Get Involved / Partnerships
Parent Involvement
Research demonstrates that parent involvement is essential for student success. Although you may not become involved in all committees and support organizations in the school, we encourage the following activities for your parental support:
- Join the school parent/teacher association (PTA) and participate in meetings and activities.
- Have lunch at school with your child regularly.
- Volunteer in your child's classroom.
- Establish a daily study time at home (even when there's no homework).
- Participate in the Continuous School Improvement (CSI) efforts at your child's school.
- Keep informed of school events and activities by reading school newsletters and your child's classroom newsletter.
- Communicate frequently with your child's teacher.
- Prepare for and participate in parent-teacher conferences.
- Ensure your child has a well-balanced breakfast and comes to school with completed homework, lunch money and school supplies.
Visitors and Volunteers
This applies to:
Modification date
This policy is under review
For the protection of students and staff, all visitors must report to the school’s front office immediately upon arriving at the school. A visitor is any person (to include parents, sponsors, and legal guardians) not enrolled or assigned to the school requesting entry to the building.
Visitors must provide authorized identification to gain access to the DoDEA school. The visitor will be issued a visitor badge that must be displayed above the waist while on DoDEA school property. The school administrator has the final determination on visitors authorized to be at the school. While on DoDEA school property, visitors may go only to the approved area indicated as their destination when signing in at the school’s front office. Any change to the designated location must be approved by the school’s front office before the visitor can access a different location within the school. When leaving the school, visitors must sign out and return the visitor's badge to the school’s front office.
Classroom Observations
Parents are welcome to visit the school and classrooms to observe the school’s programs for brief periods of time that do not interfere with instruction. Approval by the school administrator is required for this type of visitation.
Related regulations
Be a Volunteer!
There are many opportunities for eager parents and community members to get involved and become a DoDEA school volunteer. Volunteers can assist in a variety of ways such as classroom and library assistance, tutoring and mentoring, office administration, playground and lunchroom monitoring, event setup, fundraising, etc. For safety and security reasons, all volunteers are encouraged to leave under-age siblings at home during volunteering activities. Interested parties can refer to their local School Volunteer Coordinator for specific visitation and/or volunteer opportunities.
DoDEA School Boards
Being a DoDEA school board member is a serious responsibility but one that offers significant rewards - the primary reward being the opportunity to actively participate in the process of educating our children.
However, unlike the school boards in the Local Education Authority (LEA), DoDEA school boards act purely in an advisory capacity, providing input to the Superintendent and administrators in the areas of fiscal, personnel and educational policies, procedures and programs. The DoDEA school district superintendent makes final decisions on matters affecting the school district.
School Board Meetings
Board meetings are open to the public. For specific information on School Board agendas, please contact any member of your School Board. Please contact your local school or the District Superintendents Office to get contact information.
Fort Liberty Volunteer Info
A Fort Liberty Military Criminal Record Check must be completed by the Fort Liberty Provost Marshall's office located on the corner of Butner and Armistead Streets. (Butner Gate Entrance) Once filled out, the form needs to be sent to the email provided on the Fort Liberty Police Records and Services website. Provide a copy of the background check to the school-level volunteer coordinator.Â
- Hours of Operation (M, T, TH, F 8:30-4:30 and CLOSED on Wednesday's) 910-396-4931
- Completion of the AT LEVEL 1 Awareness Training. (This training must be completed if you are planning to participate in any school sponsored field trip). Provide a copy of the certificate to your school. Active Duty Personnel are exempt from this step.
Frequently Asked Questions about DoDEA School Boards
Do DoDEA Americas school board members ever participate in deciding matters affecting employees or students?
Employee relations and student conduct are almost always matters handled by the Superintendent, principals, and administrative staff. If, for some reason, school board participation is required, the Superintendent will explain the applicable rules.
Do DoDEA Americas school boards have the same authority as school boards for local education agencies?
No, generally the school board for a local education agency (LEA) makes the policy and rules for schools in that particular school district; the Superintendent and staff implement the school board's policy. DoDEA Americas school boards act in an advisory capacity, providing input to the Superintendent and administrators in the areas of fiscal, personnel and educational policies, procedures and programs. The DoDEA Americas school district superintendent makes final decisions on matters affecting the school district.
Why can't DoDEA school boards make the rules which govern a particular DoDEA school district?
The statute which authorizes DoDEA and the implementing DoD guidance define the roles of the DoDEA Americas school boards. Also, because DoDEA Americas school board members are not officers or employees of the United States as defined in the "appointments clause" of the Constitution, they may not exercise discretionary governmental authority such as: taking personnel actions, expending appropriated funds, or establishing governmental policies.
