Class Reflection- 7/26- Marilee

I believe that engaging parents in the educational process is extremely important and I think that schools should do as much as they can to involve parents in their child's education and in the school community. The school that I teach in highly values parental involvement and takes many active steps to keep parents informed of their child's progress and to make them feel like a part of the school community. We are required to contact parents 2 times a month to give them an update on their child's progress and most of the teachers have more frequent communication with parents. We also hold a number of events throughout the year to invite parents to school. At the beginning of the year we have a welcome BBQ and an Open House, and throughout the year we have potluck lunches for Thanksgiving and Christmas, when we ask parents to bring in their favorite cultural dishes. We also have 3 concerts throughout the year where we invite parents in to see their children sing, and the concerts are always preceded by a potluck meal. We also have a fundraising gala, which parents are invited to attend. Parents are also required to complete parent jobs and do 2 hours of service each week. All of these events foster a sense of community between parents, teachers, students, and administrators, and we have a strong history of parental involvement. I think its important for kids to see that their parents are involved in their education, and seeing them attend all these events shows students that their parents are invested in their education. I think this motivates children to take their education more seriously.