Parent & Family Engagement Policy

Contact

Anna Dodds, Principal
580 Lafayette Hwy. Rocky Face, Ga 30740

706-673-2611

anna.dodds@wcsga.net

Parent & Family Engagement Policy and Plan for Shared Student Success

Westside Middle is Blasting Off!

Westside Middle will take the following measures to promote and support parents as an important foundation of the school in order to strengthen the school and reach our school goals. We will:

Ensure that all information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is published in both English and Spanish, posted on the school website.
Provide periodic trainings for staff on strategies to improve communication with parents and ideas to increase family engagement. Staff will also share best practices during regularly scheduled faculty meetings.
Share information in English and Spanish on the school website and in the school newsletter for parents to understand Georgia’s Standards of Excellence and assessments (MAP and Georgia Milestones) as well as the ways parents can monitor their child’s progress and work with educators.
We will provide parents and guardians with academic results and with explanations on how to interpret the results.
Communicate with all families and the community on a regular basis regarding school wide events and activities, through phone messages, social media, and flyers.
Work with our families to develop relevant trainings and helpful presentations to educate our staff on the importance of family involvement.
Provide necessary materials and trainings for families at conferences, meetings, and activities to help families work with their child to improve their child’s achievement.
Use our community stakeholders to improve awareness of the activities and events listed in the school parental involvement policy.
Offer literacy and computer classes for parents to help further enhance their various educational levels.
Collect feedback from families at events in order to respond to parents’ requests for additional support for family involvement activities.

Resources

School Plan for Shared Student Achievement

What is it?

This is a plan that describes how Westside Middle will provide opportunities to improve parent engagement to support student learning. Westside Middle values the contributions and involvement of parents to establish an equal partnership for the common goal of improving student achievement. This plan describes the different ways that Westside Middle will support parent engagement and how parents can help plan and participate in activities and events to promote student learning at school and at home.

How is it revised?

Westside Middle School invited all parents to annually provide input for the compact and FEP review, as well as the school wide plan, and the 1% set aside family engagement budget. Additionally, parent input and comments regarding this plan are welcome during the school year through various means. The plan is posted on our school Web site for parents to view and submit feedback throughout the year. All parent feedback received during the year will be used to revise the plan for the next school year. If the school wide plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, we will present parent comments when the plan is submitted to the district. We also distribute an annual survey online and on paper to ask parents for their suggestions on the plan and the use of funds for parental involvement. Parents can give feedback during parent meetings and activities during the school year.

Who is it for?

All students participating in the Title I, Part A program, and their families, are encouraged and invited to fully participate in the opportunities described in this plan. Westside Middle will provide full opportunity for the participation of parents with limited English, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children.

Where is it available?

At the beginning of the year, the plan is included in the student paperwork that is given to all students. The plan will also be posted on the school Web site. Parents can also retrieve a copy of the plan in the Parent Resource Center.

2025-2026 District & School Goals

2025-2026 District Goals

Goal 1: Increase the WCS graduation rate from 91.13% to 93.13% over the next three years for all students.
Goal 2: Reduce the achievement gap(s) in English Language Arts & Mathematics.
Goal 3: To increase the capacity of all WCS teachers and leaders to enhance student learning through evidence-based professional learning.

2025-26 School Goals

Goal 1: Our goal is for each grade level to exceed its projected growth by at least 1 RIT point in Math, Reading, and Language Usage from fall to spring MAP testing, using observed growth to better target support and drive grade-level progress.
Goal 2: All teachers will work collaboratively each week in designing engaging lessons with clear learning targets for students, and they will participate in professional learning at least twice monthly.
Goal 3: Increase parent involvement by 1% over the previous year’s participation.

School–Parent Compacts

As part of this plan, Westside Middle and our families will develop school-parent compacts, which is an agreement that parents, teachers, and students will develop that explains how parents and teachers will work together to make sure all our students reach grade-level standards. The compacts will be reviewed and updated annually based on feedback from parents, and teachers at the beginning of school. The school-parent compacts are sent home with each student and posted on our website.

Parental Resource Center & Involvement

Parent Resource Center

Come visit us during the regular school hours. You can stop by the Parent Resource Center to check out books, study materials, and activities to use at home with your child.

Parental Involvement

Westside Middle believes that family involvement means the participation of family in regular two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:

Families play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning.
Families are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school.
Families are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.
The carrying out of other activities as described in this plan.

Parent Involved Standards

Westside Middle and our families support the National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnerships as the school’s model in engaging families, students, and the community. These standards are:

Welcoming All Families
Communicating Effectively
Supporting Student Success
Speaking Up for Every Child
Sharing Power
Collaborating with Community

What is Title I?

Westside Middle is identified as a Title I school as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Title I is designed to support State and local school reform efforts tied to challenging state academic standards to reinforce and enhance efforts to improve teaching and learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support parental involvement. All Title I schools must jointly develop with all parents a written parental involvement policy.

Parental Involvement Events

Let’s Get Together!

Westside Middle will host the following events to build the capacity for strong parental involvement to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement.

Rocket Camp - July 29th

Come join us to get to know the school and your teachers during a fun-filled day!

6th Grade Meet the Teacher – July 29th

We invite our incoming sixth graders and their families to get familiar with Westside Middle.

Find your homeroom, meet your teachers, and get familiar with your new school! Drop in during the window at your convenience. We look forward to seeing you!

7th-8th Grade Meet the Teacher- TIME TBA

Come in, pick up your child’s schedule, meet your team of teachers, sign up for the parent portal (if needed), and ask any questions you may have! We look forward to you dropping in during this time.

Annual Title I/Literacy Meeting - TIME TBA

We invite you to an evening of learning and sharing about our Title I program, including our parental involvement policy, the school wide plan, the school-parent compacts, and parents’ requirements. Invitations will be mailed and posted in the school newsletter and local media. We encourage all parents to attend.

Open House-TIME TBA

Please join us in October for a Westside Open House. We look forward to increasing our partnership with our families and inviting you to join us during October in order to share some of the hard work and achievements of your student.

Veteran’s Celebration-TIME TBA

Calling all Veteran’s to join us in November for a celebration of one of our communities greatest assets- YOU!

Thanksgiving Lunch Celebration/Card’s for Troops- TIME TBA

Come join us in being thankful for those who work so hard in providing many of the freedoms that we share. Have a great Thanksgiving meal with your student and join us for a time of making holiday cards for our troops.

Logo Image

Logo Title

In This Section