Now that October is upon us and the end of the first grading period nears, I want to emphasize how important school-family communication is to the process of educating our students. In my mind, communication is what strong relationships are built upon - and these strong relationships are integral to ensure parental and community involvement that builds support for the great work being accomplished in our schools.
Last year we conducted extensive surveying of parents, staff and community members to discover how, what, and when our stakeholders want information about their schools. This feedback informed a district-wide communications and engagement strategy to ensure year-round communication that is both meaningful and relevant to those we serve.
This year we took the process a step further by working directly with the Lorain City Schools Parent Advisory Council to monitor how well we’re doing. One of the most important things we’ve learned? Even though we’ve bolstered our communications methods, we need to raise awareness about the many ways information is made available to keep you connected to our schools. Want to join the Parent Advisory Council and be part of the improvements being made district-wide? Contact us at this link.
In response to this feedback, I’d like to provide an outline of the various ways to stay current on our progress. Flyers will be going home with students this week as well with a summary of this information. Parents - please check your child’s backpack this week for additional information - and remember that if you’ve had a change in address, phone number or eMail address, please share that information with your child’s school. In addition, please know that Spanish translations are made available whenever possible through our valued partnership with El Centro.
Website: The www.lorainschools.org website was revamped in March as the hub for all information in our school district. Be sure to register on the site for customized notifications about the content you care about most.
Mobile App: Download our free Mobile App from the Apple Store and Google Play Store by searching for "Lorain City Schools.” The newsfeed will keep you updated with the latest news headlines, announcements, and upcoming events. In addition, benefit from quick links to resources you use most, including the online gradebook, lunch menus, athletic schedules, and more.
Social Media: Be a part of the conversation by connecting to your schools through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to see a list of all of our district and school accounts.
Telephone Notifications: High priority messages are delivered to families and staff with updates regarding student attendance, emergency notifications, snow days, and other important information about our schools. Have a change in phone number? Be sure to notify your child’s school right away.
Text Notifications: Parents who provide cell phone numbers to their school will receive texts with important notices throughout the school year. Reply “STOP” to opt out at any time.
email: Families can receive email notifications through this weekly enewsletter, by registering for customized ealerts through the district website, and by providing a current email address to their child’s school.
Newsletter: A print newsletter is delivered to registered voters and families twice a year to communicate our progress with those we serve. A Spanish version is available.
Community Engagement: The Lorain City Schools believe in 2-way communication, and works throughout the year to gather input on decisions that guide our work. Surveys, focus groups, and advisory committees play an important role in our planning process.
Superintendent Luncheons: We meet with staff throughout the year to learn about and address employee concerns and challenges.
Special Events: Celebrating student success is vital to building pride and unity in our district. Band performances, concerts, plays, athletics, literacy nights, open dialogue sessions with the superintendent and many additional opportunities exist throughout the year to welcome our community into our schools.
LCSD Community/Business/Schools Partnership: This organization links the resources within our community to the needs within our schools to ensure opportunities for student success. Individuals, organizations, and businesses canclick here to join.
TV20: The LCSD television station brings our schools right to your living room with high quality HD coverage of athletic events, concerts, board meetings, special events, and more.
Media Relations: Our district works daily with local media to ensure our community and region is informed about the great people, programs, successes and challenges in the Lorain City Schools. Stay tuned to our progress through the Lorain Morning-Journal, Elyria Chronicle Telegram, WEOL, WOBL, and Cleveland area television stations.
We will continue to gather feedback to learn how we’re doing, and to adjust as needed. In the meantime, I want to thank all who take such extraordinary efforts to provide meaningful communication and engagement within our schools. In this way, I believe we can truly make a difference in the education of our students.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jeff Graham
