Calendar Overview

August
Welcome letters will be sent
to families prior to the
beginning of school
accompanied by a survey for
parents to complete
regarding their students
personalities and learning
abilities.
During the first week of
school, I will send out an email letting families know I
am open to home visits and
will provide several options
for when I am available to
visit. Home visits will be
conducted with each family
who invites me into their
home.

September
In September, I will hold 15minute conferences after
school for parents to discuss
the growth they wish to see
in their child this year. The
parent will be the leader of
this conference.
A newsletter will be sent
regarding beginning of the
year events and homework. A
homework survey will be
included for parents to ask
questions about homework
policies, share concerns
about homework, and sign an
agreement about homework.

Welcome Letters/Parent Survey

With this welcome letter, I begin the open lines of
communication between school and home, as well as
families and myself. This letter will be enthusiastic and
encourage parents to contact me, including both my school
e-mail and phone number. I will make responding to parent
phone calls and emails a priority so that I can be readily
available for communication. The intention of my survey is to
listen to parents through questioning (Davis & Yang, 2005). I
will ask tessential questions, Who is your child? How do
they learn? How do they play? and give parents an
opportunity to be open and honest with me and give me the
first insight as to who their child is (Davis & Yang, 2005). I
also plan to include a family interest inventory, so that I can

store these for when we could incorporate a family

profession or hobby into a unit (Davis & Yang, 2005).
Home Visits
In the e-mail that I send to parents, I will express that I
think home visits would be a wonderful start to our
relationship. I will also emphasize that I am not coming to
judge them, but to better get to know their family and the
environment my student experiences daily. By conducting
home visits with every family that invites me into their
home, I will not intrude on those who may feel
uncomfortable. These visits will give me insight into the
childs home life and what their life is like outside of the
classroom. These home visits will be a positive start for the
relationship between involved students and I (Coleman,
2013). In addition to this, I will establish comfortable
communication with parents early in the year (Coleman,
2013). It is my hope that withdrawn families that do not feel
comfortable or welcome in school will be reassured by my
home visit and that this will encourage them to visit school
and be more involved in their students learning (Sieff,
2011).
Mini-Conference (Hopes/Dreams)
I will invite parents to schedule a fifteen-minute
conference with me after school to discuss their goals for
their students this year, as suggested by Davis and Yang
(2005). Parents who did not invite me to visit their home will
have top priority as I have not had as much personal time
with them as I have with other families. I will focus
specifically on the parents goals for their child academically
and socially. I will primarily be the listener and let parents
control the conversation during the conferences (Davis &
Yang, 2005). I will exercise flexibility in topic of conversation
as well as being accommodating for times that families can
meet with me as suggested by the Tips and Strategies for
Increasing Parent Involvement in Virginia Schools (n.d.).
Homework-focused Newsletter

This newsletter will be my first consistent, scheduled

communication from school to home (Epstein, n.d.). This
newsletter will set the template and tone for my newsletters
for the rest of the year. Each newsletter will have a space for
a signature to make sure families have received it and will
also include a section for parents to respond if they have
questions, comments or ideas. This newsletter will also
feature a focus on the format for homework for the rest of
the year. I will inform intentions regarding homework and
discuss procedures, and ask parents to express questions
and concerns (Yang & Davis, 2005).
References
Coleman, M. (2013). Creating a welcoming environment for
families.
Empowering family-teacher partnerships
building connections
within diverse communities
(pp. 250-257). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
Davis, C., & Yang, A. (2005). Investing in the first six weeks
of school. Parents & teachers working together (pp. 33-57).
Turner Falls, MA:
Northeast Foundation for Children.
Epstein, J. (n.d.). Epstein's Framework of Six Types of
Involvement. Baltimore, MD: Center for the Social
Organization of Schools.
Sieff, K. (2011, October 9). Teachers increasingly use home
visits to
connect with students' families. The
Washington Post.
Tips and strategies for increasing parent and family
involvement in
Virginia schools. (n.d.). Retrieved
September 10, 2015, from
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/virginia_tiered_syste
m_
supports/training/cohort/2012/apr/tips_and_strategies.pdf.