Home School Community Plan

Home School Community Plan: The Home School Community Plan is based on the principle of partnership between homes, schools and communities. This partnership is characterised as “a working relationship that is characterised by a sense of purpose, mutual respect and the willingness to negotiate. This implies a sharing of information, responsibility, skills, decision-making and accountability”. (Pugh, 1989). Family-involvement programs are an effective way to facilitate partnerships between the home and the school.

Programs developed by school personnel can provide a forum for parents and children to experience learning in an atmosphere quite different from the usual classroom setting. Locations for the interaction might include the school library, cafeteria, or multi-purpose room. Evening programs may take place outside the school in other community buildings. Children and parents are encouraged to participate in a series of evening activities during which they explore science ideas.

During the exploration, teachers take on the role of facilitator and encourage the families to look at familiar things in a different way. Families are encouraged to discover something again, for the first time. The science does not have to be high-tech or complicated. The equipment should not be sophisticated. The goal is to demystify science, to promote the notion that everyone is a scientist and everyone can do science. The content of the session should take a back seat to the promotion of the process skills.

Observation, measurement, prediction, experimentation, data collection and interpretation, classification, and so on are lifelong skills that can be useful in many different contexts. Use of everyday materials will encourage families to continue their journey through the discovery process at home. Parents will soon see that their attitudes toward science have changed, and this change will ultimately impact the attitudes of their children. Children will benefit from seeing their parents enjoying the problem-solving process.

Sharing a fun-filled learning experience with their parents sends a subliminal message to children that we are all lifelong learners and that learning can be fun. Community Involvement Community support is an outgrowth of family-involvement programs. Community awareness fosters a positive belief about the school and the effectiveness of the teachers. The positive community attitude toward education often manifests itself in ways that are very important to the school community, such as the passing of school budgets, win-win negotiations of teacher contracts, and the public’s feeling of pride in the municipality.

Communication between the school and the community is critical to a successful relationship, as is the case in any relationship. In today’s highly technological world, communication should be relatively easy to facilitate but is sometimes neglected. Some schools have set up voice-mail systems on which there is a way for parents to access school information. The information may include notices of school programs, homework hotline information, or PTA news. Usually there is a way to leave messages for individual teachers as well.

Another way for the community to work closely with the school is through community volunteers. When we provide a way for non-school personnel to come into the classroom, we give parents the opportunity to recognize and respond to the problems that the classroom teacher faces every day. With increased understanding comes mutual respect. Parents are given the opportunity to volunteer their time working with students who can make significant gains when given a little more individual attention.

Parents see how they can make a difference in the classroom by helping the teacher as an additional facilitator of learning. Parents who volunteer should participate in an orientation session designed to outline the role of parents in the classroom. Various options can be explored, and parents can choose how they feel they can best help. Suggestions range from working behind the scenes, shopping for and packaging materials that may be used in a science or math class, to working with individual students on reading skills, word recognition, or editing of writing assignments.

The aims are: * To maximise active participation of the children in the schools of the scheme in the learning process, in particular those who might be at risk or failure * To promote active co-operation between home, school and relevant community agencies in promoting the educational interests of the children * To raise awareness in parents of their own capacities to enhance their children’s educational progress and to assist them in developing relevant skills. To enhance the children’s uptake from education, their retention in the educational system, their continuation to post-compulsory education and to third level and their attitudes to life-long learning * To disseminate the positive outcomes of the scheme throughout the school system generally. General principles govern the operation of this partnership scheme: * The scheme consists of a partnership and collaboration of the complementary skills of parents and teachers. * The scheme is unified and integrated at both primary and second levels. The thrust of the scheme is preventative rather than curative. * The focus of the scheme is on the adults whose attitudes and behaviours clash on the lives of children, namely, parents and teachers. * The basis of activities in the scheme is the identification of needs and having those needs met. * The scheme develops teacher and staff attitudes in the areas of partnership and the “whole-school” approach. * The scheme promotes the fostering of self-help and independence. * Home visitation is a crucial element in establishing bonds of trust with families. Networking with and promoting the co-ordination of the work of voluntary and statutory agencies increases effectiveness, obviates duplication and leads to an integrated delivery of service to marginalised children and their families. * Home/School/Community liaison is a full time undertaking. * The liaison co-ordinator is an agent of change. * Community ‘ownership’ of the scheme is promoted through the development of local committees. Parents While the primary purpose of the scheme is the promotion of partnership in the children’s learning, parents frequently identify needs which are not directly concerned with their children’s education.

