Promoting your school

Would you like to promote your school to your neighbors? Have you successfully encouraged your neighbors to visit and enroll their children at your neighborhood school? Please share your questions and ideas here.

The following is the result of a collaboration between DPS and the Inter Neighborhood Council:

Supporting your local school can have beneficial effects for neighborhood and for Durham in general: Shared resources; constructive opportunities for youth in the afterschool hours, on weekends and during vacation; engaging youth in service and learning opportunities; supporting youth and families; and advocating for schools, these are just a few examples of why neighborhoods should assume a supportive role. Use these tips and ideas as a launching point for your Neighborhood Board; perhaps consider creating a committee focused on supporting schools.

Communicate:
• Use your website calendar to list school related events open to the public such as: performances, PTA General membership meetings, sports events and special activities like Carnivals, campus clean up days etc.
• Offer space in your newsletter to the schools to: showcase an activity; feature a student, parent or teacher; advertise upcoming events
• Invite the Principal to hold a Coffee and Conversation – invite folks from nearby neighborhoods to minimize the number of nights out or mornings needed by Principal
• Place school newsletters on your website and make available hard copies in your public meeting space
• Have links to the DPS website
• Subscribe to Key Communicators and Parent Ed Link through DPS website

Be a Resource:
• List school and classroom needs for materials on your website
• Consider donating office furniture when remodeling
• List volunteer opportunities on your website and via newsletter
• Have a fundraiser or participate in a school/PTA fundraiser
• Create a speakers bureau for career sharing
• Allow the school to use your clubhouse or meeting space for PTA or educational offerings
• Create a directory of resources in the school’s vicinity that support students, families or can enhance the school curriculum: businesses, recreation, entertainment, education, civic groups, government related groups

Support learning:
• Create an afterschool program, Saturday exploration activities, or One Time
educational event
• Provide learning opportunities during school breaks, run a summer camp
• Include older students on your Board and in decision making
• Create a lending library for: books, games, and educational dvds
• Hold a game night for families or students
• Coach older students on securing jobs and volunteer opportunities
• Allow student run school groups to use your meeting space

Support health:
• Build a playground
• Serve healthy foods at your child and family related events
• Partner with health agencies to run free health screenings

Be a partner:
• Join the PTA
• Serve as a community representative on School Governance team
• Include the school community in your neighborhood events like yard sales, celebrations
• Adopt a student in need for holiday gift giving
• Invite a school representative to serve on your board
• Create a mutually beneficial project such as a playground, playing field, outdoor ampitheatre, walking/nature trail, exercise trail
• Adopt a bus stop and My Backyard program
• Attend School Board meetings and special meetings held at your school such as bond referendum meetings, capital improvement meetings
• Invite a school board member to your neighborhood meeting
• Volunteer to proctor exams
• Volunteer for special programs such as AVID and the Graduation project

Websites and resources:
DPSNC.NET
DurhamcouncilofPTAs.org, NCPTA.org, PTA.org
Theresa.McGowan@dpsnc.net – Family Involvement Coordinator
Sheila.Miglarese@dpsnc.net – Volunteer Coordinator/Graduation Project Coordinator