Handbook

“It’s our time to SHINE!” 

Greetings Parents/Guardians and Students: 

Welcome back to school! I am excited to welcome you to a new school year at Dixie Elementary! It is my prayer that everyone had a blessed and fun-filled summer. This year the Russell County School District’s theme is “Time to Shine” At Dixie, our dream is to educate with  Excellence and winning is what is expected each and every day, with each and every lesson, with each and every assignment, with each and every project, etc. We need you to help us achieve our dream. It takes a village or team to raise a child therefore, we need your help getting your child here and on time each day, to come to school prepared and ready to learn each day, be  actively engaged each day, completing class assignments and homework assignments each day, and to be on his/her best behavior each day. We can’t achieve our dream if we don’t have your support. We need you to take an active part in your child’s education by checking his/her folder each night, completing his/her reading log and or timed reading each night, ensuring projects  are completed and submitted on time, volunteering at the school, providing suggestions, joining DEPTO, and encouraging your child. We all want our children to be successful and ready to Achieve, as we prepare for the 2024-2025 school year!!  

I would like to welcome our new students, our Kindergarteners, our Pre-Kindergarteners and  their families to the Dixie Team. I would also like to welcome our new faculty and staff members. Ms. Reagan Smith is moving to Pre-K, Mrs. Hart will join us as the Pre-Kindergarten Auxiliary Teacher, Mr. Tristan Wehrlin is joining us in 2nd grade, Mrs. Orr will be joining us in 3rd grade, Mrs. Self will be joining us in 5th grade, and Mrs. Donaldson is moving from 4th grade teacher to be our new Math Instructional Coach. Please welcome our new faculty members to the Dixie Team. 

I encourage you to visit our website, join our Facebook page and your child’s Class Dojo page to stay up-to-date with school events and all of the wonderful activities going on here at Dixie. If you ever have any questions or concerns please call the school at 1-334-468-5323 or email me at laned@russellcsd.net.  

I hope you will take the time to read through this handbook with your child. It contains important information that will be beneficial for you throughout the school year.  

Children First, 

Derrick Lane

Principal

Please see the front office to have printed forms to sign

What is Title I? 

A School wide Title 1 Program 

It’s a federal program to help students in our nation’s schools. Title is about giving all children a chance. Some children may not have all the advantages other students have. That’s where Title I comes in. Its goal is to help all children get a good education. Schools with 40% or more of children from low-income  families qualify for school wide Title I programs. A good school wide program can lead to a better school. The program is designed to help all students reach the standards, challenge students to be the best they can be, and prepare students for the complex world of today and tomorrow. 

The benefits of a Title I Program include: 

Improved Programs 

School wide Title I Programs allow schools to offer more: 

• Services to help students in the classroom, such as counseling or tutors 
• Teachers and other school staff 
• Resources, such as computers and workbooks 
• Variety in learning – problem solving, group activities, and skills workshops

Parent Involvement 

School wide programs count on parent support. All parents are invited to help plan and take part in their  school’s program. Parents may also benefit from some of the special services and programs the school  may provide. 

A Sense of Excitement 

Improved school programs can boost school spirit. Students become more excited about learning and  that helps teachers and other school staff with their jobs. 

Equal Treatment 

It is not necessary to pull students from class to receive Title I services, although students may be pulled  on an as needed basis. They are less likely to feel singled out because the whole school is receiving the  services.

More Ways to Use Resources 

A school wide program has more freedom in how it can use resources. For example, Title I money may  be combined with other sources of money to help pay for new programs. 

