Miss Ferrara's 
         Family Communication Plan

• Establish direct communication with the parents – phone calls and/or house visits are  the most personal way to begin the school year.
  
  

• Send a letter home before school begins introducing myself and what their child should expect in my classroom.  Let them know how pleased I am to have their child in my class and that they should feel free to contact me at any time.  Included in the letter will be my e-mail address, important dates they should know, and the materials that their child needs.  In addition, I plan to send a letter home to the students telling them a little about myself; about the classroom they will be a part, and letting them know how excited I am to be their teacher.
  
  

• Maintain contact with the parents for positives things that occur in the classroom since there is normally a negative connotation for teachers calling home and my goal for my classroom would be to get rid of that.  I do not want the student to be afraid if they hear my voice on their answering machine.  My hope is that they will assume I am calling to tell their parents something positive and wonderful that they did.
  
  

• Make back to school night and other such events a special time and encouraging parents to attend.  Send letters home, posters home, and little notes saying “You are going to love what James made for you for Back to School night.  It is at his desk waiting for you.  I can’t wait to meet you.”  This might motivate and encourage the parents to come in a non-pressuring way. Their child will also go home excited for them to go to school and see what they made for them.
  
  

• Parent/Guardian/Teacher conferences throughout the school year.  For one of the conferences I plan to include the students so they can participate and hear what is being discussed.  This gives them a more personal responsibility to the classroom and their behavior.
  
  

• Use a translator to write letters home to parents that speak a different language then English.  This will allow me to communicate with them in a more familiar manner.  I plan to contact through a letter or phone call  parents asking them what they can share from their family history or heritage that could add to lessons that might be taking place in the classroom.
  
  

• Send something home to the parents every week to keep communication open.  That might be a letter, a positive note about how their child is doing in my class, a drawing for them by their child, or an outline of what the children are learning for that week in my class.
  
  

• Request that the parents sign their assignment sheets every night and encourage them to write notes to me if needed.
  
  

• If a family does not have a telephone, I plan do what I can to visit their home or meet them at school, even as they drop off or pick up their child.

     SAMPLE LETTER TO PARENTS ABOUT THE HISPANIC HERITAGE UNIT: USED TO INCREASE FAMILY COMMUNICATION AS WELL AS PARTICIPATION IN THE CLASSROOM:

September 18, 2001

Dear Parents,

             Over the next few weeks, I am going to be teaching a unit on Hispanic Heritage and the Hispanic Culture.  If you have any background in this area, I would welcome you to help.  Perhaps you would be willing to come into the classroom to share your experiences, or have your child bring in items that represent family traditions or customs.  This can range from holidays, customs, food, recipes, artifacts, clothing, books, or anything else you feel might be of interest to the class. 

            If you would be interested in helping us out, please let me know by writing on the back of this letter and return to me with your child.  Thank you for any contribution you could give.

Sincerely,
Miss Ferrara    

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