Meeting those identified needs is a critical factor in the development of parents’ awareness of their capacities and in fostering their self-confidence. Scheme activities which meet parent’s needs include:- * home visitation with the objective of establishing bonds of trust with parents and families and supporting parents in the identification of their developmental needs * provision of drop-in centres and parents’ rooms in schools * provision of childcare facilities so that parents can attend scheme activities Courses and Classes on: curricular areas so that parents can assist and support their children with their school work * personal development through parenting and assertiveness training * leisure activities * aspects of educational development which range from basic literacy to certificate examination subjects and diploma courses * the development of parents as home visitors, facilitators and classroom aides. Teachers Development for teachers in the liaison scheme is in the area of developing partnership and collaboration with parents in the interests of the children’s education. This development includes: the promotion and establishment of a continuity in the children’s transfer from home to school, and from primary to second level * an understanding of partnership in the context of the parents’ role as the primary educators of their children * the development of attitudes and behaviours regarding the complementarity of parents’ and teachers’ skills, knowledge and experiences in the enhancement of children’s’ learning * joint policy making between parents and teachers on issues such as homework, code of positive behaviour, study skills, attendance, substance misuse and home/school/community liaison.

Child Plan: 1. Nutrition/Sleep behavior 2. Medical/Dental needs 3. Body Work/Exercise 4. Self Calm/Relaxation 5. Self- Care and Self Management 6. Child Attachment/Empathy 7. Stating Wants and Feelings 8. Social Relations 9. Play/Activities/Rewards 10. Daily Living Skills 11. Talent Build/Hobbies 12. Self Esteem Building 13. Pain/Illness Management 14. Anger/Aggression Management 15. Dealing with Loss and Grief 16. Strengthening Coping 17. Self Identity/Development 18. Individual/Group Therapy 19. Medication Family/Home Plan 1. Home/Food/Job/Insurance 2. Child Care/Respite 3.

Help w/ Brothers/Sisters 4. Boundaries/Structure/Routine 5. Stress Control 6. Kin/Parenting Support 7. Family Sharing Time 8. Parent/Child Special Time 9. Information/Education 10. Recognition/Awards 11. Chores/Pets/Roles 12. Leisure/Recreation 13. Celebrations/Rituals/Traditions 14. Cultural/Spiritual 15. Family Service Project 16. Behavior Mgt. Training 17. Family Counseling 18. Caregiver Treatment 19. Home Support Services 20. Celebrations/Rituals/Traditions 21. Cultural/Spiritual School/Education Plan 1. Family-School Bonding 2. Attendance Strategies 3. School Stress Reduction 4.

Sense of Inclusion 5. Teacher/Child Compatibility 6. Friendship Building 7. Buddy/Activity Groups 8. Mentor/Coach/Student Tutor 9. Recognition Experiences 10. Assign Helpful Tasks 11. Positive Home Notes 12. Achievements/ Projects/Portfolio 13. Build on Strengths 14. Other Success Experiences 15. Learn Strategies/Self Management 16. After School Activities/Homework 17. Other Skill Building 18. Student Ed Occupation Plan 19. Individual Health Plan/504 Plan 20. IEP-Related Services 21. Family Education/Counsel Center 22. Marketable Skill Development 23. Vocation/Education/Rehabilitation 24.

Transition/Closure Community Plan 1. Safety Crisis Plan 2. Care w/ Trust, Respect, Hope 3. Network Building 4. Parent Support Groups 5. Parent Information Center 6. Parks and Recreation/Camp 7. Religious Affiliation 8. Cultural Advocacy 9. Health Program/PHN 10. Mental Health 11. Services for Persons with Disabilities 12. Home Visitation 13. Mentor/Work Experience 14. Volunteer Work 15. Monitoring Progress 16. Coordination of Services 17. Core Team 18. Family/Agency Wraparound 19. Family Preservation 20. Other Human Services 21. Substance/Abuse/Gang Prevention 22. Legal Advocacy/Court