Continued Family Communication

We have completed the best type of family communication we have - face to face conversations through parent-teacher conferences.  This 15-minute meeting is so important!  We all know how research supports the positive impact of family communication and involvement.  Researchers found that children whose parents are identified by teachers as more aware and involved had higher levels of prosocial behaviors and more academic success.  This demonstrates that teachers and parents/families who work together can help improve student performance.

I encourage you to continue this communication, through phone calls and emails, with both celebratory and corrective conversations.  Things like the Houlton postcards (there are more in the office!), personal notes and emails, and face to face conversations with families make a big difference in building relationships that foster collaboration and teamwork when it comes to helping our students.  As we head into the second half of the school year, continue these best practices - making deposits when possible to make tough conversations easier later on.  As mentioned in this week's staff meeting, these personal contacts make a big difference.

Thank you for all you do to connect with families - keep up the great work!

An Overview of Friday's Professional Development Day:
8:00 - Staff Meeting - All Staff invited
We will review the staff survey data and feedback on things that are going well and areas to improve, and then prioritizing suggestions to include in our action plan.  I'm meeting with Support Staff tomorrow, and after their feedback, I'll be sending out the list of things you'll be "voting" on.  I'm hoping for ALL STAFF to be there, if possible, in order to get a "big picture" view of our school.

9:00 - Forward Prep - 3rd-5th teachers and proctors
This will be a 30-45 min. overview of the upcoming Forward Exam (in April), and will include teachers and anyone that may be helping with the proctoring.  Special Ed support staff are invited to stay, as they may be asked to help.

10:00-end of day - WORK TIME for certified staff!

2:00-4:00 - ELA and Math district committee meetings