Ed Clapp Elementary

Achieving excellence by educating and empowering all students to succeed.

November 6: Johnson/Blaufuss to Plains Art

November 11: NO SCHOOL - Veterans Day

November 12: 4th Grade Plains Art Visits

November 18 & 20: 4th Grade - I Wish the Hitting Would Stop

November 21: Family Bingo Night

November 25: Vision Screening

November 27, 28 & 29: NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break

• Class starts at 8:05. Students who arrive after that time are marked tardy and should report to the office for a tardy slip. Learning starts right away in the classrooms, so it is important for your child to be on time.
• Absences: If your child is going to be absent please contact the office staff at 446-2900 or send an email edattendance@fargo.k12.nd.us. If we do not hear from you our office staff will be calling to check the whereabouts of your child....your child's safety is always our number one concern. Being on time and having good attendance is crucial for learning. When a child is habitually absent/tardy, there is a negative impact on learning. If you are ever having trouble with getting your child to school or your child is feeling sick too often, please call our school counselor, Katrina Brekke (K,2,4) at 701-446-2939 or Kennedy Geller (1,3,5) at 701-446-2938, who would be happy to work with you and offer support and suggestions.
• If you need to pick up your child during the day, please call the office at 446-2900 when you get to the school or come to the front door and wait in the entry way. The office will call your child out of his/her classroom. Due to district policy, we are unable to call your child out of the classroom before you have arrived at the school.

The Fargo Public Schools 2023-24 Annual Report is a summary of the District’s efforts to carry out its mission of “educating and empowering all students to succeed” during the 2023-24 school year. Read the report for an in-depth examination of the District’s students, staff, schools, departments, and programs and a celebration of their achievements. And view key statistics regarding staffing, budget, demographics, and assessment data. Thank you for supporting Fargo Public Schools and allowing the District to serve its students and families and provide an exceptional educational experience. . Access the full document at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/AnnualReport

Fargo Public Schools' Early Childhood Special Education program is seeking Community Friends to join its preschool classrooms. Community Friends are typically developing peers who will join the ECSE classrooms alongside the students with developmental delays or disabilities. Students must be 4 years old by July 31 and pass a developmental screening to be eligible for the program. The program is free of charge for families, but parents must provide transportation. The ECSE sessions are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Click here to apply for the ECSE Community Friends program.

As the leaves change and autumn settles in, Fargo Public Schools and Parent Guidance are dedicated to providing parents and caregivers with the support and resources they need to nurture their children. Parent Coaching pairs caregivers with a coach and therapist-created resources to help navigate the challenges of parenting. Click here to register: https://cookcenter.info/coaching

The Fargo, ND November Coaching Flyer can be found at this link.

The November Mental Health Series calendar is attached and tailored to the needs of Fargo Public Schools. The calendar provide November’s mental health resources and events including:

• Key Dates: Schedule of live webinars for November, with each event starting at 6 PM CST and 8 PM CST
• Topic Highlight: District-selected focus topic tailored to the needs of your students, families, and staff.
• Access Details: Instructions on how to join live sessions.

I’d like to highlight the upcoming Ask a Therapist LIVE event on November 20th, which is part of our Mental Health Series platform. This event takes place once per month and offers a unique opportunity for parents to engage directly with a licensed family therapist. Parents can ask questions anonymously and receive personalized answers in real time. Please utilize the following links to promote Ask a Therapist LIVE on November 20th depending on your needs:

• Social media image (with accompanying QR code and link to register),
• Parent flyer - digital

Calendar can be found at these links for English or Spanish.

HEAD LICE…..Never a topic we want to discuss, but something that we need to be informed about.

The Fargo Public Schools policy regarding head lice (AP 4780): Exclude from school until treated and determined to be non-communicable (no nits). Children should be treated for lice as soon as possible. Close contacts should be checked frequently for two weeks. Head to head contact with other children should be discouraged. (Note: Cass Public Health philosophy differs from that of Fargo Schools.)

Due to the low risk of transmitting head lice at school and to maintain confidentiality, letters will NOT be sent to parents of classmates and classrooms will NOT be checked.

What do I Need to Know? Head Lice (Pediculosis Capitis)

What are head lice?

Head lice are small insects (less than 1/8 inch long). They range in color from red to brown, black, yellow-tan or gray-white. Head lice live on blood they draw from the scalp and lay tiny, gray/white eggs (known as nits) on a hair shaft near the scalp. The warmth from the scalp is needed for the eggs to hatch. Head lice are not known to spread disease.

Who is at risk for head lice?

Head lice infestations occur in all socioeconomic groups, are not an indication of poor hygiene, and can affect anyone.

What are the symptoms of head lice?

