Family/Community Engagement Plan
2026-2027 Family Engagement Plan
School Introduction:
The Family Engagement Plan (FEP) is organized into four impact areas. We will be working together this year to build positive and goal-oriented relationships in each area. Families and staff at school developed this plan together.
Welcoming Environment
Our school has staff member(s) available for families to discuss this plan and ask questions
● Principal: Dr. Leslie Hitchens
Our school communicates with families in many ways.
● Thursday take home folders
● Principal’s newsletter which is done using S’More so it can be translated into many different languages.
● The Parent Handbook, the Family-School Compact and the FEP are available on the school’s website, on the family bulletin board, and in the main office.
The achievement gap, or rather the “opportunity gap,” between students of color and white students in Saint Paul Public Schools is unacceptable. Our school is working to change practices and systems by identifying the barriers that make it harder for students of color to succeed and for their families to support their learning.
● For more about our work on racial equity, contact: Dr. Leslie Hitchens
Transitions between schools can be challenging, and we work to help families as their children start and leave our school.
For new students and families, we support the transition by:
● Families are invited to stop in and meet their child’s teachers at the beginning of the school year at our Welcome Back Open House.
● Pre-K scholars participate in multiple transition events during the spring prior to Kindergarten. These include both parent and student visits to the classrooms, and question and answer sessions with school staff.
For students and families moving to the next school in their pathway, we support the transition by:
● The school counselor and 5th grade teachers support all 5th graders transition to Middle School. Presentations and outreach is done to help families with the transition. Specific student activities include Maxfield scholars going to visit and tour Hidden River, Maxfield’s pathway school and a transition to Middle School unit is taught by the school counselor with various topics related to Middle School. 5th grade scholars participate in a mock middle school day.
Family Partnerships
Our school-parent compact establishes the shared responsibility for student success between the school, families, and students. Families and teachers work together to develop the compact.
● Copies of the compact are available: on the website, on the family bulletin board, and in the main office.
● The compact will be updated annually in the spring.
There are many opportunities for families to build connections to the school and to each other.
● Title I Annual Meetings where we will share information about school programs
● Regular parent meetings, family nights, etc.
● National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) will be on February (date)
● Parent teacher conferences
● Home Visits - Parent Teacher Home Visits, if school has teachers who are participating
We work to make these meetings and events available for every family in the school.
● Interpreters are available for parent teacher conferences and special education meetings.
● We will refine our outreach efforts for those families for whom English is not the primary language.
● Multiple family nights occur throughout the year. Transportation, interpreters and child care are available upon request.
Our school supports families as advocates and provides opportunities for parent leadership
● The belief in parents as advocates and leaders is central to the work at Maxfield and the work of the Promise Neighborhood. Several opportunities are available for parents to engage with staff to support their child and our school community, and also to engage with Promise Neighborhood staff to serve as community leaders.
● There are several ways for parents/guardians to handle concerns about things at the school. School administration and support staff (school counselor and social worker) all work with families and teachers to address concerns. In addition, parents are referred to the district’s Ombudsperson if they are unable to resolve concerns at the school level.
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Teaching and Learning
Our school shares information about state standards, assessment and student achievement with families in multiple ways
● Report cards and progress reports will be distributed at parent-teacher conferences
● Parent-Teacher conferences are held in November and March. Watch the weekly newsletters for exact dates.
● APTT - Academic Parent Teacher Teams (APTT), if school has teachers who are participating
● Maxfield provides multiple supports for developing readers in grades kindergarten through grade 3. Partnerships with MN Reading Corps and others, provide tutoring support to scholars. Also, additional licensed staff and paraprofessional staff work with classroom teachers to develop student’s literacy skills.
● Support for developing literacy skills at home: Families who read to and with their children help instill in them a love of reading. scholars in grades 1 through 5 are expected to read a specific amount of time at home each day; the exact amount of time is dependent on the grade level and the student's learning needs. The minimum expectation for daily reading is 30 minutes. scholars who are learning to read are expected to practice letter sounds, memorizing sight words, and listening to others read. Kindergarten teachers provide materials for parents to work on at home with their children. As we move through the school year, the materials are differentiated to meet the needs of the child.
● Maxfield holds multiple Family Nights throughout the school year. These are designed to provide parents/guardians with information and to have them experience activities with their children that they can then do at home.
● In addition, during the Open House in August teachers provide parents/guardians with information about grade level learning expectations, typical classroom activities, an outline of the year, and homework expectations.
Our school will engage in personalized learning as a key strategy to accelerate student achievement. Parents can get more information using many tools.
● Parent log-in information can be accessed at spps.org/onestop or by asking the school clerk
● iPads - provide any information that parents need to know about iPads at your school
● Schoology and/or Seesaw – provide information about the use of these learning management systems at your school
Many before- and after-school enrichment and support opportunities are available for students
● The YMCA School Success program is a 4-day per week program that works with the district’s Extended Day Learning program. The program typically runs for 1 hour 45 minutes. The program includes enrichment and academic support in reading, writing, and math. This year due to the shortage of bus drivers, EDL will be primarily parent pick up and walkers
Community Partnerships
Our school develops community partnerships to provide additional support for students and their families
● University of St. Thomas
● Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood
● Saint Paul Eastside YMCA
● Assistance League of Minneapolis and Saint Paul
● Children’s Dental Services
● Wilder Foundation
● MN Reading Corp
● Cultural Wellness Center
This plan is available as part of our school’s SCIP, or School Comprehensive Improvement Plan at spps.org/scip, is on our school website at https://school.spps.org/about/title-i, and printed copies are available in the office.