Northeast Elementary believes strong relationships between families and schools are essential to student success. Last January, the Northeast Family Engagement Group came together for a book study of Engage Every Family. What began as a shared learning experience grew into a collaborative working group focused on strengthening family engagement and creating an even more welcoming school community.
Through thoughtful conversations and reflection, the group identified several opportunities to strengthen connections with families. These included creating welcoming signage, bringing Northeast into surrounding neighborhoods, and reimagining Curriculum Night to make it a more interactive, student-centered experience.
These exciting ideas are now coming to life! A new welcome sign now greets families at Northeast, and the school has expanded outreach into the community by hosting two opportunities for families to connect with school staff outside the building. Families enjoyed pizza, free books, math games, bookmarks, and, most importantly, time together building relationships.
One of the most exciting changes was the reimagined Curriculum Night! Rather than simply hearing about what happens in the classroom, families were invited to experience learning alongside their children. Each student received a Curriculum Night Passport, guiding them on a learning adventure throughout their classroom. Students took the lead, proudly sharing their learning, demonstrating skills, and giving their families a firsthand look at what they experience throughout the school day.
These efforts are helping Northeast create a school community where families feel welcomed, connected, and actively involved in their children’s learning. By creating more opportunities for meaningful connections between home and school, the Family Engagement Group is helping build the strong partnerships that support student success.
