Red Rocks Elementary School proudly submits our application for the Jeffco Parental Involvement Award. Here is a brief description of how our PTA unit has met and exceeded the six National PTA Standards for Parental Involvement. When you read our list of achievements, please keep in mind that we have only 165 families who support our school on a daily basis!

The Second Cup of Coffee Club is a wonderfully new communication method where once a month PTA offers coffee and pastries to parents and faculty. It is an opportunity for feedback, dissemination of information and socialization. All PTA members received a refrigerator magnet, printed with meeting dates. All event dates are posted in the school's Calendar, on posters, the Parent Handbook, the weekly newsletter, and occasional flyers. Meeting participants receive a "workbook" complete with PTA mission and goals. A telephone chain is used for reminders or last-minute notification and we keep the school secretarial staff informed so they may assist callers. To encourage two-way, open communication, we use surveys (both formal and informal), written ballot for sensitive issues, request feedback at each meeting on prior events and provide Open Forum discussion time our meeting's end.

PTA hosted a pizza dinner to encourage participation with Jeffco Executive Director of Assessments, Dr. Rod Killian, who spoke to parents/faculty about supporting student achievement during assessments. Families donate resources to the parenting section in the school's media center. PTA sponsored parenting programs are circulated at meetings and attendance encouraged. We have over 75% attendance at major school events. This year, our unit received the PTA Membership Award.Our PTA meetings are held in conjunction with Accountability so all PTA members are aware of our school objectives and progress towards those objectives. Many of the objectives are tied to performance on CSAP. We have parents, grandparents and community members volunteering in classrooms and also out of the classroom in small groups with students. Most of the professional aids employed by the school are also parents. Out of 14 teachers, two of them are also student parents.

Last year, 100% of all families signed a commitment with the school to read the weekly newsletter and read nightly to their children. Our school was recently awarded the John Irwin Award of Excellence for academic performance. Our PTA supports a variety of learning events such as the PTA programs of Arts Around and Reflections. In addition we also add funds to the Reading is Fundamental federally sponsored free book program for our students. We have made major purchases requested by the school such as student planners, a weather station, new computers for the lab dictionaries, PE mats, telescopes, and new theatrical lighting and PA systems We have active French and Spanish language programs. PTA sponsors Earth Day; this year our whole school will go on a day field trip to Dinosaur Ridge to learn about our local history and geography. We sponsor several school assemblies such as the upcoming Science Fair kickoff with Future Quest. New for this year, we sponsored community service learning with the Trick or Treat for UNICEF program, adopted five families through Interfaith Community Service and created baskets for our local nursing home. With two weeks notice, our students organized to raise $8100 during a Read-A-Thon to help victims of September 11th.

Our school's objective is to have 100% family participation. In 2001, we achieved that objective and are on target to repeat the performance. Parents are involved in just about all aspects of the school from volunteer staffing in the classroom to our major school events such as the School Carnival and Silent Auction that brings close to 100% attendance from families, manning the booths, donation of prizes, decorations, etc. Dozens of school parenting opportunities range from design/building sets for school plays, the pumpkin contest, staffing our athletic days with the Fun Run through Morrison, the fitness programs and the track and field day, to volunteering on the hearing check day, hosting holiday parties, special events for the staff, decorating the school, volunteering with landscape beautification.

Parents are selected each year to participate in the Cooperative Decision Making (CDM) Process. This process is used to resolve issues and make recommendations (when appropriate) to the administration. This process took a year to develop between faculty, administration and parents. In addition, parents make recommendations and review the School Improvement Plan with our school objectives. The faculty and administration are continually seeking feedback and information from parents. Our principal attends EVERY PTA meeting and will hold a new vice president position as school liaison. At each meeting, we include time for the Principal's report and discussion about school staffing, changes, etc. In addition, we give updates on the Jeffco strategies and policies that impact our school. Our unit truly believes and supports the PTA objective of "Every Child, One Voice". Our members often attend local area accountability meetings, and also the high school and middle school meetings. Almost all the staff are PTA members.

The Morrison community supports our school in a variety of ways. Community members support, volunteer and cheer on the Fun Run. They volunteer and donate for the Carnival and Silent Auction. They provide refreshments when our families holiday carol through the streets. The police and firemen are student advocates. The VFW celebrates with our students on Veteran's Day. Our children create special projects for the local nursing home and participate in their Autumn Days. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Tae Kwon Do and 4H all have active programs with the school.