Notes+to+Parents


 * Park Forest Elementary** **Small School Gathering**

Tuesday, October 19, 2009

Dear PFE Family:

I am writing to let you know that your child participated in his/her first Small School Gathering today. I am your child’s Small School Gathering group leader. We will have a Small School Gathering session on one Tuesday afternoon per month in place of All School Gathering. Our Small School Gathering group is made up of 12-14 students. There are a few students from each grade (K-5) in our group. Unless your child is in fifth grade, he/she will be in my Small School Gathering group until he/she leaves PFE. Today we learned about each other and played some trust-building games intended to help develop a sense of community. Each time we meet, we will work together to practice citizenship skills, democratic principles, and team building. I hope to develop a long-lasting relationship with your child. Please let me know if you have any questions! I am looking forward to our next Small School Gathering meeting on Tuesday, November 17th.

Sincerely,

October 2009 Dear PFE Parent/Guardian, We are off to a great start at PFE! Students are actively engaged in learning throughout our whole day. Our school community is developing and continues to grow through the many practices that are embedded in our classrooms and our school. As you know, we were selected as one of ten schools in the country for all of our efforts in engaging students civically through service learning and were named a School of Success by the Education Commission of the States and the National Center for Learning and Citizenship. With that said, we are still looking for ways to continue to engage our students in meaningful activities. Dr. Stephanie Serriere and Dr. Dana Mitra, two Penn State Professors in the College of Education, have agreed to research our journey and have received the permission of the State College Area School Board. Attached you will find the informed consent forms from Penn State where we are asking your permission to have your children be a part of the research. Please consider giving this permission so that we may continue on the successful path that we are on. Should you have any specific questions about the research, please feel free to contact the researchers. Contact information (Dr. Serriere and Dr. Mitra) is found on the IRB form. If you have any other questions that I may be of assistance, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Donnan M. Stoicovy

October 2009 Dear PFE Parent/Guardian, We are off to a great start at PFE! Students are actively engaged in learning throughout our whole day. Our school community is developing and continues to grow through the many practices that are embedded in our classrooms and our school. As you know, we were selected as one of ten schools in the country for all of our efforts in engaging students civically through service learning and were named a School of Success by the Education Commission of the States and the National Center for Learning and Citizenship. With that said, we are still looking for ways to continue to engage our students in meaningful activities. Dr. Stephanie Serriere and Dr. Dana Mitra, two Penn State Professors in the College of Education, have agreed to research our journey and have received the permission of the State College Area School Board. Attached you will find the informed consent forms from Penn State where we are asking your permission to have your children be a part of the research. Please consider giving this permission so that we may continue on the successful path that we are on. Should you have any specific questions about the research, please feel free to contact the researchers. Contact information (Dr. Serriere and Dr. Mitra) is found on the IRB form. If you have any other questions that I may be of assistance, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Donnan M. Stoicovy