Nokomis North: Family/Community Engagement Plan

Nokomis Montessori, North Campus 

2025-2026 Family Engagement Plan 

School Introduction:  

Students at Nokomis Montessori North Campus, serving the east side of Saint Paul, learn in multi-grade classrooms. We are a Montessori school that utilizes the Montessori method in combination with the Science of Reading. Students learn in a non-competitive environment and utilize specialized Montessori materials that help them grasp concepts and skills. Differentiated instruction is an integral part of the Montessori methodology. Students in a Montessori environment learn strategies to think and work independently. The Montessori teaching style and classroom organization maximize the school learning environment and student behavior. 

Vision: Our vision is to create a school community that remains true to our unique Montessori philosophy and methodology, where students and staff achieve individual learning success by nurturing creativity in a clean, beautiful, and peaceful environment. 

Mission: Our school is based on the Montessori method: students learn at their own pace in multi-grade classrooms, independently cultivating their interests and natural abilities.

Special Qualities:  

• All-day Pre-K program
• All-day Kindergarten 
• Multi-grade classrooms
• Specialists include Music, Physical Education, and Science.
• Discovery Club Program at L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion (fee-based before or after school)
• Active parent/family participation. 
• Extended Day Learning

The Family Engagement Plan (FEP) is organized into four impact areas. We will be working together this year to build positive and goal-oriented relationships in each region. Families and school staff collaborated to develop this plan together.

Welcoming Environment 

Our school has staff members available for families to discuss this plan and ask questions:

• Family Engagement Coordinator, Lauren Bolopue,
  Principal 
• Family Liaison- Mara Smith

Our school communicates with families in many ways:

• Welcome back to school letters are emailed to families in August 
• Welcome Back to School Open House/PTO Ice Cream Social - Thursday, August 28, 2025, from 5:00-6:00 p.m. 
• The Nokomis Montessori Calendar, including Title I Compact and Title I Family Engagement Plan, is available on the school website.
• Children’s House Montessori Teachers meet with all PreK and Kindergarten students and families at conferences on Tuesday, September 2 - Wednesday, September 3, 2025.   
• PTO parents/families meet monthly
• When parents/families call, email, or send a note, we do our best to respond within 24 hours. 
• Information is sent home to families in backpacks in Nokomis Friday folders. 
• Messages are sent to families through the Connect Ed communication system via email and text to promote family participation in school events and to communicate important messages from the school or district.
• The principal writes a biweekly Nokomis Montessori newsletter, which includes an updated monthly calendar posted on the school's website.  
• Montessori teachers communicate regularly with parents through newsletters, email, and/or SeeSaw to share student work and promote school events.
• Nokomis Facebook Page  

The achievement gap, or rather the  “opportunity gap,” between students of  color and white students in SPPS is unacceptable. Our school is working to change practices and systems by identifying the barriers that make it harder for students of color to succeed and for their families to support their learning. For more about our work on racial equity, contact: Lauren Bolopue, Principal

Transitions between schools can be challenging, and we work to help families as their children start and leave our school:

For new students and families, we support the transition by: 

• PreK and Kindergarten students remain with the same Children’s House (preK-K) Montessori teacher for two years. 
• New student orientation is scheduled in May 2026. It will include parents and students visiting Children’s House classrooms, a school tour, and an informational session. During registration, the special education team will support students who receive special education services through the registration process. The clerk and the administrative team will assist students who are accepted after new student registration by providing information about the school and offering a tour of the classrooms as they register.     
• We encourage parents to bring younger siblings to school events to support a positive transition to school.  
• Nokomis is a popular choice for East Side parents/families.  
• The School Choice Fair is on Saturday, December 13  2025, from 9:30- 2:00 at Xcel RiverCentre in St. Paul. Nokomis North is part of the School Choice Fair for prospective families. Families of students going on to middle school will want to attend the School Choice Fair to visit with the middle schools.

• Prospective students and their families are invited to take tours in January and February to visit our classrooms and learn about our Montessori program. Contact the school office at 651-744-7440 to schedule a tour.
• Nokomis North will also host a Prospective Family Open House in February 2026, allowing prospective families to tour the school and learn about the Montessori program. 
• For students and families moving to the next school in their pathway, we support the transition by: Middle schools, such as E-Stem and Obama Middle School, will visit Nokomis to share information about their programs. 

• The school counselor facilitates five class lessons with our fifth-grade students to support the transition to middle school. Skills are reviewed to support a positive transition, including organization skills, reading a schedule, opening a locker, and understanding peer pressure.   
• Secondary schools: outline college and career programs  and support available (dual credit, CTE, etc)

 

Family Partnerships

Our school-parent compact establishes the shared responsibility for student success between the school, families, and students. Families and teachers work together to develop the compact.

• Copies of the compact are available: Nokomis Montessori Calendar, distributed by teachers at the beginning of the year; the school website; review at fall and spring parent-teacher conferences; a poster in the lobby; and copies are available in the school office.   
• The compact was updated: September 2025
• The principal will review the compact and share information about our school programs with parents/families at the Title I Annual Meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 23, 2025.

There are many opportunities for families to build connections to the school and to each other.

