Artifact #9: Literacy Newsletter to Parents

The ninth artifact I have chosen for my Master of Science in Education Elementary

Portfolio Project is a literacy newsletter I created to be sent home to parents and guardians in an

effort to build strong home-school partnerships. This artifact demonstrates my commitment to

professional collaboration as well as my love for literacy. Creating strong home-school

partnerships is a foundational aspect of creating a positive learning environment for students and

achieving academic success. I demonstrate professional disposition in my modelling a love of

reading and taking leadership in communicating with parents. Steiner (2014) posits that it is

paramount for teachers to encourage parents to take an at-home role, as it assists in students’

literacy achievement at school. The home-school partnership is essential to academic success, as

there are proven statistically differences in literacy achievement of students whose parents serve

an at-home role, with the parents who do not (Steiner, 2014, p. 719).

Connections to Standards

InTASC

Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration

The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for

student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals,

and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.

CAEP

Claim 2: Medaille College graduates meet the needs of diverse learners through

effective pedagogy and best teaching practices.

Claim 3: Medaille College graduates are caring educators.

 NYS Code of Ethics for Educators

Principle 5: Educators collaborate with parents and community, building trust and

respecting confidentiality.

Educators partner with parents and other members of the community to enhance school

programs and to promote student learning. They also recognize how cultural and linguistic

heritage, gender, family and community shape experience and learning. Educators respect the

private nature of the special knowledge they have about students and their families and use that

knowledge only in the students' best interests. They advocate for fair opportunity for all children.

Ontario Teacher Ethical Standards

Trust

The ethical standard of Trust embodies fairness, openness and honesty. Members'

professional relationships with students, colleagues, parents, guardians and the public are based

on trust.

International Literacy Association Professional Standards

Standard #6: Professional Learning and Leadership

Candidates recognize the importance of, demonstrate, and facilitate professional learning

and leadership as a career-long effort and responsibility.

Element 6.2: Candidates display positive dispositions related to their own reading and

writing and the teaching of reading and writing, and pursue the development of individual

professional knowledge and behaviors.