How to be involved in your child's education

Some ideas to be involved include:

• Read with your child. Reading with your child is a great way to support learning and connect. This can include listening to your child read, taking turns, and reading aloud.

• Talk to your child about their school day. Use open-ended questions like, "Who did you sit with at lunch?" and "What did you work on in Math today?"  instead of one-word, "yes/no" questions like, "Did you have a good day?" You can find some great conversation starters here.

• Paint your child's school and teacher in a positive light. If you have an issue, please handle it privately. Children are aware of many conversations going on around them. Speaking about the schools and staff in a positive way will encourage the same from your child.

• Help your child manage homework. Providing your child with homework support is an important element in student success. Identify a quiet place for your child to complete homework assignments. "What are you working on?" is also a great conversation starter. This site has many tips to help with homework success!

• Participate in school & district surveys. Surveys are sent to families on several occasions throughout the year. The purpose of these generally short surveys is to gather responses on a particular topic. Your participation and responses are valuable and appreciated!

• Help balance your child's other commitments/ activities. A child's success in school can begin to slip when they feel overwhelmed or tired. Please try to be mindful of your child's daily/weekly activities and monitor their stress and sleep.

• Attend school activities and events. Participation in school-sponsored activities is a great way to demonstrate interest in your child and their academic success. It can also help strengthen the relationships between children, families and staff. 

• Communicate with your child's teacher. Your child's teachers welcome your communications about your child. You know your child better than anyone else. Sharing your expertise about your child can provide your child's teacher(s) with valuable insight on providing instruction and helping your child meet with success.

• Volunteer on committees or as a chaperone. Participating on school-based committees is a great way to learn more about various aspects of your child's education. From helping with budget development on School Council to safety decisions on Safety Committee to helping fundraise with the Parent-Teacher Association, your participation helps strengthen your child's school experience. 

• Volunteer in the school occasionally or on a regular basis. Our buildings have various opportunities for parents to volunteer. Helping out in your child's classroom or the school cafeteria each week, joining the NMS Parent Army, assisting with Book Fairs, volunteering for field day, cutting out craft supplies at home or helping with set-up for a special event are all opportunities to build relationships and learn more about what goes on in your child's classroom or school.