Most people who have head lice do not have symptoms at all. When symptoms do occur, the most common signs include itching of the skin on the scalp or neck where lice feed. Nits are glued to hair, commonly behind ears and at or near the nape of the neck. Scratching, especially behind and around ears and at the nape of the neck, may lead to open sores and a bacterial infection that also my cause swollen lymph nodes.

How soon do symptoms appear?

Symptoms appear when a live louse is present.

How are head lice spread?

Head lice are spread most commonly by direct contact with hair. Additionally, infested people can also spread head lice by sharing combs, brushes, hats, blankets or sheets with others, but this is not very common. It can be spread only by live lice and not nits.

When and for how long is a person able to spread head lice?

Head lice will spread until they are treated with a chemical that kills lice and until the eggs have been killed or removed. Research has shown that removal of nits may not be necessary.

How is a person diagnosed?

Diagnosing head lice is done by identifying the presence of live lice or nits within 1/4 inch of the scalp. Identification of eggs and lice with the naked eye is possible; however, the use of a hand lens or microscope may help to confirm the identification.

What is the treatment?

Over-the-counter treatments and prescriptions that kill lice and most viable eggs are available. Follow the directions on the label. Re-treat nine days after initial treatment if not otherwise specified on the product label. Contact your health-care provider or local public health unit for more information.

Does past infection make a person immune?

No. A person who previously had head lice may get it again.

What can be done to prevent the spread of head lice?

Follow these steps to prevent the spread of head lice:

· Avoid sharing headgear, coats, hats, hair ornaments, helmets, headphones, combs, brushes, towels and bedding.

· Combs and brushes should be washed in hot water (130 °) for 10 minutes.

· Items that cannot be washed should be bagged and stored for two weeks.

· Provide separate storage areas for clothing so that the personal articles of one person do not touch the personal articles of another.

· When an infestation is found, check the hair and scalp of all household members and treat only those who have lice and those who share the same bed with the infested person.

Additional Information

For additional information about head lice, head lice removal, school exclusions, etc., contact the ND Department of Health, Division of Family Health at 800-472-2286.

Resources:

American Academy of Pediatrics, [Pediculosis Capitis]. In: Pickering LK, ed. Red Book: 2009 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 28th ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2009: [495-497}

CDC - lice - head lice - parents. (2013, September 24). Retrieved August 5, 2022, from

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/parents.html

North Dakota Department of Health, (2012). Head Lice; A Lousy Problem. Division of Family Health. pp. 1-30.

Fargo South Wrestling information for 2024-2025 can be found at this link.

Ed Clapp Elementary

Parent and Family Engagement Policy

District-School Parent and Family Engagement Policy

Ed Clapp Elementary

2024/2025

November 2024

In support of strengthening student academic achievement, Fargo Public Schools and Ed Clapp Elementary receive Title I, Part A funds and must jointly develop with, agree on with, and distribute to parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement policy that contains information required by Sections 1116(a)(2), (b), and (c) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The policy establishes the district-school’s expectations and objectives for meaningful parent and family engagement and describes how the district will implement a number of specific parent and family engagement activities.

Fargo Public Schools and Ed Clapp Elementary agree to implement the following requirements as outlined by Section 1116:

• The district-school will put into operation programs, activities, and procedures for the engagement of parents and family members in all of its school with Title I, Part A programs. These programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents and family members of participating children.

• The district-school will work to ensure that the required parent and family engagement policy meets the Title I, Part A requirements, and includes as a component, a school-parent compact.

• The district-school will incorporate this district-school parent and family engagement policy into its district plan.

• The district-school will involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under Title I, Part A, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parent and family engagement policy and the joint development of the targeted assistance or schoolwide program plan.

• The district-school will update the school parent and family engagement policy periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school, distribute it to the parents of participating children, and make the parent and family engagement policy available to the local community.

• In carrying out the Title I, Part A parent and family engagement requirements to the extent practicable, the school district and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, limited literacy, disabilities, of migratory children, who are economically disadvantaged, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background, including providing information and school reports required under Section 1111 of the ESSA in an understandable and uniform format including alternative formats upon request and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.

• If the district-school plan for Title I, Part A is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school district will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school district submits the plan to Department of Public Instruction.

• The district-school will be governed by the following definition of parental involvement and expects that its Title I, Part A schools will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition:

Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:

o Parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning,

o Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school,

o Parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child, and

o Other activities are carried out, such as those described in Section 1116 of ESSA.

Required District-School Parent and Family Engagement Policy Components

The district-school parent and family engagement policy includes a description of how the school will implement or accomplish each of the following components:

• Jointly Developed Policy and Plans

Fargo Public Schools and Ed Clapp Elementary will take the following actions to involve parents and family members in jointly developing its district-school plan, and in the development and review of support and improvement plans:

o Invite one parent/Title I school in the district to take part in the development of the district/Ed Clapp Elementary parental engagement plan.

o Incorporate suggestions from parent surveys in the parental engagement plan to design strategies for more effective parental engagement.

