Start off on the right foot We operate a school-year program and the majority of our parents enroll their child in the spring for the following school year. I communicate with our families via email and phone calls throughout the summer. School supply lists are sent early, invites to special school events are made, etc. We ask parents to send in family photos so we may display them in the classroom. The curriculum company that we use is Mother Goose Time. Each year we have access to an Open House Celebration Kit that includes activities, invites and decorations. It makes preparing for this event a piece of cake. Keep in touch Instructions are given at the start of the year so parents can sign up for our communication app also. Remind is a quick way to communicate with all of your parents at once or just one parent. Videos, photos and text messages are shared privately with a just a few clicks. Ask for help in and outside of the classroom Post a sign for classroom helpers during a back-to-school event. Keep in mind that not every task has to occur in the classroom and things like making play dough or cutting out laminated items can be doable for the stay-at-home parent. Playground supervisors and assistance in the cafeteria can be other areas you ask for help. We love classroom guest readers and are constantly seeking ways to connect the current theme with the parent's interests, talents and skills. For example, during the Sights and Sounds of Winter, we had all kinds of guest musicians visit our class. During the Health and Fitness theme, we will visit an Ophthalmologist's office because one of our grandparents is an office manager there. On any given field trip, we have been blessed with a wonderful number of chaperones. Grandparents, dads, moms and even aunts join us! Make Learning Visible Display children's art work where your parents and other stake holders can easily view it. Include photos, written documentation and work samples. Be sure to include as many students as possible and change the display often. Share moments in real-time with Child Folio The www.childfolio.com app allows us to document children's learning, assess their skills and share it with their parents digitally. Educators are able to choose the learning standards that align with their curriculum. Parents are able to leave comments or questions and even "like" the entries. Parent-teacher conferences are so much easier to prepare for also as a pdf can be created that contains all entries for a particular child. Worship Together Our church and school are located on the same campus. Once a month the entire school body worships together (Preschool through 12th grade) along with members of the parish and community, including parents. The rest of the month, Mass is celebrated one day a week with the Preschool and Elementary students and another day for Middle and High School students. Bring something from home Once a week we ask parents to help their child choose an item from home that reflects one of our current themes or basic concepts. For example, when we studied the Sights and Sounds of Winter, letters B, O and P, numbers 7 and 8, the color green and rectangle, children brought in an item that could be placed in our giant graph on the floor. We used math and literacy vocabulary when asking, "Which category should this item go in?" "Oh, I see. Ball, starts with the /b/ sound, so you placed it under the letter B." We then asked, "Which group has the most amount of items in it? Which group has the least amount of items in it?" Items are counted and children are excited to the announce the "winning" category as they like to say. Below, you will see one of our students brought in green jello in the shape of rectangles to represent the concepts from that month. Anytime you can actually eat what you are learning about is a hit with preschoolers! Pieces of parent uniforms, empty food containers, tools and fabric from home are brought in by families also. Giant coffee table books that showcase a continent or country visited have been shared with us also, This is a great opportunity to bring family culture in to your classroom in a deep and meaningful way. Share Talents Parents, grandparents and teachers can share special talents with your class throughout the year. Mrs. Bardenhagen, one of our teaching assistants, has a very musically-gifted family. Two of her six children played music for us on a keyboard. Our students were thrilled to see these "big kids" perform for us. Later in the year when we learn about Health and Fitness, we will visit a local ophthalmologist. Two of our students are cousins and their grandma is the office manager at that location. We will receive a tour and a brief eye exam. This field trip will be exciting and most likely will influence some of the play themes we see in our dramatic play area. Celebrate with your families Whenever a new sibling is born or adopted, we pay special attention to this important event. We share photos of the sibling, provide updates and congratulate the family. Student birthdays are another way to celebrate with your families. We encourage treats from home (homemade or store bought). Family culture can be woven into the celebration as well. For example, one of our students was born and adopted in Africa. He and his family remember a special flat bread that they bought from road-side stands called chapati. His mother made the bread and brought it in for his birthday celebration along with another more recognizable treat for his classmates. Be prepared for surprise blessings
Upon my first year of teaching at this school, I met a grandma of one of my soon-to-be students. She gave me a warm welcome, explained some of her prior roles with the school and spoke fondly of her grandchildren. I instantly liked her warm and outgoing personality. I had no idea however, of the crucial role she would play in my life later on. We developed a friendship over time and I could easily see that she and her husband were huge supporters of our school. It was when my family experienced two crises back-to-back that I knew what a treasure this woman was. She influenced my spiritual development and prayed with and for my family on many occasions. I am so very thankful for this woman and her family.
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AuthorSheila Anderson has over 25 years experience in the Early Childhood Field and still loves going to "school" everyday. Archives
January 2022
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