Positive school climate is fostered throughout New Market Elementary School. As a school we have adopted the mindset that “We are Better Together.” This frame of mind will foster a positive school climate that will be monitored through our school counseling department by responses provided on the student risk screening scale and school climate survey.

Our teachers and staff have received “Capturing Kids Hearts” and “Love and Logic” training to better support building positive relationships within our building.

NMES has begun a new initiative to recognize students for going above and beyond our school-wide expectations. These students receive a high-five write-up that is read over the morning announcements and hung up on the cafeteria brag board. They are also entered into a monthly drawing for incentives! NMES also offers 4.5 and 9-week behavior incentives to all students that meet the school-wide expectations.

Throughout the year, our school counselor works alongside our teachers to ensure that all students are growing in the areas of mental, social, and physical health. Individual and small group counseling sessions are available for students as needed. Our counselor works with Allied Behavioral Health to ensure students that need more intensive support receive timely referrals and follow-up sessions. The counselor also pushes out into individual classrooms to offer lessons encompassing these three areas, as well as study skills and guidance as it relates to college and career pathways.

New Market has a strong Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Our PTO seeks to bring all stakeholders together by hosting community events during and after school hours. The PTO is currently raising funds to repair and/or replace playground equipment and repave the school track. Adding new window coverings to the front entrance of the building is the most recent project completed. These school improvements have created a renewed sense of pride in our school and created a more welcoming environment.

Parents are given many opportunities to participate in the decision-making process of New Market Elementary School. We ask parents to serve on the Community Engagement committee, the School Improvement Plan committee and the School Safety committee.

Parents are invited to attend special events throughout the school year such as music programs, STREAM Night, Grandparents Tea, a Veteran’s Day Program, Pre-K and Fifth Grade Graduations, as well as the school’s Honors Day, Field Day, Fun Day, County-Wide Elementary Field Day, the school and County-Wide Spelling Bees, Scholars’ Bowl Tournament, as well as Chorus performances and many grade level field trips. A Veterans’ Day Program allows students to invite military family and friends where they are recognized and honored in a special program. NMES hosts an annual Literacy night and provides volunteers for the library’s annual Book Fair. This year New Market will host their first ever winter festival in December. Students and families will be able to come participate in activities such as face painting, silent auction, cake walk, crafts, and gift shopping. The community will also be invited into our school this spring to celebrate a night of the arts where students will showcase their work from the year.

Parents are kept informed of school activities through school wide newsletters, teachers’ classroom newsletters, the school district’s website, the school’s website, through a large outdoor sign at the school, and the Blackboard Connect call system. Many teachers use class Dojo or remind to communicate daily activities with parents. New Market Elementary School’s website includes the district’s calendar, faculty email addresses, school events, and a lunch calendar for easy access. Parents are given an opportunity to look at curriculum for each grade level via the web at any time, or they may contact their child’s teacher for more information.

Assessments are explained through brochures and newsletters as well as during RTI, 504 and student-support team meetings. Annually, at the Open House meeting, the principal and teachers explain the curriculum and assessments used in our school, the current school data, as well as the qualifications of our highly trained faculty and staff.

The principal will hold a special meeting to explain the school improvement plan, its process, findings, and action steps to achieve the goals that have been set. During this meeting we will also discuss Title I funds, what they are, how we spend the funds, and gather input from parents on their ideas of how we could spend the money to best support our students.

Parent-teacher conferences are held in October and March at New Market Elementary. Parents are encouraged to attend these conferences to become more aware of the demanding academic standards being taught in the classroom, discuss ways to reinforce skills at home, ask questions, and voice any concerns.

The State Report Card is available online and is published in the local newspaper. Parents of pre-kindergarten students are offered Parenting Education and Pre-k staff makes home visits upon student enrollment. Parenting Classes are offered through the Family Resource Center. These classes have a developmental education focus and give parents suggestions for activities that can be done at home. In addition, parents who have their child screened at the Family Resource Center prior to entering kindergarten will receive quarterly newsletters with helpful parenting tips.

Response to Intervention is offered daily through Star Time to each child based upon the child’s academic and behavioral needs. Instruction is provided and individual progress monitored. Meetings are held with parents when student progress is not what it should be, and students need more intensive assistance. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher anytime by notes, e-mail, or by calling the school during the teacher’s planning period. Teachers use student planners, class notebooks, daily calendars, Class Dojo App, and the Remind App to inform parents of students’ daily behavior and grades. We celebrate student success with parents and community.

Families in need may sign up for the Second Harvest Food for Kids Program. Students are given enough food from the five basic food groups to take home on Fridays to ensure they have something to eat over the weekend. New Market United Methodist Church, located adjacent to the school, has offered room for storage of the food and members assist with the delivery to the site and bag the products for school distribution.

Visitors are only allowed to enter our school after we have verified who they are and why they are here. The visitor must be “buzzed” into the school building because all building doors are locked. During afternoon car rider dismissal, the person picking up the child must have a specialized car tag with their name on it. If a child must be dismissed through the office, a driver’s license must be shown, and that person must be listed on the child's emergency card as having access to the child. We have radios assigned to each school employee for communication purposes in case of an emergency. We have a School Resource Officer provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department assigned to our school that patrols the area to make sure our school is secure. Our school safety team meets regularly to update our notebook of plans that we are to follow. We have security cameras and lights that surround our building so that we can monitor activity. All outside and classroom doors are locked throughout the school day. School safety is a top priority for everyone at New Market Elementary School.

Student attendance is critical to achievement. Parents are encouraged to have students arrive on time each day and that they remain at school for the duration of the school day. Students are encouraged to be present and on time. They will be rewarded for perfect attendance each grading period. The school also incorporates a weekly attendance competition between classes to reward the class with the best attendance from the prior week. We support parents and students who are struggling with attendance by creating and implementing individualized attendance intervention plans.

Not only does our school run on the many staff members we have in each of our buildings, but they also run on volunteers. Without the help of parents, community members and families, our school would not be the success that it is today. Below is information about how to get involved in your school:

• Complete the Parent Volunteer Agreement
• Participate in a class for guidelines to protect you and the students
• Complete a background check

Thank you for your desire to make New Market the best it can be!

As an effective Title I institution, it is our mission to clearly outline our expectations to all stakeholders in our community. To meet this requirement, our school administrators, faculty, and parents designed a School-Parent Compact. This document describes our commitment to quality curriculum and instruction and establishing a safe learning environment. It also includes information about conferences/meetings, grade reports, and access to staff and parental responsibilities. A copy of the school-parent compact is sent out at the beginning of each school year and additional copies will be available in our front office. The School-Parent Compact is also available here.