COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL

Communication is the foundation for all parental involvement activities at school. Typically, most parents hear from the school only when their child is in trouble. At Discovery School, we try to keep the lines of communication open, and working both ways. Parents want their students to get a good education and have fun in school. Teachers want to get through to students and provide them with a good education. Communication is the key to making this happen. When parents and teachers communicate well and work together, everyone comes out ahead—the student, the parents, and the teacher.

Discovery School teachers take their role in effective communication with parents very seriously. Our teachers are very prompt in posting the weekly information on their grade/classroom blogs. By blogging every week, parents are informed at all times of the content and skills that are being addressed in the classroom, as well as of special activities that are coming up. Furthermore, it is school policy for teachers to report immediately to parents any situation that may directly affect a student. This communication may come in the form of an email or a phone call, and sometimes in a note being sent home, or a request for a conference.

Home-school communication helps teachers and parents develop strong relationships that motivate the students to work harder at school and improve their academic performance. Parents can learn basic teaching tips and concepts that assist them in reinforcing what is being taught at school. This in turn presents a unified front for each child.

When parents tand teachers communicate well with each other, children benefit and are more likely to have success at school. The best way to really focus on a student’s progress is a face to face meeting between teachers and parents. Parent-teacher conferences provide this opportunity, and are an important step in creating a positive home and school communication. Parents do not need to wait until the Mid Term or Report Cards to do this. Our teachers have preparation times during the day when they can meet with parents and talk about each child’s progress or areas of opportunity. Please check your child’s schedule to see when the teacher is available to talk to you and set up an appointment. We understand that everyone has very busy schedules, so while you are able to set up an appointmet with your chld’s teacher, a phone call or an email may be your best alternative in keeping the communication lines open between school and home.

A healthy, honest and friendly relationship between partents and teachers contributes to the student’s learning and success at school. However, when a difficult situation arises, the best way to resolve a conflict is at a parent-teacher level. Problems are more likely to be resolved when people talk directly to each other. Everyone benefits when teachers and parents work together on behalf of the students. The school Parent-Student Handbook provides clear guidelines on the chain of communication, and what to do when one of the parties feels communication at a certain level has not been effective.

As we are wrapping up the first quarter in this school year, Student Led Conferences willbe scheduled for Friday October 21^st. Please make sure you come to this conference with your child. Teachers will behanding out Report Cards and discussing your son/daughter’s progress in school.

When parents and teachers communicate well and work together, everyone comes out ahead—the student, the parents, and the teacher.