Parent and Family Engagement

Greetings families!

Our names are Candy Mann (right) and Katie Hooks (left), and we are so excited to bring you a great year of parent and family engagment! This is our first year taking on this endeavor and we fully intend for it to be a success. While this may be our first year in this role, we are not new to Cowan Road Elementary, or teaching! Candy is in her 29th year of teaching and is our Science Lab teacher

for all grade levels, and Katie is in her 5th year as a first grade teacher. Together, we feel like we are the perfect team to bring a great program to life! We are looking forward to the events and interactions we will get to have this year with all of you! As we begin this year, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns! The best way to contact us is through email which you can find below. Now, let's make it a GREAT year at Cowan! We are better together!

Sincerly,

Candy Mann & Katie Hooks

candice.mann@gscs.org -katie.hooks@gscs.org

Parents and Guardians,

We are thrilled that our school year has gotten off to such a great start. Our Colts are working hard to learn school expectations and establish a strong work ethic. We hope that you will become an active participant in partnership with the school to support your child by reinforcing school expectations and encouraging hard work to build academic skills. Your teachers will be sending home Take Home Tuesday folders each week with information for upcoming school events and student work. Please review the work sent home and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

~Dr. Holly Harvil

Cowan Road Elementary Principal

Title I, Part A requires that all schools receiving Title I, Part A funds must bring parents and families together for a parent meeting to inform participating parents about the school's Title I program and their right to be involved. This meeting will be held within the first 45 days of the new school year in GSCS.

Cowan Road Elementary Parents are asked to join us on:

September 5, 2024

We will have two meeting options- virtually (10:00AM) and in-person (5:30PM) at Cowan Road Elementary.

Google Meet Link: https://meet.google.com/vow-ncnx-ipd

What is to be covered: In this meeting, we will discussed the topics below

o Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

o Intent and Purpose of Title I

o Title I Funding

o Programs/Supports in Place to Help your Students

o Academic Standards Expected of All Students o Measuring Student Progress

o Parent Resource Centers

o District and School Parent and Family Engagement Policies

o School-Parent Compact

Title I is the largest federally-funded program for elementary, middle and high schools. Title I helps students teachers, and parents. Through Title I, school districts receive money based on the number of low-income families in each district. Each district uses its Title I money for supplemental educational services for children most in need of educational help. The focus of Title I program is on helping all students meet or exceed the same high achievement standards set by the local and state educational agencies. Griffin-Spalding County Schools is a Title I district.

In compliance with the requirements of Every Student Succeeds Act, the Griffin-Spalding County School System would like to inform you that you may request information about the professional qualifications of your student’s teacher(s) and/or paraprofessional(s).

The following information may be requested:

• Whether your child's teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction
• Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived
• Whether the teacher is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher.
• Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

Students participating in the Title I, Part A program and their families, agree that this compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and the students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement as well as describes how the school and parents will build and develop a partnership that will help children achieve the challenging state academic standards. Please take a few moments to access this document in your 2024-2025 GSCS Title I, Part A Parent & Family Engagement Handbook.

As part of the federal law, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), all Title I, Part A schools, as well as the district, are required to develop a Parent and Family engagement Policy and to invite parents of its annual revision. Please take a few moment to review this information in the Parent & Family Engagement Handbook.

-GSCS Title I, Part A Parent & Family Engagement Handbook

-Receipt of Guidebook Google FORM

-Fall 2024 Parent Survey Link:

English Link

Spanish Version Link

Did you know that the Griffin-Spalding County School System also has a Parent Resource Center? Find hands on activities, books and brochures for your student in our District Parent Resource Center. The center is designed to provide educational resources for parents to help your student succeed academically. Parents can also find computers with internet access at the center. The best part is resources are FREE! You can find the Parent Resource Center located in the Parent Services Building, Room 121 on 234 E. Taylor Street, Griffin, GA 30224. If you would like more information or want to make an appointment, please contact LaJuana Love at 770-229-3700, ext 10321 or at Lajuana.love@gscs.org.

Cowan Road has many exciting events in the works!

We are working to secure dates for our upcoming Literacy Night, Math Night, Fall Festival, Spring Fling, and more!

Be on the lookout! We can't wait to see you there!

You can access any of these materials, as well as your parent liaison team in person at Cowan Road Elementary.

Our resources are located to the left of the front doors when you come in.