Student Engagement & Support

Extracurricular Activities, Student Clubs & Organizations

Extracurricular Activities: Participation in school activities and student engagement programs provides an opportunity for youth and peers to form a positive connection with the school, its faculty, and values that may be otherwise unavailable. Involving students in extracurricular activities may enhance their connectedness with school, which may lead to positive academic and psychosocial outcomes. School engagement also takes time away from risky opportunities, provides learning in constructive activities, and increases the possibility to establish positive social networks.

Extracurricular activities are school sponsored or non-school sponsored such as UIL and 4H. These activities may or may not be an extension of the classroom curriculum but must meet the stated criteria developed to meet the HPS Philosophy and Mission Statement.

All extracurricular activities are centered on the goals of developing the character for each student involved. Each sponsor/coach orients students and parents about their particular activity. The sponsor/coach provides each participant with a permission slip and a participation agreement to be signed by both student and parent.

Student Clubs: Below you will find a comprehensive list of all major rules and regulations that clubs and club leaders are expected to abide by. For more information please refer to the HPS Student Clubs & Organizations Handbook.

• Students may not independently submit a student club proposal. If a student wishes to form a new club that does not already exist on campus, the student must find a faculty member willing and able to serve as the club advisor.
• Students who have failing grades are not eligible to participate in student clubs & organizations without Campus Engagement and Support Coordinator’s written permission.
• Students should submit a membership application to join an existing student club.
• Students should return a signed Parent/Guardian Club Consent Form to the club advisor before participating in any club or activity.
• Students may not participate in more than two clubs unless the Campus Engagement and Support Coordinator gives written permission.

• Students must abide by the Student Code of Conduct while participating in any student club or activity.
• Students must abide by Harmony and campus rules.
• Students who have lost privileges to participate in extra-curricular activities effective immediately upon disciplinary action without refund.
• Students must maintain the attendance rate stipulated in the club’s syllabus.
• Students must notify the club advisor in advance of any absence or tardy and include the reason.
• Club attendance is subject to a need for academic tutorials, or academic concerns. Students must provide a teacher note to be excused for academic needs.
• All club students must attend all competitions in order to maintain participation in the club if the club is competition based.
• School attendance on club meetings, activity, or competition days is required in order to participate in those events.

Student Mentoring Programs

Mentoring, in the center, ensures the young generation that they are not alone, gives them the confidence to deal with the obstacles, and to empower them in that matter. It is proven that this help creates a connection that has beneficial outcomes for young people.

The College Readiness & Leadership Program (CRLP)

CRLP is a mentorship program designed to model academic and social skills that will prepare HPS students for success in higher education. Skills modeled for and expected of CRLP participants include:

Personal and Academic Development

• Voluntary Public Service
• Expedition and Exploration, and
• Physical Fitness

These skills, which are also highlighted in the United States Congress’ Congressional Award program, are recognized by Harmony’s CRLP as vital to the real-world experiences Harmony students will encounter once they leave high school.

The mentoring program goals include:

• Improved academic performance (usually defined through grades or standard test scores)
• Improved relations with peers, teachers, and other school personnel
• Increased exploration of, or acceptance to, secondary education opportunities
• Improved job placement or career exploration

A student selection procedure should apply based on the College Readiness & Leadership Program (CRLP) handbook.

Not all Harmony campus principals will choose to offer a CRLP. However, CRLP membership is open to all middle and high school students at campuses where the program is offered where the program may be offered to one or a combination of grade levels, according to local needs, conditions, or traditions.

Any student attending a Harmony school for at least one full academic year may apply to the CRLP if the program is being offered at his or her campus. A student who has successfully completed the CRLP the previous school year will be, upon reapplication, admitted for the following year. The CRLP Advisory Committee oversees the admission process according to procedure highlighted in CRLP handbook criteria and will select new applicants.

Students admitted to the CRLP program are required to attend regular weekly, monthly, yearly meetings and activities with their mentor(s). For more information about the College Readiness & Leadership Program (CRLP), please refer to the HPS CRLP Handbook.

Summer Leadership STEM Camps

Harmony Public Schools offers summer learning opportunities for students to try and learn new things, and build social skills that last forever.

For middle schools, HPS provides various enrichment activities such as aquatic study, archery, canoeing, geocaching, geology, trail of painted ponies, owl science, wilderness survival, writing in nature, reading time, art classes, and character-building opportunities. Guest speakers are invited to introduce different academic and social contents.

For high schools, HPS provides academic, leadership and social based activities such as 3D Animations using Alice, Java and C++ Programming, Cyber Security, Mobile Apps using MIT App Inventor, Drawings using JavaScript, SAT/PSAT Prep, Hands-on with Robots, basketball, soccer, leadership talk series etc… For more information, please see your campus’ Engagement and Support Coordinator.

