• Beginners’ Day: Beginners’ Day events are hosted in elementary schools in April and May to give students and parents an idea of what to expect when school starts in August. During Beginners’ Days, kindergarten teachers and staff members provide parents with the expectations for kindergarten and ways to set routines for children including reading tips each day, practicing clean-up routines at home with their toys, and setting a regular bedtime. Parents also learn about the requirements for kindergarten, such as immunizations and physicals required before kindergarten entry.

• Open House: The purpose of an Open House is for parents and students to get acquainted with their teacher(s), visit classrooms, and get an overview of what students will be learning during the school year.

• Curriculum Night: These events provide parents with the opportunity to meet their child's teacher(s), learn about the curriculum, and discuss teacher expectations for the classroom, homework and student participation. Curriculum Nights are usually offered throughout the year by grade level.

Share your talent, time, and treasure with CMS! Serve as a tutor, mentor, lunch buddy, or visit your child’s class to talk about your career or hobbies.  The Community and Family Engagement department works closely with the Volunteers Office and other departments within CMS to make sure all volunteer programs meet the CMS academic and enrichment standards set by the school district and to make sure all organizations follow the partnership process and the volunteer clearance verification process. The CMS District Volunteer Coordinator works with individual schools, principals and school volunteer coordinators to provide support and assistance in managing their volunteer program.

In order to encourage parents and community involvement while assuring the safety of students, CMS has a volunteer screening policy. All volunteers are required to register and complete a criminal background check. We have three levels of volunteer approvals: supervised, unsupervised without driving, and unsupervised with driving. Supervised volunteers may not participate in field trips or field days. Supervised volunteers may work with students under the supervision of a CMS staff member at all times. Volunteers approved as “unsupervised without driving” may apply to obtain driving privileges by emailing a copy of their driver’s license and proof of insurance to keshaun.stevens@cmspolice.org Parents can register to volunteer online at www.cmsvolunteers.com. Returning volunteers must activate their volunteer status yearly by accessing their registration page, making necessary updates and selecting “Submit”.

Each school is encouraged to provide quality volunteer experiences that will mutually benefit students and volunteers. Please contact your school and ask for the volunteer coordinator, or contact the CMS District Volunteer Coordinator at (980) 343-0474 for more information.

One of the most valuable opportunities for parent/family engagement is the School Improvement Team (SIT). The SIT serves in an advisory role by supporting the principal as the school’s instructional leader and advising the principal in the areas of planning, management, communication and evaluation.

Additionally, the SIT is also charged with setting the mission and goals at each school and monitoring student achievement. All teams meet once a month and these meetings are open to the public. The School Improvement Team is responsible for writing and overseeing the School Improvement Plan which provides strategies for creating school and student success. Members are selected by the school’s parent body and are appointed to serve on the teams.

Each school has a number of committees for parents to help guide and support the school’s educational process such as the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) and PTO (Parent Teacher Organization). These organizations also support students by helping with activities such as curriculum nights, book fairs, and fundraising events. For information, call your child’s school or contact the Mecklenburg PTA Council at www.meckpta.org.

PowerSchool is a web-based program that assists parents in tracking their child’s progress in school. Parents can see attendance, assignments, grades, and other data from any computer or mobile device with internet access for students in grades K-13.

Parents can create their own PowerSchool parent account and link their students to their account with the provided student’s Access ID and Access Password unique to each child. Student Access IDs and Access Passwords can be obtained only from your child’s school.

Don’t wait for a special occasion. Get to know your child’s teacher and principal. Come for lunch. Visit the classroom and media center. Quality learning requires meaningful two-way communication between parents and school staff. Please contact the school’s principal to arrange a visit.

Did you know that your home can be a classroom too? In addition to learning at school, there are many wonderful opportunities for learning at home and in the community.

• Offer your child different types of reading materials such as magazines, newspapers and books.
• Take time to read with your child every day.
• Talk to your child often as you work around the house, run errands and shop to build vocabulary and develop critical thinking skills.
• Also, be sure to set aside time each day for your child to do his/her homework and take the time to talk about what your child is learning in school.

Make sure the teacher, principal and school staff are aware of any special needs your child may have. Contact school staff by telephone, email or in person whenever you have a question or concern, and please be sure to keep the school informed of any changes at home.

Spend a few minutes each day enjoying each other’s company. Listen to your child. Let your child pick an activity to do with you like playing a game or taking a walk. Family time is important!