-
In what practical ways do you and/or your school currently support parents? What benefits have you seen from this?
-
We have set parent-teacher conferences throughout the school year. Our parents are all welcome to come on Wednesday’s to chapel, we offer day’s parents can come have breakfast with their child. I see how it builds those strong relationships between parent, educator, and child.
-
Our school has a vibrant Parent Life program dedicated to supporting parents. Each quarter, we host a parent coffee fellowship, inviting parents to stay on campus after morning drop-off to enjoy fellowship, coffee, and breakfast snacks. Additionally, we offer 2–3 Parent Education Nights annually, covering topics relevant to parenting teenagers. These events complement the parent nights hosted by our College and Career counselors, designed to equip parents for post-high school planning.
We also have a Parents in Prayer group that meets every Friday to pray over our students and school community. Beyond these initiatives, we provide numerous volunteer opportunities for parents to actively engage and serve within our school community.
-
At my school, the management organizes Parent-Teacher Conferences (PTCs), where parents meet with teachers to discuss their children’s well-being, both academically and behaviorally.
There is also the Parent and Teacher Association (PTA), a meeting where parents and teachers deliberate on ongoing concerns of the school, benefiting the school staff, children, and parents.
Additionally, there is Family Carnival where parents come together to buy and sell items such as clothes, coffee, food, and snacks, fostering harmony among families.
Lastly, there is a Women’s Prayer Meeting, where certain parents (mothers) come to pray with the school on weekly basis.
-
The school offers online workshops for all parents and English classes specifically for non-English speaking parents. In addition to being accessible by appointment and phone calls, parent-teacher conferences are held at least once per semester. These 20-minute meetings provide an opportunity for parents to discuss their child’s overall progress with the teacher.
Last school year, I had a student from a single-mother household. During one of our writing classes, students were tasked with composing a poem about their dads. While others worked, I noticed that this student had written negative comments about his father. I spoke with him privately, discussing the importance of writing about things that bring us joy and how God calls us to avoid speaking ill of others. After our talk, he decided to write about his grandfather instead. Additionally, his mom faced a period of hospitalization during the year. I made a point to visit her and keep her in my prayers, and she remains on my prayer list to this day.
At one parent-teacher conference, I stayed until around 7 PM to meet with the student’s father, who had to come after work because the student’s mother did not speak English.
-
I am always open to meeting with parents, provided an appointment has been scheduled. I use WhatsApp as a convenient communication tool, allowing parents to reach me easily and enabling me to stay connected with them. Additionally, we hold Parent-Teacher Conferences twice a year, providing 15 minutes for individual meetings with each parent. I also actively involve interested parents in our out-of-town field trips, fostering stronger connections and collaboration.
Our school organizes various initiatives to engage and support parents, including weekly English learning classes for non-English-speaking parents, an annual Back-to-School Night, and occasional online webinars covering a range of topics. We also host special events such as a Thanksgiving program, an Easter program, and regular parents’ meetings with school administrators. Our Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) is highly active, and parents are invited to attend school assemblies occasionally to discuss trending issues and share insights.
These activities have significantly strengthened our school community over the years, demonstrating that we are more than just a school—we are a family.