Communication

Communication between parents and teachers is essential for the success of students.  That communication needs to be clear, concise, and constructive.  Our goal is to establish open and honest communication with all parents.  You can expect timely feedback from us within 24 hours of first contact. This will occur in periodic emails and telephone calls, arranged meetings before or after school, progress reports, and conferences.  You can also expect monthly newsletters (via this website) with detailed information about upcoming events and curriculum.

The best way to contact teachers is via email.  Email should be used to initiate a discussion about concerns or questions we have for each other.  In that email exchange, we can decide on meeting in person to discuss issues further.  Teachers read and respond to emails between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on weekdays but not at all on weekends. Please allow 24 weekday hours for teachers to respond. We are only available to answer phone calls before and after school.  However, we often have meetings during both periods of the day and we are not available for calls.  Please leave a detailed message and we will return your call in due time (usually within 24 hours).

Students are encouraged to become the primary source of information between the classroom and home. As fifth graders, they should become more responsible for paying close attention to deadlines, requirements, and information, and communicating these things with parents at home. When absent, students should contact their teachers to arrange for make up work. This is especially true in advance of planned absences.

Please bookmark this website address and pay particular attention to the calendar page.  This calendar will detail classroom events and it will be kept up to date.  This calendar only includes specific events for fifth grade classrooms only, not the school in general.  

Occasionally, it is necessary for you to communicate with your student during the school day.  More and more fifth grade students now carry mobile phones.  However, Willow Creek has a policy for cell phone use by students during school hours.  They may not use them for telephone calls, texting, or personal email.  If students use cell phones for purposes other than classroom tasks, the devices will be confiscated, privileges will be lost, and parents will need to retrieve the devices personally.

If you need to reach your student during the school day, please call our school office at (720) 554-3900 and leave a message.  They will forward it to teachers at an appropriate time.  Emergencies are best handled with our office, too. They will interrupt class to get information to your student immediately.  Please arrange ahead of time to meet your student for lunch, etc., so he will be looking for you in the commons.  If you’re picking your student up from school early or for an appointment, first check in at the office and they will call the classroom to send your student to meet you there.   We will return emails and phone calls after the school day, so please leave the phone number where you can be reached.

Please do not come to the classroom unless you have previously planned it with teachers.  It definitely disrupts the continuity of the classroom.