Family Engagement Guide
Hello Bird Families,
We are eager to start the school year and meet all of you! The following information is our C.H Bird Family Engagement Plan for 2023 - 24. At C.H. Bird, staff, students, families and our community work together to ensure all learn and grow through building meaningful relationships and providing rigorous, engaging, and culturally responsive experiences.
To understand how working together can benefit your child, it is first important to understand the district’s and school’s vision, mission, and goals for student academic achievement.
Sun Prairie School District Vision: Recognized as a high-performing district of choice that reflects the cultures of our diverse community.
Sun Prairie School District Mission: Inspire and prepare every child, every day by providing relevant, engaging, and innovative learning experiences in and out of the classroom.
At C.H. Bird Elementary, we believe:
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Our Bird families and school staff are equal partners.
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All families can support their children's learning in different ways.
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All families have hopes and dreams for their children and want the best for them.
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All families want to have meaningful communication with school staff.
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The responsibility for growing and continuing partnerships among school, home and community rests first and foremost with school staff especially school leaders.
Frequently Requested Information:
Who should I go to if I have a question about my child’s education?
Please start with your child’s classroom teacher. If the teacher can’t answer this, the teacher will advise you to reach out to the appropriate person.
What is the SCO and when do they meet?
Our School Community Organization (SCO) is made up of all C. H. BIRD families. The SCO meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30-7:30pm in our large group instruction (LGI) room. We use this space for multiple large group gatherings throughout the school year. All families are encouraged to attend the SCO meetings. We hold meetings in person and via Zoom.
We are committed to working directly with our SCO Board to help guide and support our community building for our school. They put on a number of events to bring our Blue Jay families to and also work in alignment with the District Parent Leadership Council (PLC) on bringing about more equitable experiences between all SPASD elementary schools.
How will the school share information about events and student progress?
C.H. Bird sends out a monthly newsletter on the first day of each month through Blackboard Connect messaging system. Blackboard can send emails, texts, and phone messages to you. The monthly newsletter will then be archived on the C.H. Bird web page under “Newsletters”.
Blackboard emails called Parent/Caregiver Communication will be sent whenever there is relevant information to share with families. Our website and Facebook page also will have information about upcoming events.
Peachjar is another venue we will use to inform families of school and community events. This will come in the form of an email, but can also be accessed via our school website under “Flyer Distribution in Schools”.
Teachers will share information with families about learning targets, progress and experiences through work samples sent home, email and apps like Class Dojo or Seesaw. Caregivers will be invited to have a conference with educators in the first and third quarters of the school year. Elementary students in Sun Prairie receive report cards after the completion of each semester. You can access the report card when it is posted on your Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
What should you do if you have a concern, question, or great idea?
If it is a classroom concern, we ask that you go directly through the teacher first. If it’s something else and you are not sure where to start, call our main office for assistance at (608) 834-7303 or email Twila Hankes, our lead administrative associate, at tlhanke@sunprairieschools.org.
How can you be more involved at C.H. Bird? A great place to start is reading communication from the school and attending school events. We will periodically have sign ups for events taking place. Classroom teachers will often remind you of upcoming school and classroom events in their weekly communication as well. You will find that your active involvement is what makes our school great.
Volunteering in the school does require a background check. Here is the link: volunteer application
What should I know about attendance? When your child is absent, please call the attendance line (608) 834-7300 and press #1 as well as call the classroom teacher. You can also email our administrative associate that oversees attendance, Shannon Dorn, at sddorn@sunprairieschools.org.
Why is attendance important?
It is the caregivers’ legal obligation as Parent/Guardian to ensure their child from the age of 6-18 attends school regularly (Wis. Stat. sec. 118.16). Regular attendance greatly impacts academic success starting as early as preschool, continuing through high school years. Parents/Guardians play a key role in helping their child succeed with being able to get to school on time. Please take priority in ensuring your child's daily attendance.
What are school hours and dates?
School hours for elementary students are 7:40 am-2:40 pm (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday), and 7:40 am-1:30 pm (Thursday). Students may come to school at 7:30 am or after, as supervisors are on duty at that time.
The first day of school for the 2022-2023 school year is Tuesday, September 6, 2022. The last day of the school year is Friday, June 9, 2023.
SPASD School Calendars & Bell Schedules
Do SPASD schools offer breakfast and lunch?
You can access the school menus through Nutrislice on the district District web page This is a mobile app and you can also access C.H.Bird’s menus here.
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Breakfast |
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Students |
$1.40 |
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Adults |
$2.55 |
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Lunch |
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Elementary (Grades K-5) |
$2.95 |
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Middle (Grades 6-8) |
$3.20 |
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High School (Grades 9-12) |
$3.30 |
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Adults |
$4.25 |
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Milk |
$0.45 |
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Entree |
$3.10 |
C.H. Bird's Digital School Calendar is available on our webpage.
You can also link it to your own personal electronic calendar. You can access it here.
Northside Staff Directory is available on our webpage and right here.
You will be able to access a staff member’s email address and school phone number from that link.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s social and emotional health, start with your classroom teacher.
You can also access our student services team and they can provide you with resources and support.
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Allie Kerr, School Counselor
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Andrea Carpenter, School Psychologist
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Laura Godfrey, School Social Worker
Transportation: Have a question about bussing? Check out the transportation page on the district website.
Use the SPASD district webpage as a resource. It is very likely that you can find what you are looking for on the webpage. We highly recommend it as a go-to resource for our families.
Northside Elementary School Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CHBirdBlueJays
We look forward to a great year with you at C.H. Bird Elementary School!
Sincerely,
Pang Khang, Principal (she/her)
(608) 834-7301
The goal of sharing this guide is to help you find the pathways to partnership that your school has set up for families. You are essential to student success and that you belong as a part of your student’s school community. All parents and caregivers are essential partners in every child's educational journey. The collaboration of our staff and families is fundamental to supporting students in achieving their highest potential.
| Belief Statement | [school staff paste here] |
| Invitation to volunteer | |
| Invitation to attend school-wide events | |
| Help us meet our goals as a school community | |
| SCO - role, goals, opportunities to participate | |
| How your school will communicate with you | |
| How your teachers will communicate with you | |
| How you can support your student's success and advocate for them | |
| How to contact your school |