Engaging Families and Community

Maspeth High School implements numerous structures to ensure communication and transparency with community members and encourages families to be active participants in the school community. Our school also utilizes multiple methods of communication to keep families apprised of their student's progress and needs. Our primary vehicle for school-to-family communication is Pupil Path, which provides families with real-time attendance and academic performance information. Our community associates communicate via phone to any family of a student who is absent for the day, and teachers maintain regular communication with the families of students who are struggling academically or socially. The school promotes events and communicates urgent information through phone, text message, and internet communication. Families also receive a bi-weekly newsletter - Happening at Maspeth - which highlights staff and student achievement and promotes upcoming events.

 

Our Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meets monthly to discuss and promote events taking place at the school. The PTA is also a forum by which our school provides parents with insight and training regarding issues within the school. Our guidance counselors, college counselor, teachers, and administrators have presented to parents on a wide array of topics from drug awareness to college applications. The PTA also collaborates with the school to plan events, including the school's annual student award ceremony and teacher recognition celebrations.

 

We are also engaged in several strategic partnerships with organizations throughout New York City and the surrounding area. Our string orchestra students collaborate with Juilliard-trained performers as part of Ensemble Connect and have subsequently performed at New York's historic Carnegie Hall. Theater students have studied with Broadway performers and attended numerous Broadway shows as part of our partnerships with the Theatre Development Fund Open Doors and The Broadway League's Broadway Bridges programs. Our classical ballet students have been trained through the Alvin Ailey Dance partnership facilitated by our dance instructor and our choir director formed a partnership with his Almamater, Syracuse University, to perform a joint concert for the families, students and staff of our school.

 

At the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, we partnered with the New York Jets to recognize the "Upstander of the Week," a student who has demonstrated leadership in promoting a safe and healthy school environment. By the end of the season, sixteen students were recognized through the collaboration.