Dear STEM Community,
It is hard to believe how fast the school year is progressing! Students and staff have accomplished so much in the first months of school and there is no slowing down as we head into the holiday season and end the first semester. As we embark on this upcoming week of “thanks,” it is relevant to reflect on the plethora of examples that surround our community daily. From enrichment opportunities and events beyond our school hours to the countless support from parents, staff, and students, I am appreciative and thankful for our diverse community, perspectives, and engagement.
Parent engagement resonates within our Strategic Plan as well. Whether we strive to promote community alignment, funding opportunities, staff support, distributive leadership, or parent trust, each strategic goal relates to building an engaged and supportive community. We are thinking deeply about our overall goals, and the Parent Trust team has proposed a modification to the title Parent Engagement which better aligns with and reflects our goals of building a trustful community. The following depicts some of our current data related to engagement:
| Parent Volunteer Hours | August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 |
70 volunteers (480.27 Total Hours) 101 volunteers (792.83 Total Hours) 87 volunteers (642.95 Total Hours) 35 volunteers (182 Total Hours) |
| PTO Fall Funding Cycle (direct monetary donations that support students and staff) | Various requests for technology, field trips, staff holiday party, professional development speaker, driveline signs, and the music program. | $14,937 funded! |
| Donations from August through November | 732 Donation Hours 350 – Driveline 239.75 – BEST Robotics 133 – Field Trips 119.75 – Lunchroom |
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| Parent Voice | School Accountability Committee Parent Teacher Organization Board of Directors Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Curriculum Committee Parent Survey Responses (currently open) |
13 parent members 7 board parent members 5 parent members 3 parent members 5 parent members 20% response rate |
| Community Events | Parent Conferences Welcome to STEM PTO events: STEM Gives!!! Showcase and Curriculum Events State of STEM |
This is a very small snapshot of how we are fostering a supportive, engaging parent community and parent voice. Through transparency, clear communication, and collaboration, we will continue to develop and build toward this vision.
THANK YOU for supporting the students, staff, and each other! I know by working together through open dialogue, we will continue to thrive and succeed in our goals. I send all of you wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving break with family and friends.
Have a great Thanksgiving Break,
Dr. Karen Johnson, Interim CEO of KOSON Schools