Attention to Thinking Skills 

In addition to working on basic skills, school wide programs help students: 

• Find ways to use those skills in real-life situations 
• Learn through hands-on projects and experiments 

The Title I Program needs you to help: 

• Determine program goals 
• Plan and carry out programs 
• Evaluate programs 
• Work with your child at home and even in school, as a volunteer 

The annual Title I meeting is the place to start and you’re invited! It’s the perfect time to: 

• Learn more about Title I 
• Learn more about your rights and responsibilities as a Title I parent 
• Learn more about parenting skills workshops 
• Meet other parents and teachers

Parent and Family Engagement Plan 2024/2025
SEC.1118 of Every Child Succeeds Act: Distribute the PIP section of the ACIP (VI) to all parents.  
Describe how the school will convene an annual meeting to inform parents of the schools participation in Title-I requirements, including the 1% set-aside and the rights of parents involved.  During the beginning weeks of school, an annual Title-I information meeting will be held in person or  virtually. The ACIP, Parent Compact, 1% set-aside and “What is Title-I?” will be presented and  conversations are held at this time. Parents are encouraged to support their children and to be involved  in school activities and committees. Parents should be able to know and understand more about Title I  and how to be involved in the various aspects of the school by the conclusion of the meeting. Parents  should have an understanding of the 1% set-aside. 
Describe 1) How there will be a flexible number and format of parent meetings offered,  such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide, with funds provided under  this part, transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parental  involvement; 2) How parents will be involved in the planning, review and improvement of  the Title I Program (Note: State the school’s process for how all Title I parents have the  opportunity for involvement in decision-making.); 3) How funds are allocated for parent  involvement are being used in the school. (Sec. 1116(c)(2)(3))  
1) Meetings* can be held as early as 8:00am and as late as 6:30pm with consideration of a parent’s home  and work schedule. Dixie Elementary Parent, Teacher Organization (DEPTO) meetings*, in addition to  parent informational meetings/workshops*, and meetings* that are offered through our Federal Programs  office are offered throughout the school year. Some meetings* take place during the morning hours and  other meetings may take place during the evening hours or during lunch to help accommodate our  parents. 2) The school administration maintains an open door policy for parents. Parents are welcome to  share ideas with her or place ideas in the suggestion box. Parents are encouraged to participate in the  improvement process and serve on such committees as the Title I Parent Advisory Committee, the Dixie  Elementary School Leadership Committee or other school committees 3) One percent of our Title I funds  are set aside for parent involvement. These funds will be used to purchase Dixie Elementary School  student and parent handbooks, in addition to other parent resources. 
Describe how the school provides parents of participating children timely information in a  uniform format and, to the extent practicable in a language they can understand, about programs  under Title I, a description and explanation of the curriculum in use, forms of academic  assessments, and achievement expectations used, and , if requested by parents, opportunities 
for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and participate as appropriate in decisions related  to the education of their children. (Sec.1116(c)(4)(A)(B)(C)) 
The school has access to a phone translator if needed, as all parents and community  representatives are encouraged to be part of school committees. They are allowed to serve on  policy and ACIP committees, school improvement committees, and reflection and projection  teams. At this time planning, evaluating, and budgeting issues are often discussed. Since  research shows that parent involvement is important to the success of children, parents are  invited to attend and participate in Title I meetings and other meetings/committees* such as the  Dixie Elementary Title I Parent Advisory Committee, Dixie Elementary Parent Teacher  Organization (DEPTO), visit and/or volunteer in classrooms, and assist with document approval, 
such as compacts. We also encourage direct communication from our teachers and staff to our  parents using items such as: parent handbooks, agendas, flyers, and academic reports.  Technological resources are used to communicate with all stakeholders, as well. The use of  social media and /or virtually may be used to broadcast school meetings and events.
 
