Equity and Diversity Newsletter
Elementary Edition September 2021
Welcome Back!
Welcome back to the 2021-2022 school year! I hope you had a relaxing summer and are ready for another year in the midst of a pandemic. We are excited to be back in our buildings with face-to-face learning and I am sure our students are too. I commend you all for your enthusiasm and dedication to our children and your love of teaching. Great teachers meet students where they are. This fall, as school starts again, I would like to encourage you to continue to do what you do every fall—get to know your students and find ways to meet them where they are. You all are the greatest. Keep doing what you do best, equipping the next generation to take their place in the world.
Ways To Encourage Parental Engagement in School
“In this complex world, it takes more than a good school to educate children. And it takes more than a good home. It takes these two major educational institutions working together” Dorothy Rich
There are many studies that have found that parental engagement plays a significant role in student success. As educators, you know this. But, how do you go about getting parents involved in their child’s learning? It is important that children know that their teachers and parents are on the same team. And, when you set these expectations with both students and parents at the beginning of the school year, you can create a partnership of open communication and build trust. When everyone is on the same page, it builds a great foundation for a team approach going into a new school year. The key to productive and positive parent engagement is a good flow of communication between school and home, and that communication should encompass every stakeholder.
The strategies here can help you increase parent engagement at your school and establish positive and productive communications right from the start of the school year:
1. Pick one tool: School leaders ought to conduct a communications audit to get a handle on how teachers are communicating with parents, and then provide clear direction on which tool to use, as well as some general communication protocols.
2. Issue shorter, more frequent communications: Don’t kick off the year with one long communication or wait until the end of the term to reach out with an extensive recap
3. Personalize: Personalization isn’t just for students. Parents expect it too, and new technology tools can help parents customize how they’re connected to their children’s schools. This is especially important since not all parents can come into school at designated times.
4. Set the tone: Encourage teachers to share a bit of information about themselves at the start of the year, perhaps at parent night, to set the tone for an open exchange with students’ parents and caregivers.
5. Build relationships: Teachers should focus on building relationships with parents to establish trust and foster those relationships throughout the year.
6. Invite parents to be partners: If educators don’t already know the school’s parent body, they should be sure to reach out and learn more about them. Teachers should invite parents to share information about their child’s strengths and weaknesses and other important information about their child.
7. Share the positive: Parents may dread the rare phone call home, so it’s important to find opportunities to communicate good news, as well.
A strong school culture leads to a thriving school community where every teacher, parent, and the student has the opportunity to connect and be actively engaged, and that culture starts with communication and parent engagement.
https://www.gettingsmart.com/2019/10/10-strategies-for-schools-to-improve-parent-engagement/
What's In Your Tool Box?
As School staff continues to support students during this time of Covid-19 restrictions here are a few tips that might help:
1. Validate, support, and listen to students: Our students may be experiencing a host of emotions in regards to the announcement of new changes, including anxiety, disappointment, and anger. And with the rise of incidents of suicide among students, it is vitally important that we are listening to what they have to say. We want to be there for them. We want to let our students and their parents know that we are listening and are here to give their children the support and help they needed.
2. Be honest and encouraging, rather than reassuring: Anxious students will likely need some initial assurance from trusted adults and teachers that returning to school is okay. Be honest and encouraging with students. Let them know there are risks but with proper precaution, those risks can be reduced.
3. Encourage a gradual approach, not avoidance: no matter what we do students will still have some anxious moments. Therefore, let’s encourage tolerance of their fears rather than avoidance. Facing feared situations promotes resilience and reduces anxiety in the long run by helping youth realize they are capable of coping.
4. Praise and reward students for being courageous: praise your students for being brave and courageous in face of fear and uncertainty. Praise them for showing courage in the face of fear and let them know that being brave and courageous will help them and you get through this together.
5. Model good coping behaviors for students - be calm, honest, and caring: students will look to their teachers to be positive role models through this process. How you handle your fears, your own stress, and how you act throughout the day will impact how children assess their own situations and react. You might share some of your fears and anxieties and how you handle them.
Most importantly let’s remember we cannot predict the future but we can be encouraging, optimistic, and a strong support system for our students.
https://www.anxietycanada.com/articles/7-tips-for-educators-returning-to-school-during-covid-19/
Library Corner
With its heartfelt message and colorfully whimsical illustrations, “Our Class is a Family” is a book that will help build and strengthen that class community. Kids learn that their classroom is a place where it’s safe to be themselves, it’s okay to make mistakes, and it’s important to be a friend to others.
When hearing this story being read aloud by their teacher, students are sure to feel like they are part of a special family.
“Family isn’t always your relatives. It’s the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.” -Unknown
Malala’s Magic Pen
Malala’s Magic Pen is a wonderful read for younger students that will also provide insight and encourage discussion about the wider world particularly during these trying times that we are experiencing ... The simplicity of Yousafzai's writing and the powerful message she sends, make this book inspirational for all."
--- School Library Journal
As a child in Pakistan, Malala made a wish for a magic pencil to use to make everyone happy, to erase the smell of garbage from her city, to sleep an extra hour in the morning. But as Malala grew older, she saw that there were more important things to wish for. She saw a world that needed fixing. And even if she never found a magic pencil, Malala realized that she could still work hard every day to make her wishes come true.
This beautifully illustrated volume tells Malala's story for a younger audience and shows them the worldview that allowed Malala to hold on to hope even in the most difficult of times.
Reading With Ms. Gwen
Did You Know?
In Memory: Eloise Greenfield: Groundbreaking Author of Children’s Literature
We are saddened to share the news that Eloise Greenfield, one of our favorite children’s book authors died on August 5, 2021. Eloise Greenfield had a profound impact on children’s literature throughout her life, starting with Bubbles published by Drum and Spear Press and including the world-famous Honey, I Love. Not only did she revolutionize children’s literature, but she also (in big and small ways) supported generations of African-American children’s books authors who followed her.
"But I love
I love a lot of things, a whole lot of things
And honey, I love you. too"