At this time,
parents are offered the opportunity to ask questions and participate in
discussion regarding the state of the school.
A well-publicized process for influencing decisions, raising issues or concerns,
appealing decisions, and resolving problems is on our district website. The specific
information can be found at: http://www.siloamschools.com - Administration 
Board Policies  Section 6 (School, Home and Community Relations – policy 6.7).
Parents can be involved in decision making by participating in the following:
Parental Involvement Committee, Parent Teacher Organization, Handbook
Committee, and Student Compact Committee. Student placement forms,
parent/teacher conferences, Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings, and
transition conferences are also opportunities for parents to be involved in their
individual child’s education.
Standard VI
Collaborating with Community: Community resources are used to strengthen
schools, families, and student learning.
In an attempt to be sure that alumni provide input, alumni are represented in
various committees such as the Parent Involvement Committee and the Handbook
Committee, and Student Compact Committee.
The school will provide various opportunities for parents and community
members to support the instructional programs at Northside Elementary.
Some ways that community resources are currently used at Northside
include:
 Koala Park maintenance
 Guest speakers
 High school volunteers
 Boys & Girls Club
 JBU helpers, interns, and volunteers
 Ozark Guidance
 Adopters
 The Roy Chesney Foundation
 Parent reading buddies and helpers
Parent Involvement Committee Members:
 Michelle Paden, Principal
 Brandy Fox, Assistant Principal
 Barb Macken, Counselor – Parent Involvement Coordinator
 Nancy Efurd, Media Specialist
 Roxanna Brisson, Pre-K teacher
 Amanda Bunch, K teacher (PTO teacher representative)
 Meghan Walton, Pre-K Parent/K Parent
 Claudia Valencia-Pimentel – Pre-K Parent
 Tonya Suarez – K Parent
 Scott Marksberry – K parent