• Students stay with the same Montessori teacher at Children’s House (CH) for grades PreK-K, Elementary 1 (E1) for grades 1-3, and Elementary 2 (E2) for grades 4-5. This results in a stronger relationship among teachers, students, parents, and siblings. 
• Teachers trained in the SPFT Home Visit project will continue completing home visits. 
• Bilingual Hmong, Karen, & Spanish-speaking staff members are available during the school day.  
• Interpreters are arranged for Parent-Teacher conferences and school events as needed by the ELL teacher team. 
• Translations in Hmong, Spanish, Somali, Karen, and other languages are available, as needed.   
• Lyft transportation is available, as needed 
• Families are invited into the school from 9:15-10:00 am, monthly on Fridays, to visit their child/rens classroom.
• PTO Fall Festival on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Hmong New Year Celebration on Friday, December 5, 2025, @ 5:30 p.m.
• Prospective Family Open House is scheduled for Thursday, February 5, 2025, to promote our program to new prospective parents. 
• National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) is Monday, February 9, 2026. An assembly is planned for that day at Nokomis North. 
• Students will perform by class at assemblies (International Peace Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Read-A-Thon, and 5th Grade celebration) planned during the 2025-2026 school year.  Parents and families are invited. 

We work to make meetings and events available for every family in the school.

• Title I Annual Meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 23, 2025.
• We provide interpreters to boost parent involvement.   
• The Principal writes and distributes a bi-monthly newsletter to promote participation in our school activities, including PTO events, and to provide other important information. Our bi-monthly newsletter and calendars are posted on our school website.   
• We have bilingual Hmong and Spanish-speaking staff members available during the school day. We can use the online interpreter service as needed.  Our EL teacher team coordinates interpreters for parent-teacher conferences. Hmong and Spanish interpreters will assist with other parent events. Nokomis provides translations in Hmong, Spanish, Somali, Karen, and other languages as needed. 
• We schedule day and evening conferences to accommodate and promote parent participation. 
• Food is frequently provided at school events to promote parent involvement. 
• Lyft transportation is available for day and evening events, as needed. 
• Parents of students recommended by teachers for Summer School will receive information on the program. Students who register will receive additional academic support in this free district summer school program.  

Our school supports families as advocates  and provides opportunities for parent  leadership

• We encourage parents to contact their child’s Montessori, EL, Special Education, or Specialist teachers (physical education, music, and science) as a first step in communicating. Direct phone numbers and email addresses are listed in our Nokomis Montessori School Calendar or by calling the school office at 651-744-7440.
• The principal welcomes parent and community input, as their voices are critical to a successful partnership. 
• Nokomis will continue home visits by teachers who have completed SPFT Home Visit training.   
• Nokomis believes in Restorative Practice. The Restorative Practices core values align with the Montessori Philosophy, which will be a core practice in all aspects of our climate for all students and adults.   
• The principal frequently incorporates professional development on working with families into staff meetings, team meetings, and one-on-one conversations with all staff members. 
• Nokomis reviews our Title I Compact, SCIP, and Family Engagement Plan.
• The principal schedules time at the bi-weekly Leadership Team and the monthly PTO meetings. 

Teaching and Learning

Our school shares information about state standards, assessments, and student achievement with families in multiple ways:

• Report cards and progress reports will be available during the November and March parent-teacher conferences. Nokomis North has a history of a high percentage of parents participating in parent-teacher conferences.
• Parent-teacher conferences are held twice a year in the Montessori classrooms in November and March.
• Teachers will share FAST reading assessment data with our K-5 parents during parent-teacher conferences. Teachers focus on teaching the Science of Reading and use FAST reading assessment data to inform instructional next steps.  At Nokomis, the classroom teacher provides literacy instruction. An intervention teacher (SIPPS) is also available to lead targeted reading intervention groups for students in grades 3-5 who struggle with reading. Nokomis offers home reading strategies to parents to strengthen student achievement.  
• Teachers share math student progress at November and March Parent-Teacher Conferences. Teachers focus on math instructional interventions and offer home math strategies to parents to strengthen math student achievement.  
• Our ELL teachers share ELL progress reports at November and March Parent-Teacher conferences. ELL teachers share W-APT for Kindergarten ACCESS test data for grades 1-5 at November conferences. ELL teachers provide academic language support to our students in grades K-5.  
• Special education teachers share progress reports at November and March Parent-Teacher conferences. 
• The Title I Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 23.
• Elementary Schools:  

K-3 teachers communicate regularly with parents about their students' reading progress and share strategies to support continued improvement.   

• Classroom teachers encourage K-3 students to participate in summer school to receive additional academic support.  

Our school will engage in personalized learning as a key strategy to accelerate student achievement. Parents can get more information using various tools.

• Parent log-in information can be accessed at  

spps.org/onestop or by asking the school clerk..  Reminder: The Parent Portal displays attendance only for elementary schools.   

• Nokomis uses iPads to support student learning at school.
• Teachers use Seesaw to communicate with parents, including sharing student work. 

Many before-school and after-school enrichment and support opportunities are available for students.

• Extended Day Learning (EDL) is available on Mondays and Wednesdays from October to May at Nokomis from 4:00 to 5:45 pm.
• Discovery Club at L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion campus is offered and is a fee-based childcare program (before, after, and no-school days). 
• Hazel Park Recreation Center offers after-school Rec Check and childcare on no-school days.

Community Partnerships

Our school develops community partnerships to provide additional support for students and their families.

• Collaboration with Hazel Park Recreation Center to offer after-school Rec Check, free after-school childcare, and/or no school days in October, Winter Break, and Spring Break. 
• Family Revelation - An ongoing partnership with local artists provides annual artist-in-residencies in our E2 classrooms, funded by our service-learning E2 Fun Fair.
• Cretin Durham Hall buddies. Seniors from CDH volunteer once a week in a classroom supporting student learning.
• Harding buddies. Seniors from Harding High School volunteer once a month to read with students. 

This plan is available as part of our school’s SCIP, or School Comprehensive Improvement Plan, at spps.org/scip, is on our school website at school.spps.org, and printed copies are available in the office.