What is going on?

One of the biggest complaints received at my school, in the past, has been the lack of home-to-school communication.  Parents have indicated that they have felt as if they were not aware of what is going on in the classroom.  This concern has been addressed and strategies have been put in place to allow for parents to feel more “in the know.”  Some of the strategies used have been:

·         Weekly newsletters being sent home every Wednesday by each classroom teacher

·         Weekly folders being sent home every Wednesday by each classroom teacher

·         Progress reports being sent home in the weekly folders

·         An “ABC” chart that is signed by both the teacher and the parent weekly (also included in the weekly folders)

·         All graded work being sent home in the weekly folders by the classroom teacher

·         Teacher-Parent conferences being held with every parent once per semester

·         “Red notes” being sent home on an as needed basis for students conducting behavioral concerns

·         A newsletter being sent home each month from administration with each student in a hard copy format or electronically

·         Use of the ListServe Internet program for all parents signed up to receive notification through this provider

·         Monthly newsletters being sent home monthly by special area teachers (i.e. counselors, media specialists, gifted education teachers, etc.)

·         School website that is updated on an as needed basis

·         Voice automated telephone/messaging system (contacts parents when students are absent or owe lunch money)

·         A Facebook page created by the Chelsea Intermediate School PTO

·         A marquee located, in front of the building, that is updated weekly

*The “ABC” chart highlights the student’s attendance, behavior, and curriculum concerns for that week.

Since the implementation of all these strategies, the administration has received fewer complaints from parents stating they are unaware of the happenings occurring in their child’s classroom. 

According to our culture surveys for the 2011-2012 school year, parents and teachers feel the teacher-parent communications have improved drastically.   Both parties agree that in order for students to obtain academic success there needs to be adequate communication and collaboration between the two. 

We, at Chelsea Intermediate School, understand that effective communication is the core of a strong and productive relationship.  We will model and strive as a team to achieve the following for all of our students.

Cultivate a culture that inspires learning for all (students, teachers, parents, and administrators).

Hold high expectations for all members of our learning community.

Integrate curriculum to ensure that learning connections are established.

Student growth (learning, achievement, self-confidence, respect, and responsibility) is our top priority.

The following link may be found on my twitter list as well as my social bookmarking site, http://www.diigo.com/user/stevisims
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/parent-involvement-survey-anne-obrien#.T4VthAutkpg.twitter
The creation of this bookmarking site has taught me how to find sources relevant to administration and educational leadership.  It has also been instrumental in providing me with different strategies and ideas to use while leading my school.

My diigo site will continue to be used to help organize different strategies used by other administrators.  I will also be sharing this site with my teachers during our next faculty meeting and again during our August faculty meeting. They will be encouraged to become followers of this site!

Some of my favorite resources I found while creating the diigo site were http://www.edutopia.org/ and http://www.willrichardson.com/.  Edutopia may be browsed by grade level or different areas of interest such as professional development ideas or project-based learning.  Will Richardson is a blogger who also happens to be a parent, educator, speaker, and author. 

Other professionals may be able to gain more 21st century skills' knowledge as well as different ideas to use while leading their schools.