Our School
Meet Our Principal
Mr. Garry Naval
Welcome to Unsworth Elementary School. I am honored to be a part of our Unsworth Family. The trust you place in our school is not something we take lightly. Our most important work will be to ensure that our students, teachers, staff, and you our Unsworth families have the support needed to thrive. Our work will focus on creating an environment where your child’s academic growth and safety are always a priority, where we work to strengthen our school wide programs, and where we build a positive relationship with our Unsworth community. Please do not hesitate to come by and say hello. I look forward to the journey ahead.
Downey Unified School District’s vision is that “All students graduate with a 21st century education that ensures they are college and career ready, globally competitive and citizens of strong character.”
Let’s work together to build the foundation for your child’s long term success at Unsworth.
Fun Facts:
- I love to spend time with my family.
- I enjoy sports and am a big fan of the Rams, Lakers, and Dodgers.
- History is my favorite subject to study and one of my favorite books is, Team of Rivals, a book about Abraham Lincoln.
Our Mission
At Unsworth Elementary School we prepare all students academically for lifelong success. As partners, our staff and families work together to nurture a positive and engaging school community.
Our Vision
Curriculum and Instruction
- Students will receive standards-based instruction
- All students will reach Proficient or Advanced on the California Standards Test
- Students will be provided differentiated instruction
- Student needs will be met through frequent monitoring of progress and use of flexible groupings
- Professional Learning Communities (PLC) will be established and maintained at each grade level
- Response to Intervention Model (RtI) will be implemented as needed
- Instructional time is valued and protected
- Research-based strategies/materials will be utilized
Character Education
- All staff will promote and maintain a supportive and nurturing environment
- The district-adopted CHARACTER COUNTS! program will be implemented
- Parent involvement will be welcomed and encouraged
- Diversity is accepted and appreciated
Tools to reach highest potential
- All staff will ensure the physical and emotional safety of all students
- All staff will be highly qualified
- Incentive programs will be in place to recognize students’ strengths and achievements
- Schoolwide behavior management plans will be established and maintained
- Allocation of school funds will be aligned to mission and vision statements
- Parent education will be provided to support ongoing classroom instruction
- Stakeholders’ (SSC, ELAC, PTA, staff, community) input will be encouraged and valued
School & Home Compact for Achievement
What is a School-Home Compact?
A School-Home Compact for Achievement is an agreement that parents, students, and teachers develop together. It explains how parents and teachers will work together to make sure all our students reach grade level standards.
Effective compacts:
- Link to goals of the school improvement plan.
- Focus on student learning skills.
- Describe how teachers will help students develop those skills using high quality instruction.
- Share strategies parents can use at home.
- Explain how teachers and parents will communicate with regard to student progress.
- Describe opportunities for parents to volunteer, observe, and participate in the classroom.
Jointly Developed
The parents and staff of Unsworth Elementary School developed this School-Parent Compact for Achievement. Meetings are held on a yearly basis to review the Compact and make changes based on student needs. Parents are welcome to contribute at any time. If you would like to volunteer, participate, or observe in the classroom, please contact the school.
Building Partnerships
Your support and input are valued and instrumental in helping our students succeed! Opportunities for involvement include:
- Back-to-School/Parent Night
- PTA Meetings
- Parent Engagement Opportunities
- Open House
- School Site Council Meetings
- Title I and English Learner Advisory Council
- Awards Assemblies
- District Sponsored events
District Goal
By June 2027, 90-100% of all students will perform at grade level or higher and upon graduation meet the requirements for entrance into the UC and CSU system or have developed skills to be career ready.
School Goals
By June 2027, we will continue to increase the number of students reaching proficiency in mathematics and reading.
Our focus in reading will be:
- Be able to ask and answer oral and written questions about fiction and nonfiction text
- Use and apply a variety of reading strategies in whole group instruction and in small group instruction
- Learn and use academic vocabulary to explain concepts, share ideas and build on ideas of others
Our focus in mathematics will be to:
- Develop a deeper understanding of number sense (place value and operations)
- Explain their thinking in solving problems
- Use math in real world situations (money, time, schedules)
At School
Unsworth staff will work with students and their families to support students’ success in reading and math. Some of our key connections with families will be:
- Communicate regularly with parents regarding current academic programs and be accessible to parents/guardians to discuss questions or concerns
- Provide materials and information to help parents
support the school’s academic program - Offer Parent Workshops:
- Literacy – Provide parents with strategies and resources on how to read with or listen to their child read and interact with text
- Math – Provide parents with strategies and resources on how to help their child solve real- world math problems in a variety of ways
- Technology – Provide parents with the opportunity to learn how to use
At Home
Unsworth Elementary School parents joined staff to develop ideas about how families can support students’ success in reading and math. Our parents/guardians will:
- Discuss and review your child’s schoolwork nightly and contact the teacher with questions or concerns. Make appointments as needed, especially after the first report card.
- Read and use classroom materials and information to support your child’s learning at home.
- Read with or listen to your child read every day.
- Attend the family fun literacy workshops and use the strategies learned to improve my child’s literacy skills
- Involve your child in solving real-world math problems every day.
- Attend the family fun math workshop and use the strategies learned to improve my child’s
mathematic skills.
