In House Newsletter
April 2018
Education Specialist
Ask the Expert: Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences
Planning Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Determine how many and how often parent-teacher conferences will be provided throughout the year. Many programs conduct two to three conferences a year – one within a month or two of the child’s enrollment or start of the school year, one shortly after the start of the new calendar year, and another in spring before the end of the school year.
- Provide flexible conferencing hours. Many parents work and will need to meet with you before or after their normal work hours. If for some reason a parent cannot meet during any of the offered times, speak with the parent(s) as they drop off/pick up their child to set up a time that works for them. If all else fails, schedule a conference over the phone.
- Each conference should run 15-20 minutes. Post your conference schedule in a central location. Seeing the schedule will be a reminder to parents that they have 15 minutes to meet with you. Schedule the meetings, so that you have five-minute breaks between conferences in case one runs over the time limit.
- Be prepared. Think about and write down the positive things that you will say about each child along with the areas that you feel need some improvement or growth. Serious issues should not wait until a parent-teacher conference; they should be addressed on an ongoing basis.
- The type of material to be shared with the parents will be based on the program philosophy and what, if any, assessment tools are utilized. Parents appreciate having concrete examples, so consider providing samples of artwork, writing, and so on. Other topics to discuss include who the child likes to play with and what his favorite center or activity is in the classroom. At the beginning of the school year, discussing the daily schedule and goals for the upcoming months are also very helpful.
Conducting the Parent-Teacher Conference
- Conference with parents in a private place away from classroom disruptions.
- Smile as the parents enter the room – they will feel more at ease and free to talk with you. Try to sit at the same eye level as the parents. Sitting behind a desk or in an adult-sized chair while parents sit in child-sized chairs in front of you makes the conference feel like a confrontation rather than an opportunity to discuss their child’s education.
- Know both parents or guardians by their first and last names.
- Start with good things you can say about the child. If you have a concern, you owe it to the parents to give them that information, but surround the negatives with positives. So often it is not what is said, but how it is said that can be offensive, so choose your words carefully.
- Don’t do all the talking. Give parents time to express concerns and ask questions.
- Avoid using such words as “immature” or “emotional problems”. These words can be easily misinterpreted by parents and can damage the relationship you’ve built with them. Words such as “very active” and “temperamental” may be a better choice.
- End the conference on a positive note. Thank the parents for coming, tell them you appreciate their interest, and remind them that you will help in any way you can.
- Be certain to follow through on any concerns or information requested in a timely manner to the parents.
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=526
Rainbow Representative
Staff Appreciation Idea- April showers bring May flowers! (Or, if you're here in Michigan, April snow.) Get each of your teachers a small flower pot, and allow them to decorate them with their class! It will help the teachers be able to take their love of work home with the reminder of their class!
Family Connection Idea- With the idea of Arbor day in mind, provide packets of seeds (or individually packaged seeds) for the families to take home and plant with their children!
Each month, we will continue to provide ideas as well as general tips for connecting with staff and families. We would also love to hear your ideas and see your hard work! Please send ideas and pictures of completed activities to education@rainbowccc.com.
Health, Safety, and Licensing Coordinator
Playground Safety
As a child when thinking of fun at school, it was mostly in reference to RECESS! A joyous time for kids to grab some fresh air, imagine, and play while getting in some daily exercise. Statistics show that each year more than 200,000 kids are treated for playground-related injuries. Injures that could possibly be prevented if given proper inspection and supervision. RCCC believes that with taking certain precautionary measures, we can avoid playground injuries. All while providing our children with a safe environment to play and make memories of their own, safe ones! Listed below are a few key points that can be referenced to ensure that we can make this happen.
Try a weekly Inspection of Playground Equipment
- Check equipment for cracks, bending, warps, rusting, or breakage of any component
- Check metal slides to ensure that they do not become too hot with the sun shining on them
- Check for loose nuts, bolts, and caps or protruding bolts with sharps edges and no caps
- Check for protruding nails on play equipment, tables, and fences
- Check the chains on swings to ensure they are securely attached
- Examine the area for mushroom, poisonous plants, and animal feces
- Check for vandalism, trash, and broken glass
- Check the area for tripping hazards, such as rocks, roots, and exposed footings
- Monitor any fences for thorny plants or vegetation overgrowth
- Check all self-latching gates to ensure they are working properly
- Check equipment for pooling water or beehives
If we are consistent with the usage of this checklist, we can achieve great things as a company. These steps will help us safeguard priority one, our children.