Certain content has been removed from this website to align with President Trump’s Executive Orders and DoD priorities in accordance with DoD Instruction 5400.17, “Official Use of Social Media for Public Affairs Purposes."
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A Fort Bragg Military Criminal Record Check must be completed by the Fort Bragg 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 Bragg Police Records and Services website. Provide a copy of the background check to the school-level volunteer coordinator.Â
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes, all school board members receive training so that they may better understand the rules which govern the operation of the school board.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.
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
