parent communication
"Meet the Teacher" Night:
Keeping parents in the loop is a top priority of mine. This gives them the opportunity to play an active role in their child's education. I start this before the school year even begins by sending them a quick note inviting them to "Meet the Teacher Night".
At "Meet the Teacher Night" I will take a few minutes to talk to each parent that comes to the classroom. I will pass out an information sheet for the parents to fill out about their child, a supply checklist to make sure that the students have everything that they need, and a wish list. The wish list is purely voluntary, but a thank you note will always go home to those parents that do send in items from the wish list. I will also emphasize to parents that volunteering their time either inside or outside of the classroom helps children to see that their parents value what they are doing.
I want the parents to feel as comfortable in the classroom as their children, so I will set up the classroom to be visually appealing, provide sign-in sheets at each table with a cup of pens, place photo albums around with pictures from the previous year to allow parents to see what their child will experience in the classroom, and a brain teasing puzzle at each child's desk for the parents to work on with their child.
For those parents that cannot attend "Meet the Teacher", I will put together a packet of all of the handouts and include a letter welcoming them and their child to my class. I want them to still feel included.
During the School Year:
During the school year I will send home a parent letter explaining each of our new units and what I am hoping to accomplish with it. In addition to keeping parents up-to-date on what's going on, this gives them a chance to volunteer to help out in the classroom if they have something to share or add to the unit.
Homework and class work will be sent home weekly with a note letting the parents know how their child participated in the unit.
Notes Home:
A letter will be sent home at the beginning of the year to introduce myself and our classroom. This letter will include rules and procedures, classroom management, and other pertinent information regarding our classroom. A copy of my proposed Welcome Letter can be found HERE. A follow-up letter will go out later in the week to let the parent know how excited I am to have their child in my class. Positive notes will be sent home within the first two weeks of school for each child. Throughout the year, positive and negative notes will be sent home periodically.
Phone Calls:
Phone calls to parents will not be for negative items only. I will also call the parent with positive items as well. A log will be kept each time a call is made even if the parent does not answer. Messages will be left that do not go into too much detail for parents to call me back. I will try to call one parent a day to let them know something good about their child. By doing this, I will be able to get through all of the children in a couple of weeks. This will be repeated periodically throughout the year.
Emails:
Emails will only be sent for positive notes.
In-Person Conferences:
I will try to have one evening a week that I can stay late to talk to parents if a conference is needed. The conference will not start without me letting the parent know that I like their child and care about him/her.
All conferences should include the following statements:
He/she can…
But doesn’t…
I care about them, so let’s plan together to help the student have a successful year.
Keeping parents in the loop is a top priority of mine. This gives them the opportunity to play an active role in their child's education. I start this before the school year even begins by sending them a quick note inviting them to "Meet the Teacher Night".
At "Meet the Teacher Night" I will take a few minutes to talk to each parent that comes to the classroom. I will pass out an information sheet for the parents to fill out about their child, a supply checklist to make sure that the students have everything that they need, and a wish list. The wish list is purely voluntary, but a thank you note will always go home to those parents that do send in items from the wish list. I will also emphasize to parents that volunteering their time either inside or outside of the classroom helps children to see that their parents value what they are doing.
I want the parents to feel as comfortable in the classroom as their children, so I will set up the classroom to be visually appealing, provide sign-in sheets at each table with a cup of pens, place photo albums around with pictures from the previous year to allow parents to see what their child will experience in the classroom, and a brain teasing puzzle at each child's desk for the parents to work on with their child.
For those parents that cannot attend "Meet the Teacher", I will put together a packet of all of the handouts and include a letter welcoming them and their child to my class. I want them to still feel included.
During the School Year:
During the school year I will send home a parent letter explaining each of our new units and what I am hoping to accomplish with it. In addition to keeping parents up-to-date on what's going on, this gives them a chance to volunteer to help out in the classroom if they have something to share or add to the unit.
Homework and class work will be sent home weekly with a note letting the parents know how their child participated in the unit.
Notes Home:
A letter will be sent home at the beginning of the year to introduce myself and our classroom. This letter will include rules and procedures, classroom management, and other pertinent information regarding our classroom. A copy of my proposed Welcome Letter can be found HERE. A follow-up letter will go out later in the week to let the parent know how excited I am to have their child in my class. Positive notes will be sent home within the first two weeks of school for each child. Throughout the year, positive and negative notes will be sent home periodically.
Phone Calls:
Phone calls to parents will not be for negative items only. I will also call the parent with positive items as well. A log will be kept each time a call is made even if the parent does not answer. Messages will be left that do not go into too much detail for parents to call me back. I will try to call one parent a day to let them know something good about their child. By doing this, I will be able to get through all of the children in a couple of weeks. This will be repeated periodically throughout the year.
Emails:
Emails will only be sent for positive notes.
In-Person Conferences:
I will try to have one evening a week that I can stay late to talk to parents if a conference is needed. The conference will not start without me letting the parent know that I like their child and care about him/her.
All conferences should include the following statements:
He/she can…
But doesn’t…
I care about them, so let’s plan together to help the student have a successful year.