What happens if the school board disagrees with how the Superintendent wants to handle a particular issue?
The Superintendent and the school board should always attempt to find common ground on all issues. However, DoDEA Superintendents are ultimately responsible for operation of the school district. In rare instances, a Superintendent may find it necessary to take an action with which the school board might not agree. The Superintendent should then provide the school board with the rationale for that action. If necessary, either the Superintendent or the school board may ask for the assistance of the DoDEA Americas Director.
Is training available for new school board members?
Yes, all school board members receive training so that they may better understand the rules which govern the operation of the school board.
School Boards
This applies to:
Modification date
This policy is under review
DoDEA school administrators, in partnership with sponsors/family members, students, and military leaders, promote communication through the establishment of school boards to address issues (school initiatives, procedures and policies) locally. This is a system-wide way for parents to get involved in their child’s local school. Consult your child’s school to learn more about school boards.
Fort Liberty School Board
Research demonstrates that parent involvement is essential for student success. Although you may not become involved in all committees and support organizations in the school, we encourage the following activities for your parental support:
- Join the school parent/teacher organization (PTO or PTA) and participate in meetings and activities.
- Have lunch at school with your child regularly.
- Volunteer in your child's classroom.
- Establish a daily study time at home (even when there's no homework).
- Participate in the Continuous School Improvement (CSI) efforts at your child's school.
- Keep informed of school events and activities by reading school newsletters and your child's classroom newsletter.
- Communicate frequently with your child's teacher.
- Prepare for and participate in parent-teacher conferences.
- Ensure your child has a well-balanced breakfast and comes to school with completed homework, lunch money and school supplies.
Parent Teacher Organization / Parent Teacher Association
The PTO/PTA is a group of parents and teachers working for a better school environment by providing both financial and volunteer support for our school programs. The PTO/PTA are able to sponsor a variety of activities that may include book fairs, school pictures, monthly birthday celebrations for all children, the sale of school t-shirts or many other events. The PTO/PTA consists of the following positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. In addition, there are several committee coordinator positions such as volunteer, spirit week, membership and box tops. If you are interested in volunteering, serving on the executive board, or being a committee coordinator, please contact the PTO/PTA.
PTO/PTA Objectives
The PTO/PTA is a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-sectarian organization. It cooperates with the school to support the improvement of education in ways that will not interfere with the education of students or the mission of the school and does not seek to control school policies. Specific objectives include:
- Providing a medium for exchange of information among parents, teachers, and other interested groups.
- Encouraging and developing programs and activities, which serve to enhance the quality of student education.
- Identifying and promoting opportunities for students to secure the highest advantage in their academic, physical, and social growth.
- Encouraging and maintaining a working dialogue between members, the local educational school system, the local government, and the community at-large on matters affecting the general welfare and education of students.
Membership is open to all parents and legal guardians of students attending the school as well as school staff. Contact the school for membership information.
Partner-in-Education Program (PIE)
PIE is based on the concept that "human capital" is the most important resource a partner can provide. The greatest benefit to education is derived from the personal involvement of volunteers in schools.
PTA Shughart Middle School
Dear Shughart Middle School Staff, Students, and Families:
The Shughart Middle School PTA welcomes you to the start of an exciting school year. The purpose of the PTA is to support the faculty, staff, parents, and most importantly, the students at SMS. We are planning a productive and exciting year, aimed at enhancing the educational environment for the entire SMS student body.
In order to have a successful PTA, we need the support and involvement of families and school staff. An excellent way to show your support is to become a member of our PTA. The cost is $5.00, and will help support clubs, teacher requests, student activities, and much more. While we would love to have you volunteer and attend meetings, purchasing a membership does not commit you to do so.
By volunteering with the PTA, you are becoming a part of the positive change that improves education for all children. We understand, however, that the military lifestyle demands much from families, often making it difficult to extend involvement outside of the home. With that in mind, we have created a variety of volunteer opportunities. Time commitments vary from a few hours to a few months, and there are projects that can be completed at home as well as in the school.
Whatever level of participation you select, your involvement will be appreciated and beneficial for the entire SMS community. We especially appreciate your support through comments, questions, or concerns regarding the SMS PTA. Suggestions for future events and initiatives are welcome and encouraged. We can be easily reached through e-mail and our Facebook page. The SMS PTA believes that it is extremely important to do everything we can to enhance the learning environment of our children, as they truly are our future. It will take all of us working together to ensure that this happens, and we look forward to working with you throughout the 2018- 2019 school year.
Sincerely,
The Shughart Middle School PTA Board