Describe how parents, the school staff, and students share responsibility for improved student  academic achievement for participating students (How the School-Parent Compact is jointly  developed with Title I parents; how it is used, reviewed, and updated). (Sec.1116(d))  Teachers and parents review (reflect-modify-plan-project) the ACIP annually which includes the compact.  Input comes from students through the classroom teacher and student performance regarding  achievement. Suggestions are always welcomed. All parents receive and are asked to sign the copy of  the compact included in their handbook. Teachers also review the compact with the students the first few  days of class. All grades will house compacts in their classrooms. During conversations or meetings*  parents and students are reminded about the compact and his/her responsibilities.  
Describe procedures to allow parents to submit comments of dissatisfaction with the Continuous  Improvement Plan, (Sec.1116(c)(5)) 
Questions and comments, both positive and negative are fielded during Title I Advisory meetings*, Dixie  Elementary Leadership Committee meetings*, Dixie Elementary Parent, Teacher Organization  meetings*, etc. Stakeholders may also bring suggestions, comments, or fresh ideas to the office to  discuss with our staff. Parents are also welcome to contact the Federal Programs office located in the  Central Office Annex. Anonymous suggestion boxes are also available for their use during the school  year, as well as during and after meetings*. Copies of the ACIP and the Student Parent Compact are  located in the library, the main office, and the federal programs office, as well as on the district/school  website. 
Describe how the school will build capacity for parental involvement including how parents will  be encouraged to become equal partners in the education of their children? (See ESSA Sec. 1116,  requirements for building capacity and parental and family engagement).  To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school,  parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, our school: 
Shall educate teachers, office personnel, and other school staff, with the assistance of parents,  in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with,  and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build  ties between parents and the school. (Describe) 
A minimum of two teacher-parent conferences are required and conducted per year to include parents in  the educational process. Information such as vocabulary words, reading assignments, curricular  standards, and Title-I information, etc. is shared and discussed. Parents are encouraged to participate in  many school events. Parents are briefed as to how our events correlate with learning a particular objective  or lesson. Teachers communicate with parents in various ways such as phone calls, DOJO, etc. Teachers  are open to parent volunteers in the classroom. There are also parent meetings/workshops and activities  that are offered during the school year. Parents can be involved in DEPTO meetings throughout the year.  In addition, other events* such as parent or grand-parent day, Christmas in Dixie, Thanksgiving lunch,  field day, award and promotion ceremonies, etc. are held with parent spectators and parent volunteers.
Describe how the school will build capacity for parental involvement including how parents will  be encouraged to become equal partners in the education of their children? (See ESSA Sec. 1116,  requirements for building capacity and parental and family engagement).  To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school,  parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, our school: 
Shall to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement  programs and activities with other federal programs, and conduct other activities, such  as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully  Our Federal Programs District Office and Parent Involvement Specialist provide district-wide  workshops for all parents. There is also a Parent Advisory Council at the district level. Our school  has resources available for parents to use. They may utilize the computer to conduct job  searches, complete resumes, register for school, etc. They also have access to information  brochures, books and handouts in the school. Community agencies and organizations set up  tables to provide information to our families about resources they have available on an annual  basis. Our counselor also maintains a list of local resources that may benefit our families at Dixie. 
Describe how the school will build capacity for parental involvement including how parents will  be encouraged to become equal partners in the education of their children? (See ESSA Sec. 1116,  requirements for building capacity and parental and family engagement).  To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school,  parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, our school: 
Shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other  activities is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and, to the extent  practicable, in a language the parents can understand. (Describe) 
Parents are invited to attend events using several communication tools. These communication devices  include: mass messaging, notes sent home, flyers or memos from the office, postings on social media,  school announcements, DOJO, and phone calls. A translator can be available if needed. Notices can be  translated into their native language. We do not want language to be a barrier to parent participation. 
Describe how the school will build capacity for parental involvement including how parents will  be encouraged to become equal partners in the education of their children? (See ESSA Sec. 1116,  requirements for building capacity and parental and family engagement).  To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school,  parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, our school: 
Shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as  parents may request. (Describe) 
Dixie Elementary strives to serve parents and communicate with them in any way possible. All  requests, ideas, or concerns are considered in the light of enhancing each student to be as  successful as possible. 
Describe how the school will ensure the provision for participation of parents and family  members (including parents and family members who have limited English proficiency,  parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of  migratory children), including providing information and school reports required under 
section 1111 in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language such parents  understand. (See ESSA Sec. 1117(f)) 
Each child’s needs are addressed individually and within the confines of their individual  learning plans. Any individual assessments or special testing results will be discussed with the  parents and the appropriate classroom teachers. Follow-up conferences with parents of all  students can be held considering specific subject matter questions. All stakeholders are to be  involved in the success of children and parents. Translators can be made available if language  is a barrier. Academic improvement of every child at Dixie Elementary is our goal. 
Parents Right to know: Parents have the right to know about the professional qualifications of  their child’s teacher as defined by the SDE. Parents may request this information from the  main office. In addition, parents should know if their child has been taught for four or more  weeks by a teacher who is not highly qualified. Parent Right to Know Letter is included. 
*Meetings and/or events will take place in person and/or virtually if possible.
 

