Dear Portage Community Leaders,
As a community liaison for the Fegely Middle School Indiana Student Achievement Institute (InSAI) project, I am corresponding to ask for a few moments of your time. Fegely Middle School is participating in the InSAI project to make use of an evidence-based method for improving student/school performance. The project lasts several years, and a group of school administration, teachers, parents, students, and community members have identified seven “strategies”, or areas of improvement, that they will implement in the coming school years.
I am attaching a brief summary of the seven strategies, and ask that you peruse them so that you may take a moment and respond to them. The InSAI committee at Fegely Middle School would like to use the feedback you provide to hone the strategies and prepare for their use in fall school year planning.
I am happy to forward your comments to the school committee if you e-mail me your responses. The committee would like to receive these comments by Tuesday, May 11. This will insure that consideration of the comments becomes part of a finalization process.
While you are sharing your thoughts, the committee is also interested in whether you would consider becoming part of a volunteer pool. Teachers are always excited to involve community leaders in educational learning experiences, and you may have some time to give to this effort. There is no pre-determined amount of time that you must give – please tell us what works for you! Here are some examples of ways that you would be asked to participate: sitting on a panel with professionals in a similar field to discuss various career paths, visiting a classroom to help a teacher illustrate the importance of mastering school subjects, assisting in science projects, etc. The seven strategies that are being integrated to Fegely’s school curriculum may also present some ideas for volunteering. The possibilities are varied and time commitments can be minimal based on your availability.
If you are interested in volunteering, please send me your contact information along with any ideas or areas of interest that you have regarding interactions with middle school students. The information you give us will be compiled and given to school personnel, who will assist teachers in being matched with appropriate volunteers. Every effort will be made to utilize volunteers in a manner that does not drain the pool, but rather energizes those who choose to participate!
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration on behalf of the Fegely Middle School InSAI project.
Karen Joppek
Director of Community Outreach
Family and Youth Services Bureau
253 Lincolnway,
Valparaiso, IN 46383
219-464-9585
kjoppek@fysb.org