Family Engagement Plan

Communication:

When families call, email, or send a note, we do our best to respond within 24 hours.
A school wide weekly newsletter containing significant information for families is sent home in both English and Spanish every Sunday.
Our school website, riverview.spps.org, contains copies of all essential communications for families including the weekly newsletter. Families may also access their child’s classroom webpage via the school website, and through the app seesaw.
The parent bulletin board located outside the office also contains copies of essential communications for families.
The family liaison makes “all calls” to families for imperative communications (testing days, school cancellations, family events, site council meetings, etc).
Texts are sent informing families of important events.
Families are encouraged to follow Riverview social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and the My SPPS app.

Teachers:

Classroom teachers send home a folder every Thursday with student work and important communications.
All teachers proactively call families as needed with positive encouragement and concerns.
All classroom teachers send classroom newsletters at least twice a month containing important information for families.
Teachers use Seesaw to provide updates and information.

Professional Development:

Staff receive ongoing professional development on understanding concepts around race, systemic oppression and are expected to also reflect on personal implicit bias and educators’ roles in interrupting racial inequities.
Staff are expected to analyze student outcome data and student engagement surveys disaggregated by race and discuss implications for changes in their practice.

Curriculum & Instruction

Teachers are using systematic and structured curriculum for instruction in all content areas:
- Math: HMH Math
- Spanish Literacy: Lectoescritura and Caminos
- English Literacy: UFLI and Fire
Teachers are expected to measure student progress using district assessment platforms and curricular assessments.
- Math: HMH Math unit assessments and screeners
- Spanish Literacy: Amplify Caminos and mCLASS
- English Literacy: mClass
Teachers are expected to teach at high academic levels to all students and provide support for students that need help in reaching grade level standards.
Teachers are expected to maintain strong communication and partnership with families to support every student.
Intervention teachers provide academic interventions to students who need the additional support.
Teachers use materials that reflect the student communities that we serve.
Teachers guide students in critically thinking about and analyzing texts and images about various
Topics throughout the year support affirmation of student identities and empower students to impact positive change.

School Culture & Climate:

All teachers deliver lessons about diversity and inclusion of others that may be different from them and skills for intercultural and interracial relationships.
All teachers teach the Zones of Regulation lessons which teach students self regulation skills.
Students and staff are expected to respect students’ gender identities and celebrate various cultural and racial identities.
Derogatory language is unacceptable and staff use a restorative process to address harm caused by others and teach lessons to develop students’ understanding of racial slurs and derogatory language.

For new students and families, we support the transition by:

Spring: Holding a New Student Orientation in the Spring prior to beginning the year to meet teachers, tour the school and hand in important documentation.
Fall: All families participate in a Meet Your Teacher Night at the beginning of the year. Families are welcomed into the school to meet with staff and familiarize themselves with the building and school community.
Mid-Year: Students who come to the school mid-year are welcomed by various staff members. Teachers assign a “buddy” in their classroom to show them around. Families are encouraged to make a classroom visit. They are met by the principal, social worker/counselor, school nurse and classroom teacher.
Winter: We hold an Open House for prospective families. A question and answer session is conducted with a special focus on Pre-K and our Dual Immersion program.
Our Pre-K Parent Educator works with the district and families to transition prospective students into our pre-K program.
The Pre-K team hosts a fall event after school to show families what students are learning and to give families time to meet one another and network.

Copies of the Family-School Compact are available:

Parents will get a copy to the Family-School Compact during Open House in the fall, and will have access throughout the school year on the weekly letter, and our website riverview.org
Parents will provide feedback to the Family-School Compact through family meetings and google surveys.
Families will be providing ongoing updates on their child’s progress and participate in setting goals with their child and their child’s teacher in the Fall. This pact was updated with information from the Spring survey in 2023.

A calendar of events and meetings is shared at the beginning of the year with all families and can also be found in the Family Calendar on the school website.

Various Family Nights and Events are held throughout the year, including:

September: Meet Your Teacher Night
October: Title I Annual Meeting - we share information about school Title I funding and programs in the Fall; Math and Literacy Night
November: Parent-Teacher Conferences
December: Winter Concert
February: Parent Involvement Day and Open House for Prospective Families
March: Parent-Teacher Conferences
April: STEM Night
May: Cinco de mayo Celebration
June: West St. Paul Days Parade, Field Day and All-School Barbecue

Other opportunities:

Academic All-Star Assemblies, Student Showcases, Parent Academy, Volunteer Opportunities (tutoring, library, field trips, read, etc), Monthly Family Meetings, PTA Meetings, Fundraising opportunities, School Assemblies and Celebrations.

