More than 350 students at Loma Portal Elementary have one more reason to take pride in their school. National PTA has certified Loma Portal Elementary as a Parent Involvement School of Excellence. National PTA's Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence certification recognizes schools that uphold the highest standards in parent involvement.

As part of the certification p rocess, Loma Portal Elementary formed a team consisting of the principal, teachers, parents, and representatives from the community; completed a self-assessment; and applied for one of two distinctions - Certification of Excellence or Recognition of Commitment - based on the results of their self-assessment. According to team members, the certification is a symbol of parents, staff, and community member working together for a common goal of helping children succeed.

Some of the notable parent involvement accomplishments at Loma Portal include the great strides we've made in promoting literacy. Our PTA funds a librarian that presents grade level lessons to each class 1 hour per week. Our Foundation contributed funds to greatly improve the school library holdings. Our twice a year Scholastic Bookfair provides a chance for families to purchase books. Loma Portal also benefits from a Parent Involvement Literacy grant that provides rotating book bags for weekly family reading to students K-2.

Volunteer powered Everyone a Reader program helps raise the perfomrance of delayed readers. A parent and staff developed summer reading program which provides incentives for students to read during the summer break.

"Every child deserves to attend a school of excellence," said National PTA President Linda Hodge. "The certification program is an unprecedented opportunity for all schools to achieve excellence and be recognized for their dedication to parent involvement."

We all work hard to make Loma Portal a great place for our kids." said Loma Portal's PTA President Christy Scadden. "It's rewarding to see our efforts appropriately recognized with this School of Excellence award. Our parent involvement and school spirit is contagious, new ideas of ways to enrich our students' experience or grow them academically are born every year. And there is always a group of parents and staff stepping up to make it happen. Loma Portal is Excellence in Education, since 1914!"