Welcome to Steele.

If you are returning family, we are glad to see you back. And if you are a new family, we hope you will find this school meets your expectations. As parents, we know how important it is to you to make sure your child is getting what he/she needs.

There are several features of this school that make it the tremendous community resource that it is:

• Dedicated teachers who help children develop a love of learning and being the best students they can be.

• Interns and paras who work with teachers so that they can meet the needs of all students

• A dedicated principal, Gene Boyer, who encourages Steele students to excel, supports teachers, and creates a place for parents to contribute.

• Unique resources such as the planetarium, a resource for all DPS schools, and the garden, with Chef Andy teaching students about healthy eating and growing

• Support staff that work to truly support all of the constituencies at Steele

• Involved and dedicated families, who are involved to ensure that their children have a positive educational experience by communicating with their teachers, raising funds for all classrooms to have a second educator, and participating in activities to develop a strong community.

As parents, we all want to ensure our children receive a great education.

Studies show that parent involvement has a direct impact on students success in school. That parent involvement can take many forms, and the Steele faculty and PTA work to support a variety of ways for parents to be involved

There are 6 commonly accepted arenas of parent involvement that can make a difference in students success rate. Joyce Epstein of John Hopkins University has developed a framework for defining six different types of parent involvement.

Parenting – establish a home environment to support your child as a student. Visit your child’s classroom to see what is interesting to your child and find ways to repeat that at home.

Communicating – Steele works to ensure that there is effective communication among the teacher, student and the family regarding the student’s progress and school programs. The Steele Stallion is our electronic newsletter that is sent out every Thursday with information regarding School news, PTA News and the School Collaborative Committee, family events, volunteer opportunities and more. Sign up http://steele.dpsk12.org/

Caretakers are encouraged to talk to teachers with questions. And if you aren’t sure who to talk to, contact Jenn Stephens, PTA chair for the welcome Committee., She will answer your questions or find out who you should contact.

Volunteering – volunteering in the classroom, in the office, or on PTA activities like the Carnival or the Steele Auction, is a great way to get to know other families. It also lets demonstrates to your child that you think their school is an important place. Please complete the Volunteer Form found in your registration packet so that we can match you up with opportunities to share your time and talents

Learning at Home – the PTA provides parent enrichment classes to help you help your students. This year we will offer two parent enrichment programs (to be determined) directly related to academics and two fee based classes: Love and Logic, and American Red Cross First Aid/CPR  class

Decision Making - The Collaborative School Committee (CSC) is an elected school-based advisory board at Steele Elementary School. Members of the CSC serve a 2-year term and include the principal, 4 teachers, 4 parents, 1 staff member, and a community representative.  We work together to provide for the short- and long-term direction of our school. Our primary focus is student achievement.  Our mission is to create an environment for our community in which the educational, social, and emotional needs of all Steele students are successfully served. 

Collaborating with Community – Steele enjoys the support of many local business that want to see our school thrive. You can also find many resources within our community to assist you with parenting, developing your child’s interests, and supporting your family. Please see ??? for more information.

We hope you will enjoy your association with Steele over the coming years.  If there is anything we can do to assist you, please any of us below.

Thank you from the 2010-2011 PTA Executive Committee:

Catherine Collier, President                   steelepresident@gmail.com

Michael Shea, First VP                          steelevp1@gmail.com

Traci Mink, Second VP                         steelevp2@gmail.com

Elisa Erickson, Treasurer                       steeletreasurer@gmail.com

Leigh Dale, Secretary                           steelesecretary@gmail.com