Reflections on Parent Partnership
Support CCS Admin October 2, 2024by Alane Summers Helmer, Forest Dale parent
“It takes a village to raise a child” may be an old proverb, but it resonates today as we think about the collective social responsibility we have as humans. For my husband and me, the proverb means that we alone cannot provide everything that a child needs to grow in a healthy and safe environment. We must rely on a “village” to provide those experiences and lessons.
As a parent of two young children, my husband and I feel very fortunate that the staff at our children’s elementary school is an integral part of our village. The men and women who interact with our children every day at school are not strangers to us – they are important people with whom we partner so we can all ensure these kids of ours are getting the most out of their education.
And this “partnership” shows up in so many ways. Here are just a few personal examples of how we have partnered with school staff:
1. When our child was feeling overwhelmed by all the book options in the media center, his media specialist reached out to us to find out what kind of books he liked to read at home. The next time his class was in the library, she had a special book bin just for him that was full of books she knew he would enjoy. He happily chose books from this bin and left excited about bringing the books home to read.
2. In first grade, our child struggled with sitting in his chair during instructional time. His teacher noticed this and saw that the longer he needed to sit, the less attention he paid to what she was teaching. After coming to us with some ideas to support him and his need to move, she and our son came up with a plan together that allowed him the movement his body needed without being a distraction to his fellow students. A couple weeks after this new routine started, our son was performing at a much higher level and enjoying his time in school so much more.
3. As a parent of younger children, we have wrestled with how to explain the scarier aspects of school safety to our elementary-aged children. Thankfully, our elementary school is staffed with an incredible SRO who takes a lot of time to build trust with students, staff and parents. When our kindergartner came home with questions after his first school lockdown drill, we were already prepared with resources that his SRO and school social worker had provided to parents. This proactive communication ensured that what my child heard from us was the same, secure explanation he heard at school.
In our house, Carmel Clay Schools represent a very important part of our village. We plan on voting for Jon Shapiro and Kris Wheeler in the 2024 election to help ensure the incredible partnerships we have with our sons’ school and teachers continues.
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