Family Engagement Plan
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2025-2026 Family Engagement Plan
School Introduction:
The Family Engagement Plan (FEP) is organized into four impact areas. We will work together this year to build positive and goal-oriented relationships in each area. Families and school staff developed this plan together.
Welcoming Environment
Our school has staff members available for families to discuss this plan and ask questions
● Family Liaison: Yasmin Muridi
● Full Service Community Grant Program Coordinator- Kimberly Sabo
● Principal: Dr. Fatima Lawson
● School Clerk: Ms. Jessica Rehr
● Content Coach: Stephanie Schwarz
● Intervention Specialist: Taylor Vang
● Somali-speaking staff: Ms. Khadra Ali, Mr. Ahmed Ali, and Ms.
Luul Osman, Ms. Yasmin Muridi, Ms. Jelle, Ms. Fartun.
● Hmong-speaking staff: Ms. Taylor Vang
● Karen-speaking staff: Ms. Wah Kpaw, Ms. Say
● Spanish Speaking Staff: Meredith Wardlaw Rodriguez, Lourdes “Patty” Durkin
● French Speaking staff: Michou Tchoffo, Yasmin Muridi, Fatima Lawson
● Other languages represented: Pashto, Dari (Farsi), Urdu, Oromo, Swahili, etc.
● Burmese-Speaking Staff: Mya Kemery
● Classroom Teachers
● Leadership Team Members
Our school communicates with families in many ways.
● The Principal’s newsletter will be shared bi-monthly with
Families and teachers send periodic newsletters, too
● Host monthly Title I school administration-parent discussions about school matters in the Common Ground Conversations events
●School-embedded Open Houses
● All student work and important papers go home with students Classroom Folders
● Teachers will provide feedback on homework
● Families will be invited to interact with the school's website at www.spps.org/highwoodhills for more information
● Schoolwide activities such as Polytechnic Night, Community Night
● The School will share pertinent information through ConnectEd when needed, and direct phone calls, texts will be utilized to keep families informed.
● Will continue to offer Academic Parent Teacher Teams (APTT) in 2025/2026
● Principal available for meetings or conferences without prior appointment, and as time allows. She shares the best way for families to be informed about what's happening at our school via a periodic newsletter that is full of important information for families, and our school’s website, spps.org/Highwoodhills also has pertinent and updated information, including our annual calendar
● When families call, email, or send a note, we do our best to respond within 24 hours.
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. Fatima Lawson, Principal at 651-744-3290
●The Family Engagement Committee will create activities in collaboration with the other standing committees.
● School is working towards changing practice and systems to
increase engagement in the following ways:
● Staff meets in PLCs and disaggregate data by race and ethnicity.
● Culturally relevant professional Development for staff focusing on the 4 R's- Relationship, Rigor, Realness, and Relevance
● Professional Development for staff focusing on engagement strategies, the Polytechnic model, and proactive behavior management
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:
● Open House
● Tour of school, presentation to Pre-k families
● Transition to 6th Grade school tours
● Collaboration with Secondary Special Education Case managers to ensure continuity of service for our 5th graders when they transition to middle school
● Principal and/or teachers greet new students and families when they register.
For students and families moving to the next school in their
pathway, we also support the transition by:
● Pre-K families visit Kindergarten classes and teachers.
● KG families visit classes and teachers.
● Teachers and the counselor will implement the middle school transition lessons for fifth graders and a tour of the middle school.
● Fifth graders visit the Middle school principal and staff from Battle Creek Middle to ask questions about transition.
● Our school has a healthy partnership with agencies and corporations largely due to our Polytechnic Programming and our full-service community School program, and a very community-oriented learning environment. Paramount among those partnerships are the Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) partnership with our school, the Head Start partnership, and collaboration with other daycare and preschool programs
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 at the following locations:
● Front Office
● Family/Title I Events
● Registration Packet
● SCIP website
● The compact will be updated: Fall 2025
There are many opportunities for families to build connections to the school and to each other.
