Principal’s Report: Principal Survey Results Prepared by Grace Muro-Aje (Co-president) Reviewed by Anne Wilson (Co-president), Jonathan Shearer (School Principal) and PTA Board September 2018

The purpose of the survey To find areas of improvement Engage parents Encourage open communication Build strong relationship between school, PTA and parents/community

Participation Total participation = 99 people 96% (95 people) participated in principal coffee time/day and general feedback about PDS 4% did not respond in these areas 98% (97 people) participated in meeting format. Only 2% did not write anything

Survey focused on General feedback about Puesta Del Sol What is going well and worth celebrating at Puesta del sol? What can we improve on in support of student success and family needs? What are your hopes for your student/s this year at Puesta del sol? Principal Coffee Feedback Day Time Meeting format

Principal coffee results Day and time 95 people participated out of 99 who returned the survey Choice #1: Friday at 9:00AM 64 out of 95 selected Friday 27 out of 64 picked Friday as choice #1 60 out of 95 people selected 9:00am 37 out of 60 people choose 9:00am as choice #1 Choice #2: Thursday at 2:45PM 57 out of 95 selected Thursday 24 out of 57 picked Thursday as choice #2 46 out of 95 people selected 2:45pm 17 out of 46 people choose 2:45pm as choice #2

Principal coffee results Meeting format Summary: 78% (70 people) interested to hear BOTH topics 49% (23 people) interested to hear option#1

Q#1. what is going well and worth celebrating at Puesta del sol? Field trips are well organized and educational Learning a lot of Spanish Awesome staff, teachers are dedicated and enthusiastic Performance level Amity Program Walkathon, Emphasis on kindness and culture Prompt response via email Teachers and staff are accommodating, friendly Assembly with achievement awards Hard working, supportive school and parents community lots of Enriching experiences PTA website is very detailed and easy to use Events: science fair, multicultural potluck, Kinder camp and kinder conferences, International festival, Ice cream social Evening community building events - Pumpkin bash Peer Engagement (Older grades helping younger grades) Love after school offerings Questions are always answered right away in a detail way with care via email PDS is welcoming, diverse community Passport is great way of introducing global awareness Morning routine seem to run pretty smoothly Sharing information in red folders, facebook and email PTA engagement Art program and academic challenge Special education availability Class sizes are great Newsletters Quality of Teachers Lots of Volunteers

Q#2. What can we improve on in support of student success and family needs? Academic opportunities After school camps (lego, Engineering, Chess) Common list of resources ie math games, book lists by grade level Help students enjoy reading more Introduce Young Authors Day Offer more computers More field trips More programs targeted per grade (regarding club for 5th grade) More support for differentiation in the classrooms One Amity intern per class for grade 3-5 Varieties of PTA after school Spanish learning opportunities (besides dance options) Offer more challenging work for kids More recess clubs Academic support More support for students with learning challenges Extra support for students below grade level (reading & math) Offer more challenging work for kids Try to meet needs of academically advanced kids and kids who needs help Open communication from teachers Academic resources availability Need lots of recommended Spanish books More Spanish resources for home Spanish video/audio/books for student

Q#2. What can we improve on in support of student success and family needs? Parents Support More than one fall conference (student academic performance) Help to parents to keep kids continue learning at home/ with easier resources Keep parents informed of the social emotional strategies so parents can learn from that Support for families with struggling students More often offer math Olympics, parents science presentations etc Social event opportunities – Family needs Provide different social meetings for parents/kids to connect (playdates at the park etc Before school starts to have meet and greet day between parents and teachers New social event before 1st day of school - drop off school supplies (working parents) Teacher support More support on teachers (volunteer) Teachers are properly trained Teachers have resources they need to make bi lingual & public education accessible to all To sustain Less teacher turnover Kids involvement Great to have the "Walkathon" as a fundraiser. Kids enjoy earning money for their school More visibility into classrooms

Q#2. What can we improve on in support of student success and family needs? School support – Student needs Consistency of teachers within grade levels Gender balance- where are the girls? Teachers/student ratio Parking issue Less Incidents at recess (last year there were severe) Have recess by similar age group (K-1, 2-3, 4-5) Improve Health school lunch (lunch options are terrible as when I was a kid) More supervision at recess Remove bullies Program improvement & Communication Club Phoenix - very disorganized (don’t know where kids are etc) More recess clubs Limited after school activities - Offer tutorial & sports More hours of STEM and Coding Clubs we have are based on performing- does not help students who are less performing Passport club in all classes in all grades Keep PTA communication and leadership positive (example this year) Offer online survey to all parents or PTA members More visibility on where PTA $ are going (High- level & shared on website)

Q#2. What can we improve on in support of student success and family needs? Promote Inclusive Help students with behavioral issues than isolating them More support in social emotional awareness and resources to parents Offer more inclusive events apart from "International festival“ Explain things better for new parents in curriculum night More opportunity for working parents Schedule meetings after 6PM (working parents) Regular updates on new school Bring more parents who are NOT regular attendees to school events

Q#3. What are your hopes for your students this year at Puesta del sol? Academic Supports Opportunity of math differentiation (without putting burden on teachers) More Enrichment programs in Math etc 3rd grader challenged in math, and improve writing Supports to science skill set, Computer science/STEM Great Field trips Explore interests Academic Improvement Progress academically, socially and behaviorally Learn, grow and become more fluent in Spanish To read more often and practice speaking in Spanish more Improvement in writing skills and math Improve from below average standard New challenges with appropriate support such as math Continue to learn in a supportive, positive environment that celebrates and embraces different learning styles

Q#3. What are your hopes for your students this year at Puesta del sol? Kids development Become an innovative learner and thinker More engaged in class Strengthen their leadership Gain new experiences and exposure Gain confidence socially and academically To contribute to the school and community Participate in activities outside of school hours Not afraid of asking questions Participate in class and extra curriculum events Stay health - Learn about health lifestyle Kids experience Graduate with an enjoyment of school Kindergartner continue to enjoy school Meet new friends and good memories Succeed at learning through fun interactions and motivation Positive year experience Feel proud to learn a new culture and language Improve their enthusiasm for school Feel like they are a part of a team More physical learning through PE Safe environment to learn Playdates outside school

What can we do to help our kids? Partnership -Academic support (Math/Reading) -Safety (Recess) -Health and variety of Lunch menu -Teacher support/training - New school building update Kids School Teachers Community PTA Support After school program Opportunity in Math Positive communication/Survey Social events opportunities Budget update Accommodate -Students with learning challenges - Plan for advanced kids - Offer more challenging work - Regular open communication to parents - Parent conference (2) a year Participation Volunteering Become a PTA member Participate in surveys Follow ups