Educational Trips and Study Abroad Programs

With Harmony Public Schools’ Study Abroad programs, high school students have the incredible opportunity to see the world and increase their global awareness. Traveling abroad can have beneficial outcomes to students who get the privilege. It gives them a different perspective and a better understanding of history. It shows diversity, differences in languages and gives people insight to the rest of the world around them.

Harmony Public Schools facilitates study abroad programs operated by third party organizations, however supervised by HPS teachers. The following rules apply to educational trips and study abroad programs:

• All school rules are in effect during educational trips and study abroad programs. Misconduct will be handled through the school’s regular disciplinary process.
• The school administration will determine the number of sponsors necessary.
• A student must have written permission from the parent to participate.
• Clothing worn is at the discretion of the school administration. Students must wear modest swimwear on all trips that involve water activities. For example, boys are expected to wear knee-length, properly fitting swim trunks, and girls are expected to wear one-piece bathing suits.
• It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and complete all assignments before the trip commences.
• Students with excessive absences, academic, or behavioral problems may be required to remain on campus.
• For transportation, please refer to the “General Information” section of the handbook.
• For field trips, please refer to the “General Information” section of the handbook.

Educational Trips and Study Abroad Cancellation Policy

This trip policy applies to all trips, trips for athletics and artistic competitions, leadership trips, etc. Once parents have signed up their children to the educational trip or study abroad program, the parents assume full responsibility for all payments due on the trip including timely payment of deposit and installments. It is the parent’s responsibility to notify the trip sponsor and/or the campus in writing if the student is being removed from the trip or is unable to attend the trip for any reason. Because the school will have already secured group travel arrangements based on the parents’ commitment, the parents will forfeit all funds paid to date for the trip. Further, all unpaid funds will be due from the parent unless another student is able to be substituted. In the event of an entire trip cancellation, HPS Board policy will be followed.

Performing Arts

The performing arts program helps to enrich students’ performing arts skills, their understanding and celebration of diversity and the community they are a part of. Harmony Public Schools offers folk dance, singing and glee clubs for students. Students can engage in their chosen field. These activities or clubs are very important for students’ long-term social, emotional and cognitive development.

Students enrolled in the dance and music clubs have the opportunities to join the stage performances and competitions in HPS campuses, national and international festivals.

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Parent Engagement & Support

Education is at its best when all stakeholders involved share a common vision and passion to see students thrive in and out of the classroom. Families, teachers and school staff all play vital roles to ensure excellence in education within the Harmony Public Schools system. HPS believes creating partnerships between school, home and community to increase student success is essential to the whole child education approach. Parental involvement helps;

• to motivate students to more positive behavior, better academic performance
• to decrease in discipline problems, decrease in parenting stress,
• to increase in social support, self-efficacy, child oral health practices, and healthy feeding practices in preschool and elementary level.
• to increase in student attendance
• parents to become a part of the school environment.
• parents become more involved and informed.

Leung, Tsang, & Heung, 2015; Stetson, Stetson, Sinclair, & Nix, 2012

Parent Teacher Home Visit Project

To ensure our students received the wrap-around support needed for their success, Harmony Public Schools launched its Home Visit Program nearly a decade ago. The program is designed to build unity and trust between families and Harmony staff, giving teachers and parents the insight into student development needed to provide students educational support.

Building a relationship is the main purpose of the home visit in our engagement & support system. Our staff focus on a student’s interests, needs and his/her hopes and dreams as well as their academic and social progress and needs during a first visit.

Also, we visit to inform parents and give them a big picture of their children that shows where the children are and where they should be academically and socially.

According to research on teachers’ perspective on home visits;

• 84% said home visits positively affected their relationship with parents
• 84% said home visits positively affected their relationship with student
• 75% reported improvement in student’s classroom behavior after home visits
• 76% reported improved student work habits as a result of home visits
• 78% reported improved student academic achievement as a result of home visits*

* Survey by Ranae Stetson, Elton Stetson, Becky Sinclair, & Karen Nix

HPS Parent Volunteer Program

Harmony Public Schools is committed to building community by engaging and equipping families and stakeholders to be our students’ strongest supporters. Volunteering in a school is an experience and a privilege for both the school and the volunteer. It is designed to promote and maintain a supportive relationship with the students, teachers, and school staff.

By providing a quick, easy way for people to find volunteer opportunities, HPS will increase the strength of not only your child’s school but the community surrounding it. Harmony Partners in Education which helps parents and schools to easily identify and register for volunteer hours. There are many volunteer opportunities available at your campus, some of the ways you can help: monitor playground/cafeteria, chaperone field trips, tutor students, read aloud to students, assist with dismissal, be a judge for school/district science fair, and many more.