• Annual Title I Meeting

Ed Clapp Elementary will take the following actions to conduct an annual meeting, at a convenient time, and encourage and invite all parents of participating children to attend to inform them about the school’s Title I program, the nature of the Title I program, the parents’ requirements, the school parent and family engagement policy, the schoolwide plan, and the school-parent compact.

o Ed Clapp Elementary will conduct a meeting annually about the school’s Title I program.

• Technical Assistance

Jan Anderson will provide the following coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build capacity of all Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance, which may include meaningful consultation with employers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations, or individuals with expertise in effectively engaging parents and family members in education:

o Fargo Public Schools will put into operation programs, activities, and procedures for the engagement of parents in all of its schools with Title I programs. These programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.

• Annual Evaluation

Fargo Public Schools and Ed Clapp Elementary will take the following actions to conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parent and family engagement policy in improving the academic quality of its Title I, Part A schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). The evaluation will also include identifying the needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers and strategies to support successful school and family interactions. The school district will use the findings of the evaluation about its parent and family engagement policy to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parental involvement and, if necessary, to revise its parent and family engagement policies.

o Inform and invite parents to school review and school improvement meetings.

o Hold meetings at times when parents can attend.

• Reservation of Funds (only applicable to districts with Title I allocations of $500,000 or more)

If applicable, Fargo Public Schools and Ed Clapp Elementary will involve the parents and family members of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement is spent and will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the 1 percent reserved goes directly to Title I schools.

o Ed Clapp Elementary will provide opportunities for parents to brainstorm new ideas for parent engagement activities.

• Coordination of Services

Fargo Public Schools and Ed Clapp Elementary will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement programs and activities with other relevant Federal, State, and local laws and programs such as Head Start, Even Start, and other programs that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children. In addition, the district-school will educate its teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, and other staff in the value of parent contributions and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners; implement and coordinate parent programs; and build ties between parents and schools. The coordination of services and the building of staff capacity will be done by:

o Holding Title I parent information meetings.

o Holding Title I training sessions.

o Developing parent resources.

o Sending home “tip sheets” for parents with strategies to use and suggestions for success in school.

• Building Capacity of Parents

Fargo Public Schools and Ed Clapp Elementary will build the schools’ and parents’ capacity for strong parent and family engagement by providing materials and training on such topics as literacy training and using technology to help parents work with their children to improve their children’s academic achievement. Assistance will also be provided to parents in understanding the following topics:

o The challenging state academic standards.

o The state and local academic assessments including alternate assessments.

o The requirements of Title I, Part A.

o How to monitor their child’s progress.

o How to work with educators to improve the achievement of their child.

Ed Clapp Elementary will collaborate with parents to integrate parental engagement activities into the school.

Fargo Public Schools and Ed Clapp Elementary will provide, if requested, opportunities for regular parent and family meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such request as soon as practically possible, by:

• Inviting all parents to information meetings.

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• Building Capacity of District-School Staff

Fargo Public Schools and Ed Clapp Elementary will, with the assistance of its schools and parents, educate its teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals and other school leaders, and other staff in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and schools by:

o Holding Title I parent information meetings

o Holding Title I training sessions

o Informing parents of available training sessions in the community

o Sending home “tip sheets” for parents with strategies to use and suggestions for success in school

Fargo Public Schools and Ed Clapp Elementary will provide other reasonable support for parent and family engagement activities under Section 1116 as parents may request by:

o Scheduling individual meetings

o Requesting resources by phone or email

• School-Parent Compact

Ed Clapp Elementary will take the following actions to jointly develop with parents of participating children a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the state’s high standards.

o Ed Clapp Elementary will develop a school-parent compact by inviting parents to collaborate at meetings and training sessions.

• Communications

Ed Clapp Elementary will provide parents of participating children the following:

o Timely information about the Title I programs,

o Flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide with Title I funds, transportation, child care or home visits, as such services relate to parent and family engagement, and

o Information related to the school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities, is sent to the parents of participating children in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.

These items will be provided by:

o Annually distributing the parent and family engagement policy to parents through the Ed Clapp Elementary Title I Handbook

Adoption

This district-school parent and family engagement policy has been developed jointly and agreed on with family members of children participating in Title I, Part A programs and reviewed at the Ed Clapp Elementary Annual Title meeting November 4, 2024

Jennifer Schuldheisz, Principal

Nikki Nelson, Assistant Principal

Email: schuldj@fargo.k12.nd.us
Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us/EdClapp
Location: 3131 28th St S, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701-446-2900