School Initiative 2019/2020

Phase one: Focus on parental/guardian involvement.

In this phase of the initiative we hoped to encourage as much parent/guardian involvement as possible. We wanted to ensure the families were invited to be a part of the school culture, while keeping in mind that in can be intimidating to come into the school. We have chose a casual approach, that had nothing to do with formal assessment or reporting out. We planned a series of open-house family nights in our school that focused on relationship-building and celebrating our student success. We scheduled three dates and planned fun and interactive activities that we hoped would bring our families in and make them feel a sense of belonging.

January Family Night

As we brainstormed how we wanted to connect with our families and allow them to feel welcomed, we came up with the idea of offering free family photos. This idea was born from the desire to get to the core of what we were trying to achieve through this school initiative, a sense of belonging for the entire family. We not only invited the parents and guardians but the siblings and grandparents as well. We heavily promoted the free family photos taken by a professional photographer (who also happens to be a teacher). The response we received from our students and their families was very positive and we had a beautiful turnout. The evening was filled with authentic conversations and meaningful connections. The feedback from the staff, students and families was ALL encouraging that we were on the right track. This feedback fueled us to dig even deeper into our inquiry and plan an even better family night for the following month.

February Family Night

Taking the momentum from our January family night, we decided to highlight our elective courses and the amazing work being produced from our students. Grades 8-12 participated in preparing a wide assortment of food for their families to come and enjoy. They also creatived a gallery walk to showcase all their amazing creative abilities. We also printed the family photos that were taken in the previous family night and distributed them. The energy in the room was very relaxed and enjoyable. The parents/guardians again brought siblings and grandparents to enjoy the night. It was very successful and as a staff we felt we had turned a corner and could clearly see a sense of belonging was blooming

April Family Night

For our April family night we had planned a talent showcase and performance by our amazing music program. Music is a huge component of our school and is a common thread among humans. Unfortunately, due to the closure of school, because of the Covid-19 health concerns, we will have to cancel this event.

Our team is very creative and committed to staying connected to our students and their families. We created this music video to share with our community to show our love.

Reflecting on our efforts in phase one of this initiative, we collectively feel very proud of how far we have come. While the year did not go the directions anyone would like, we know we have laid the foundation and will continue with this work. Moving forward, we hope that our parents/guardians commit to prioritizing their child’s educational goals, and our teachers commit to listening and providing a space for collaboration with parents.

Page updated

Report abuse