• Title I

    It is understood that the JFK Elementary School and the parents/caregivers of the students participating in activities, services, and programs funded by Title I, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (participating children), agree that this compact outlines how the parents/caregivers, the entire school staff, and the students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement, and the means by which the school and parents/caregivers will build and develop a partnership that will help children achieve the State’s high standards. This schoolparent/ caregiver compact is in effect during school year of 2019-20.

    In order to meet the learning needs of your child(ren), the JFK Elementary School will provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the participating children to meet the State’s student academic achievement standards as follows:

    • JFK is a culturally and economically diverse K-2 Elementary school of approximately 620 students and also provides special needs programs. Our instructional programs challenge and support each child, celebrate and develop their unique talents, and promote appreciation for and tolerance of others. Our accomplished and dedicated staff, along with an involved parent community, is committed to maximizing the achievement of each student. A full range of related service staff provides extensive academic and counseling support for children with special needs. Highlights of our program include the following:
      • A balanced literacy program that emphasizes the connections between reading and writing. JFK Elementary School utilizes the Columbia University Teachers College Reading and Writing Workshop program, and information can be found on the district’s website at:Teachers College Reading & Writing Project
      • A comprehensive student assessment program using the Fountas & Pinnell literacy leveling system along with the Renaissance STAR Reading & Math program.
      • A comprehensive mathematics program through Math in Focus that stresses concept development and problem solving. Information can be found at: Math in Focus
      • A comprehensive Multi-Tiered Student Support (MTSS) system & Responseto Intervention (RtI) program. Information can be found at: Academic Intervention Services (AIS)
      • An inquiry based science program developed in cooperation with Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, Science 21, which focuses upon discovery, inquiry, and hands-on learning along with Project Lead the Way.
      • Technology integration through classroom based computer programs.

    As a reminder, we hold parent-teacher conferences during the school year in which this compact is discussed as it relates to individual student achievement. Specifically, those conferences were held this year on the following dates:

    • Fall:
      • November 4 (Night)
        November 5 (Day)
    • Spring:
      • March 11 (Afternoon)
        March 19 (Afternoon)

    We also provide parents with frequent reports on children’s progress throughout the year directly from teachers and learning specialists. More formally, the school plans to provide reports electronically via the Parent Portal as follows:

    Report cards available:

    • 1st Trimester: Wednesday, December 4
    • 2nd Trimester: Wednesday, March 25
    • 3rd Trimester: Thursday, June 25

    JFK Elementary will provide parents reasonable access to staff. Specifically, staff will be available for consultation with parents as follows:

    • The purpose of the parent/caregiver and teacher communication is to establish and maintain a good, working relationship between the home and the school. Parent/ caregiver-teacher meetings are always encouraged whenever questions or problems arise. If you would like to speak with the teacher, please e-mail or send a note in with your child and the teacher will contact you at their earliest convenience. The main office will not interrupt the class unless an emergency exists. In order to preserve instructional time, teachers will often get back to you at the end of the school day or the following day. If you have a concern regarding a classroom practice or procedure, please contact the classroom teacher first. If you are in need of additional assistance, please contact our school Social Worker, Ms. Mueller; our School Psychologist, Ms. Cunningham; our School Counselor, Ms. Bellucci; our Assistant Principal, Mr. Conroy; or Principal, Dr. Zamperlin.

    Research confirms that families who are involved in their children’s education promote greater academic success for their children. Parent/caregiver support of educational programs also positively influences all of the students in the school. Please make school an important priority. You can do this by:

    • Promoting habits that ensure a happy, healthy child who is eager to learn.
    • Providing ongoing encouragement and positive reinforcement for learning.
    • Read with your children daily.
    • Support completion of homework and projects on time.

    There are many ways in which parents are involved at JFK Elementary School. We provide parents/caregivers with opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class, and to observe classroom activities as follows:

    • Attend parent/caregiver-teacher conferences and school events.
    • Volunteer to help at special events, in our Library Media Center, or for one of our many PTA programs.
    • Be a guest reader.
    • Attend the many parent workshops or the programs that are offered by the school and district.

    If you are interested in volunteering, or sharing a special interest or talent, please speak with your child’s teacher, our PTA President, or contact our Assistant Principal, Mr. Conroy.

    These are the Parent/Caregiver Responsibilities:
    We, as parents/caregivers, will support our children’s learning in the following ways:

    • Monitoring attendance
    • Making sure that homework is completed
    • Monitoring the amount of television children watch
    • Volunteering in my child’s classroom
    • Participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to my children’s education
    • Promoting positive use of my child’s extracurricular time
    • Staying informed about my child’s education and communicating with the school by promptly reading all notices from the school or the school district, either received by my child or by mail, and responding, as appropriate.
    • Serving, to the extent possible, on policy advisory groups, such as being the Title I, Part A parent/caregiver representative on the school’s School Improvement Team, the Title I Policy Advisory Committee, the district wide Policy Advisory Council, the State’s Committee of Practitioners, the School Support Team, or other school advisory or policy groups

    These are the Student Responsibilities:
    We, as students, will share the responsibility to improve our academic achievement and achieve the State’s high standards. Specifically, we will:

    • Do homework every day and ask for help when I need to.
    • Read at least 30 minutes every day outside of school time.
    • Give my parents or the adult who is responsible for my welfare all notices and information received by me from my school every day.

    In addition, the JFK Elementary School will:

    • Involve parents in the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s parental involvement policy, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way.
    • Involve parents in the joint development of any school wide program plan, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way.
    • Hold an annual meeting to inform parents of the school’s participation in Title I, Part A programs, to explain the Title I, Part A requirements, and the right of parents to be involved in Title I, Part A programs. The school will convene the meeting at a convenient time to parents/caregivers, and will offer a flexible number of additional parental involvement meetings, such as in the morning or evening, so that as many parents/caregivers as possible are able to attend. The school will invite to this meeting all parents/caregivers of children participating in Title I, Part A programs (participating students), and will encourage them to attend.
    • Divide information to parents/caregivers of participating students in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon the request of parents/caregivers with disabilities, and, to the extent practicable, in a language that parents/caregivers can understand.
    • Provide to parents/caregivers of participating children information in a timely manner about Title I, Part A programs that includes a description and explanation of the school’s curriculum, the forms of academic assessment used to measure children’s progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet.
    • On the request of parents/caregivers, provide opportunities for regular meetings for parents/caregivers to formulate suggestions, and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions about the education of their children. The school will respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible.
    • Provide to each parent/caregiver an individual student report about the performance of their child on the State assessment in at least math, language arts and reading.
    • Provide each parent/caregiver timely notice when their child has been assigned or has been taught for four (4) or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not highly qualified within the meaning of the term in section 200.56 of the Title I Final Regulations (67 Fed. Reg. 71710, December 2, 2002).

    If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school at (845) 279-2087.

    Title 1 Letter to Parents/Caregivers, September 2019