Becky-David Elementary wins national award
September 16, 2011
St. Charles, MO
Becky-David Elementary won a 2011 Partnership School Award from the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University. The school was honored for making excellent progress in strengthening and sustaining a comprehensive program of school, family, and community partnerships.
Becky-David Elementary, a member of NNPS, provided detailed descriptions of specific strategies that are helping to increase family and community involvement and that support school improvement goals for student success. Essential elements include teamwork, leadership, goal-linked plans for action, implementation, evaluation, and network connections.
“Becky-David Elementary is demonstrating that research-based approaches can be used to increase goal-oriented family and community involvement to contribute to student success in school,” said Dr. Joyce L. Epstein, Director of NNPS.
Becky-David’s Parent Involvement Team has focused on involving families of diverse backgrounds in learning with their children, educating parents with knowledge to apply with parenting at home and recruiting parents to be involved with educating one another and providing opportunities for parents and their students to learn together. Viewing the World through the Eyes of Becky-David was an event recruiting parents and community members to participate in displays of their heritage or cultural identity; demonstrating ethnic stories, crafts, dances, music, art, customs. Comments from those attended included, “this is one of my most favorite events that I attended at Becky-David; the display booths were ‘hands-on’ for the children to see, touch and taste the foods of another culture.”
The following year, the team offered an International Game Night, where families brought crafts, music, games, stories, and “tastes” of the countries. Participants were guided through the stations with a game board card as the “visited countries.”
Most recently, a Parent University was organized for both parents and students to attend. Parents attended a session while his/her student attended a session on a similar topic. Sessions were offered on Internet Safety, Cyber Bullying, 21st Century Learning, Mathematics, Literacy or Reading, Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Safety and State Testing (MAP). This event supported the buildings schools improvement goals, assisted families and provided information for choosing healthy and nutritional snacks and creating a caring and respectful community.
“Becky-David will strive continue to strengthen its program of school, family, and community partnerships in the new school year to help all students succeed at high levels,” said Sherri Brown, Becky-David Principal.
The Becky-David Parent Involvement Team members include: Pete Beck, Maria Digrispino (Co-Chairperson), Linda Jensen, Nancy Coacher, Christie Kolath, Sarah Pipes (Co-Chairperson), Kora Van Patten, Jennifer Smith, Jennifer Hill, Sherri Brown, Tammi Van Horn, Deanna Kuhn, Joy Lee, Laura Gill, Ashleigh Stevens Kathy McMillan, Shonda Hart, Rhonda Wind, Darrin Ward, Tricia Strayhorn, Krista Sciarratta and Terri Hastings.
The Francis Howell School District encompasses over 150 square miles in the southeast corner of St. Charles County, and is one of the largest school districts in the State of Missouri, with an enrollment of nearly 18,000 students and approximately 2,200 employees. The Francis Howell Learning Community works everyday to provide the best learning practices for enhancing student achievement.
From the Francis Howell School District
Copyright 2011 Neighbors About Town