Parents and community member may become a volunteer at HPS with four easy steps:

• 1. Create account at the school website
• 2. Fill out background check application form
• 3. Complete online orientation
• 4. Sign up for an opportunity and come on board!

Parent Activities

Parent engagement in schools is defined as parents and school staff working together to support and improve the learning, development, and health of children and adolescents. We believe parents play a significant role in supporting their children’s education, guiding their children successfully through school processes, and advocating for their children and for the effectiveness of schools.

Harmony Public Schools organizes events to make a positive connection with parents and provides a variety of activities and frequent opportunities to fully engage parents including school picnics, back to school BBQs, parenting workshops, academic nights, family science fairs, in and out-of-state trips, coffee with the principal, muffins with moms, donuts with dads, cookies with grandparents, family board game nights, HPS Parent Academy, monthly learning night, career days, talent shows and many more.

HPS Parent Academy

HPS Parent Academy is an important initiative designed to strengthen school, home, and community partnerships that equip families with the necessary tools to be strong advocates at home and in their communities. Families have the opportunity to learn about various tools and skills they need in order to support their family and students on the road to college and beyond.

Through a series of workshops and videos designated to refine specific student support skill sets, HPS Parent Academy participants will acquire knowledge to enhance their role as a student advocate within the learning community. For more information, please contact your campus engagement coordinator.

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College and Career Success (CCS) Programs

CCS program mission is to build a strong and sustainable college and career bound atmosphere throughout our schools by connecting HPS seniors with HPS alumni and increasing their career, leadership, social and emotional readiness for their college and career. Program vision is to raise responsible, caring, and productive citizens who are college, career, and life ready.

College and Career Success Program Goals Are:

• To build a sustainable college bound school culture that promotes the importance of higher education by linking seniors with successful alumni college goers.
• To create a smooth transition from high school to college for seniors by providing engagement and networking opportunities with campus alumni.
• To help and support alumni to increase campus college enrollment and completion rates.
• To foster a network of successful alumni whom future alumni and students will be able to access and depend on.

Major Program Areas

• College Transition
• Curriculum
• Mentoring
• Scholarships

College Transition Programs

The College Transition Program is designed to link graduating Harmony seniors to current college attendees, bridging the educational achievement gap among underserved communities statewide. Major programs and their yearly timeline are as follows:

Seniors-Alumni College Networking Event (Dec-Jan)

Senior-Alumni college networking events are great opportunities for seniors to receive information about the college experience and build lifelong relationships with current alumni college students.

Senior College Transition Events (Jan-May)

These events are offered to all seniors during the month of April and May in their senior year to help finalize their college decisions and meet with other Harmony seniors who are most likely going to be their college classmates as an additional support.

• Individual college transition advising
• Pre-college orientation by Harmony Alumni Student Organizations (HASO)
• Senior-Alumni college networking event College transition events, workshops and seminars for seniors
• College panel

Summer Melt Prevention (Jun-Aug)

Summer Melt refers to the difference between the number of college-intending high school graduates and the number of students who enroll in any post-secondary educational program the fall following graduation. Harmony implements following strategies suggested by Harvard University.

• Continuing college advising to seniors over the summer
• Sending reminders through social media and text messaging
• Connecting seniors with alumni opportunities
• Organizing summer bridge programs
• Following a college enrollment checklist with seniors

Fall College Check-Ins (Sep-Oct right after Harmony graduation)

Purpose of college check-ins is to visit recent high school graduates on college campuses to check how they are transitioning and adjusting to their colleges.

• Visit incoming freshmen in college to ensure enrollment
• Connect incoming freshmen with Harmony alumni in their college
• Frequent involvement with Harmony alumni college student organizations to increase their self-efficacy and motivation.

As our students said: “We leave Harmony, but Harmony never leaves you.”

College and Career Success (CCS) curriculum

All students deserve academic and social support to help prepare them for the challenges they must face after high school graduation. The College and Career Success course is designed to help students focus on developing the habits and skills that are expected in college study and the workforce and continue to develop social/emotional, personal/interpersonal and cognitive skills that are essential to productivity in both the collegiate and business worlds.

College and Career Success (CCS) Mentoring program

Harmony mentoring program aims to pair HPS seniors with HPS alumni mentors from similar backgrounds who will help them navigate the college application, admission, transition and teach real life skills on how to succeed in college.

Scholarships

Harmony Public School believes that our role in a student’s life doesn’t end upon high school graduation. It is our hope that we can continue assisting them through college and life through appropriate resources and support. There are two scholarship available:

• Harmony Education Foundation Scholarships
• College Leaders Scholarship by Harmony Public Schools

For more information, students and parents can visit www.alumni.harmonytx.org (opens in a new tab).

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