Dear Seaton Community,
I am honored by the opportunity to lead Seaton Elementary School (ES) in the role of principal this school year. Over my past three years at Seaton ES, I have encountered a community, which embodies the characteristics of a family. This year I intend to continue to foster the inclusive school environment at Seaton ES where parents are partners, students are active seekers of knowledge, and the staff are dedicated professionals.
As I transition into the role of Principal this school year, I want to continue gathering more information about the strengths, which make Seaton ES such an exceptional learning community. The following letter describes a draft of an Entry Plan intended to foster our collaborative environment between staff, families, and students. The purpose of the entry plan is to actively listen in order to elevate the voices of all stakeholders in our community.
Goals
- To create a more comprehensive understanding of how our staff, families, and students as critical stakeholders view Seaton ES’s progress.
- To establish shared priorities at Seaton ES that align with the insights from staff, families, and students.
- To develop a plan to accomplish the goals set out by the identified shared priorities.
After I have completed these sessions I will share this data with the community through two different outlets. For staff, I will share the findings during our October 4th staff meeting. With families, I will share my findings during our October PTO meeting.
Thank you for your commitment to this process, I look forward to collaborating with all of the stakeholders that make Seaton ES the distinctive and successful community it is.
Warmly,
Suzie Jacobs
Principal
Seaton Elementary School
Seaton Elementary School Entry Plan
Data Collection
- Staff: Individual listening sessions will occur on Wednesday, August 1st and Wednesday, August 8th; each interview will last 30 minutes. If you are interested in participating in an interview please reach out to Ms. Daisy at (202) 673-7215. Ms. Daisy will share the available time slots on those days. My intention during these interviews is to gather a comprehensive understanding of the school. I hope to hear from general education teachers, Special Education teachers, educational aides, resource teachers, specials teachers, office staff, and the operations team. Additionally, a paper and online survey will be made available to staff as a means to respond to the questions below.
- Families: Principal coffees will be held on the following dates Tuesday, September 4th and Tuesday, October 9th from 8:30-9:15. The principal coffees will provide an opportunity for parents to engage in dialogue about Seaton Elementary School’s strengths and areas of growth. Additionally, a paper and online survey will be made available to parents as a means to respond to the questions below.
- Students: During the first few weeks of school, I will have the opportunity to engage in “lunch bunch” with several students across grade-levels. This will be an opportunity for students to share all that they enjoy about Seaton ES and describe new experiences they would like to have.
Listening Session Questions
| For Families and Community Members | For Students | For Staff |
| How would you describe Seaton? What is Seaton ES’s core strength? | How would you describe Seaton to a friend who had never been there before? | How would you describe Seaton? What is Seaton ES’s core strength? |
| What does your child love about Seaton? What has been challenging? | What do you love about Seaton? | What makes work joyful for you and our students?
|
| What do you believe to be the biggest challenges facing Seaton? | If you could do 1 thing to make Seaton better for you and your classmates, what would it be? | What changes are necessary to provide the best education possible for our students?
|
| What kind of leadership are you looking for from me? What will be the cues that tell me I’m on or off track? | What are your hopes and dreams for this school year? | What kind of leadership are you looking for from me? What will be the cues that tell me I’m on or off track?
|
Entry Plan Timeline
| Action | Goal | Timeline |
| Listening Sessions with staff
– Translation will be available |
– Build relationships
– Develop a deeper understanding about Seaton from staff insight |
7/31 & 8/7
|
| Meet with PTO executive team | – Build relationships
– Align school and PTO priorities |
July or August |
| Engage in home visits | – Build relationships
– Learn about families’ hopes and dreams for their child |
August/September |
| Paper and an online survey will be made available to parents and staff. | – Develop a deeper understanding about Seaton from parent and staff insight | August/September |
| Send summer postcard/mailing | – Introduction to scholars | August |
| Host two Principal Coffees | – Build relationships with families | 9/4 & 10/9
|
| Attend summer play dates | – Meet new and returning students | 7/29
|
| Host Back to School Night events
– Early Childhood – Kindergarten- 5th |
– Build relationships with families
– Share classroom expectations for the school year |
Pre-K – 8/14
K-5 – 8/29
|
| Send weekly newsletters
– Staff newsletter – Family newsletter |
– Clear and frequent communication | Ongoing |
| Disseminate findings from listening sessions and coffees
– Staff Meeting – PTO Meeting |
– Build a culture of transparency | Staff – 10/4
Families – October PTO meeting |
PDF of the plan: Seaton Entry Plan -English
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