All oral and written communications are conducted in English and Spanish. Additional translations are available upon request.
Interpreters are provided as needed for languages during conferences and family meetings.
In the beginning of the year a survey is sent out to record family availability for school events and volunteer opportunities.
Light meals, childcare and transportation are provided as needed.
Meetings, conferences and family events occur at various times of the day and multiple times a day to accommodate all families.
Virtual options are offered for conferences and family meetings as needed..

Home-School Communication/Grievance

Professional development addressing improved communications with families and cultural awareness occurs throughout the year at staff meetings.
If a parent has concerns about their child's learning, they should first bring it to the attention of their child's teacher. If the concern continues and cannot be addressed by the teacher, it may be brought to the attention of the Student Support Team (case manager, social worker, school counselor, intervention specialist, restorative practices coordinator) or principal if needed.
Our school partners with a community organization to help foster shared accountability for families and school staff by facilitating conversations if needed.

Family Collaboration

Bi-monthly Family Meetings are held during the year to empower parents and collaborate in the development of our Family-School Compact and Family Engagement Plan.
Parents and guardians are asked to provide input into the school's Family Engagement Plan, School Continuous Improvement Plan and the Title I and general budget.
Parents also have a right to be informed and give input on the Title I programming, by serving on the site council (Monthly Family Meetings) and/or by providing input into the school's improvement plan.
Parents have the right to see progress reports on their child, request information about their child's teacher's qualifications and help decide if Title I resources or other school resources are meeting their child's needs.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Conferences are held twice during the year; once in the Fall and once in the Spring. They are held during both daytime and evening hours.
Progress Reports will be distributed and explained by classroom teachers at conferences along with a folder of student work or with a slideshow presentation of student work. Should a parent not attend conferences, the report card will be sent home in the Thursday folder.
Conferences are held in person. While online settings are available upon request for emergencies, we want to connect in person. It is important for students to see us collaborate and both parties be involved in their education. Building community and partnership between school and home is easier when collaboration happens in person.

Grade Level Standards & Goal-Setting

The classroom teacher provides specific information on a student's reading and math levels, especially if not at grade level during conferences.
Teachers explain the expectations for grade level state standards and partner with families and students to develop specific goals.
Additional updates beyond the Progress Report will also be sent home intermittently by the classroom teacher on specific student goals and can be requested by families at any time throughout the year.
Parents and guardians are expected to support students in meeting their goals.

Testing and Assessments

An assessment calendar is shared with families that includes school, district and state exams.

Resources for Families

Literacy resources and practice tools are available on the Riverview website. Teachers send literacy resources that can be used at home for practice in the Thursday folder.
Our monthly newsletter provides tips and ideas for parents to support academics at home.
Parent Academy sessions offer educational support for families at a district level.
Frequent communication with your child’s teacher is key for success.
Parent Portal is available for families to view student work and grades – Log-in information can be accessed at spps.org/onestop or by calling the office at 651-293-8665..
Every student receives an iPad to be used in school for personalized learning.
Teachers and students use Seesaw (PreK - 5th grade) to view their child’s completed assignments – families contact their child’s teacher for log-in information.
Extended Day Learning (EDL) is available this year and meets before school from 8:00-9:15. On Monday and Wednesday programming includes Lego League for 4th-5th and grade, Tuesday and Thursday Project Scientist, M-Th Literacy and Math enrichment for K-1, and Harmony for 2nd-5th grade T, W and Th.
Harmony has multiple evening and weekend performances throughout the year at Orchestra Hall and Humboldt High School.
The Boys and Girls Club offers after school programming until 6pm (Grades K-5)
El Rio Rec Center offers after school programming until 6pm (Grades 1-5)
The Neighborhood House offers academic supports after school and during the summer at no cost to families (and during the regular school day for some students)
All students participate in Specialists Classes in Science, Music and Physical Education during the regular school day.

The Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies

Offers violin and cello lessons as part of the EDL program at no cost to families and prepares students to join a GTCYS orchestra as students develop their skills and interest (Grades 2-5)

MacPhail Center for Music

Provides weekly music lessons during the regular school day for all students in PreK through 2nd grade.

The Assistance League Minneapolis/St Paul

Sponsors various events at Riverview, including the One School Reads event, Teacher Grants, Student Academic All-Star Assemblies. They also provide uniforms to every student each September, as part of their Clothes for Kids program.

West Side Community Organization

Shares information, resources and offers parent workshops to families relevant to community needs i.e. immigration rights, renter’s rights, food support and offers opportunities for community involvement.

Midwest Food Connection:

Provides lessons to multiple grade levels about eating healthy and growing food.

Wilder FoUndation

A school-based mental health provider from Wilder is placed at Riverview and provides therapy to students and families in need.

Ecolab Foundation

Provides funding for enrichment opportunities for students, including a partnership with The Works Science Museum to host a family night and The Ordway Theater for all students to participate in theater performance and 3rd-4th grade students to participate in an artist residency.