Student Responsibilities
Unsworth students know the importance of being responsible. A responsible student will come to school every day on time, prepared, and ready to learn. To make connections between learning at home and at school, students will:
- Take home, review, and discuss schoolwork and materials nightly with parents/guardians.
- Ask for help when they have trouble with their schoolwork.
- Participate in classroom discussions and group work.
- Read to and discuss the text with an adult for 20-30 minutes every day.
- Apply strategies used in class to solve real-world math problems
- Exemplify and model the Six Pillars of Character, everywhere and all the time.
Engagement Policy
Part 1: General Expectations
Maude Price Elementary School agrees to implement the following requirements:
- The school will jointly develop with parents and distribute to Title I parents, a Family and Parent Engagement Policy, in languages that the parents can understand.
- The school will notify parents about the Family and Parent Engagement Policy in an understandable and uniform format.
- The school will annually update the Family and Parent Engagement Policy to meet the changing needs of parents and the school and will distribute to parents at Back to School Night.
- The school will make the Family and Parent Engagement Policy available to the local community through a web site link.
- The school will adopt the School-Home Compact as a component of its Parent and Family Engagement Policy.
- The school will provide accessibility and opportunities for parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory students.
The school agrees to be governed by the following definition of parental involvement, and will carry out programs, activities and procedures in accordance with this definition:
Parental involvement means the participation of parents, including those with disabilities and/or with limited English proficiency, in regular and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, ensuring:
- that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;
- that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education; including the Home & School Compact;
- that parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child;
- the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA
Part 2: Policy Implementation
Maude Price Elementary School will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development and joint agreement of its Engagement Policy and its school-wide plan, if applicable, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way under section 1118(b) of the ESEA:
- Title I Parent Team Meetings, such as the English Language Advisory Committee, will be held to create, review, and improve the Engagement Policy and the School-Home Compact yearly.
- Parents will have the opportunity to discuss and share ways to improve the Title 1 Program.
- Parents will have the opportunity to complete a survey about our Title 1 Program each year.
- Parents can have regular meetings if they request an appointment.
Maude Price Elementary School will take the following actions to distribute the Engagement Policy to parents and the local community by providing:
- The hard copy of the school’s Parent and Family Engagement Policy to any parent when requested.
- The Parent and Family Engagement Policy posted on our official school website for the community to view.
Maude Price Elementary School will review yearly and update periodically its Engagement Policy to meet the changing needs of parents and the school:
- A team meeting will be held yearly to review and/or update the Engagement Policy.
- The Fall Information Meeting will review the Williams Uniform Complaint Procedure.
- Fall meeting with survey regarding dates times and topics.
Maude Price Elementary School will convene an annual meeting to inform parents of the following:
- That their child’s school participates in Title I.
- The requirements of Title I.
- Of their rights under Title I:
- The Parent and Family Engagement Policy
- The School-Home Compact
- The Williams Uniform Complaint Procedure.
- The School Student Achievement Plan.
- Curriculum, Services, & Supports.
- The review and improvement of Title I programs at their child’s school.
- Invitations emailed home in English & Spanish and posted on social media.
- Parents are encouraged to attend parent functions, through various incentives.
- Parents are encouraged to take the LCAP survey yearly to voice their opinions.
Part 3: Shared Responsibilities for High Achievement
- Needs Assessment Survey taken by parents (conducted by Title I)
- Parent input through team meetings (conducted by Title I)
- Parental requests (conducted by Title I)
- Varied / multiple meeting times (conducted by Title I)
- PTA Meetings (conducted by the PTA board members)
- Encouragement to attend “Back To School” night and “Open House” (conducted by the staff and principal)
- Principal’s newsletter which is distributed in Spanish and English
Maude Price Elementary School will incorporate the School-Home Compact as a component of its Parent and Family Engagement Policy:
- Both policies will be reviewed at the meetings held for Title I parents
- Both policies will be displayed on our school web site.
- Both policies will be available in the school office.
Maude Price Elementary School will, with the assistance of its district, provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children’s academic achievement, through:
- parent brochures / newsletters
- parent education opportunities
- parent meetings and school functions
- gathering parental input on desired parent education trainings
Maude Price Elementary School will, with the assistance of its district, educate its teachers and staff, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, through:
- Staff Meetings
- Professional Development
- Professional Literature
- Parent Square
- Q Parent Connect
ACCESSIBILITY
Maude Price Elementary School will provide all student and parents opportunities to participate in school activities. The school will provide interpretation in meetings and engagement opportunities, and distribute information and reports in the home language of the parent as available.
Parental Involvement may include:
- Needs Assessment Survey taken by parents
- Parent input through various meetings
- Annual Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Back To School Night and Open House
- Principal’s Newsletter
- School Site Council (SSC)
- PTA Meetings and Events
- Annual LCAP Survey
- English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC)
- Coffee with the Principals/Parent Engagement Opportunities
Part 4: Adoption
This Parent and Family Engagement Policy has been developed jointly with and agreed on by parents of children participating in Title 1, as evidence by Janet Muñoz.
This policy was approved and adopted by Maude Price Elementary’s School Site Council in May 2025 and will be in effect for the 2025-2026 school year. The Price Parent and Family Engagement Policy will be available school wide and to all Price student parents through:
- Our website
- Parent Square
It will also be made available to the local community. Notification of this policy will be made available to parents/guardians in an understandable and uniform format.