Parental Involvement 
Dixie Elementary Parent Teacher Organization 
The Dixie Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (DEPTO) will be sending home nomination forms for  those interested in serving in a leadership capacity. The positions up for election will be: President, Vice  President, Secretary, Membership Chair and Fundraising Chair. Please consider helping the school by  becoming a part of DEPTO. The first DEPTO will be in August, please make plans to attend! 
The Dixie Parent Teacher Organization is an organization that consists of parents,  teachers, and school staff. The organization's goals include volunteerism of parents, encouragement of  teachers and students, community involvement, and welfare of students and families. A membership  form is in the back of this handbook.

Dixie Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (Membership form in the back of the handbook) 

Questions You May Have About DEPTO 

What does it mean to be a member? 

That depends on you. You can be a member in name only or you can become an active member. We  invite you to become an active participant in your child’s education by being an active participant in  DEPTO. Parents, grandparents, neighbors, and siblings, we need your help! Being an active participant,  being involved, is not synonymous with being “sucked in”. The level of involvement is up to you!  

Is there another level of membership? 

The next level of membership is to be a voting member. Discussion, ideas and suggestions are always  welcome from all members, but our bylaws allow that only members who have made a $5 parent group  contribution, prior to the December meeting of the current school year, are allowed to vote during  meetings or hold office on the board. This contribution could help provide ink, copy paper, student  incentives, or supplement a teacher’s classroom supply order. It could also equate to the purchase of 50  glue sticks or 120 pencils. This parent group contribution is kept local and in our school.  

Why should I be a participating member? 

Participation through volunteering allows you to be “hands on” with your child’s education. All research  indicates that when families are involved, a child is more apt to get higher grades, be more likely to  graduate, and go on to college. Our children love to see us in this environment where they spend seven  hours a day. You get to know your child’s teachers and friends.  

Participation through attendance at DEPTO meetings gives you a voice. You help decide what we do as  a group. If you are new to Dixie, the established families are available to answer questions and ease your  transition into becoming a school family. If you are new to our community, we’re always happy to help  wherever possible. An added bonus is that you have the opportunity to meet wonderful people who can  become great friends.  

What are the benefits of membership? 

The benefits of membership are very rewarding. You have the knowledge that, with your participation  and involvement, the educational and social experiences of all students at Dixie have been greatly  enhanced. That is in addition to the benefits listed above.
 

Isn’t the PTO only about fundraising? 

DEPTO is more than just fundraising. Fundraising is really just a necessary evil as school budgets are  requiring more and more cuts. It is our hope that we are able to provide the supplies, equipment, and  activities that our school budgets can no longer cover. We are only able to do that through Dixie families  that are willing to participate in our fundraisers.  

We are about parents, educators, and community members working together toward a common goal.  That goal, simply stated, is creating a better school and educational experience for our children. We  strive to create an atmosphere where teachers, administrators, and support staff can do their best work  and so can our children. There's so much more that can be done and we need your help.  

DEPTO will play the critical role of supporting our children’s education by providing enrichment activities,  cultural partnerships and special events during the school year.  

Our Membership Goals: 

⮚ 100% Participation by Dixie Families and Staff 

⮚ Raise Money to benefit the students of Dixie 

● Student Promotion – Student of the Month, Honor Roll, Team Competitions, etc. 

● School Grounds Improvement – Landscaping, Painting, Art Work 

● Teacher Appreciation 

● Technology – ink, paper, etc. 

Please help support the children at Dixie and join DEPTO today! 

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