● Title I Annual Meeting, where we will share information about school programs in August.
● Parent-Teacher Conferences
● Scheduled Parent Meetings
● Classroom Celebrations welcome families to drop in during the day to visit and observe.
● Family Events including Title I Polytechnic/Community Night events
● Parent Education opportunities with the community
●Partnership with the Saneh Foundation, Afton View, Shamrock, and Johnson Parkway apartments
● Work with District-Wide, Somali, Karen, Latino, and African-American Parent Advisory Committees
● National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) will be on February 09, 2026.
● Hmong New Year, or other annual cultural events
● Somali Cultural Night
● Karen New Year Celebration/Cultural Night
We work to make these meetings and events available for every family in the school.
● Translation for Spanish, Karen, Hmong, Farsi, Swahili, Oromo, and Somali speaking families as needed.
● Childcare, food, or transportation will be provided as needed.
● Interpreters for families of English Learners are provided in the following languages: Somali, Karen, Spanish, Farsi, being the major ones.
Our school supports families as advocates and provides opportunities for parent leadership
● Translation for Spanish, Karen, Hmong, Farsi, and Somali speaking families as needed.
● Childcare, food, or transportation will be provided as needed.
● Parent contacts the classroom teacher
● If needed, academic and behavior interventions are coordinated through the Student Assistance Team (SAT).
● If needed, hold parent meetings that may include school support staff such as special education teachers, ELL, staff, principal, and coaches.
● Parents will be recruited for the Common Ground Conversation program at Highwood Hills.
● Parents will help recruit and retain families by giving testimonials on why their children attend the school.
● Parents provide feedback on the SAT and SCIP processes.
● Interpreters for families of English Learners are provided in the following languages: Somali, Karen, Spanish, Farsi.
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 conferences and sent via snail mail.
● Parent-Teacher conferences are held in November and March of the school year.
● Academic Parent and Teacher Teams (APTT) provide the foundation of parents’ information and skills for becoming more involved in our school. APTT meetings or Seminars are held in collaboration with the Office of Family Engagement and Community Partnerships
Our school will engage in personalized learning as a key strategy to accelerate student achievement. Parents can get more information using many tools.
● Under the advisement of Personalized Learning, staff will learn strategies on how to accelerate learning through the use of iPads. Parent log-in information can be accessed at spps.org/onestop or by asking the school lead clerk
● iPads – Stay at school, but could be taken home if assignments need to be completed at home or in exigent weather-related situations. When they take them home, we ask that they are returned too school fully charged and ready to use by our students
● Schoology and/or Seesaw
Many before-- and after-school enrichment and support opportunities are available for students
● Extended Day Learning is available after school for students who seek enrichment and additional academic support.
● Title III Tutoring and Mentoring program will be offered to students who need it most through our Full Service Community School Grant. In addition, more tutoring opportunities will be available in collaboration with the Woodbury Lutheran Church Volunteers and St. Paul Park and Rec.
● Homework help is also available to students through our cadre of volunteers, including St. Paul Public Library resources.
Community Partnerships
Our school develops community partnerships to provide additional support for students and their families
● Work with the Saneh Foundation for cultural and recreational activities
● Woodbury Lutheran Church provides support for families and staff at Highwood Hills, such as food during conferences, care packages, and volunteer recruitment.
● Partnership with the St. Paul Police Department to conduct
Junior Police Cadets Academy program
● Partnership with St. Paul Park and Rec to hold after-school programs
● Partnership with Afton View Residential management to share space at Highwood for community meetings and help with recruitment efforts.
● Expanded mentoring with industry partners such as Mn. Academies of Science, Science Form, Scientists, Youth Farm, MN Zoo, etc., to support our polytechnic model
● Every Meal (formerly Sheridan Story) provides bags of food for students every week on Fridays
● Partnership with Saneh Cultural Service Organization
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.