Parents and Instruction

Involving Parents in the Instructional Program and School

            Parents are our most important partners, and the most influential people in our students’ lives.  CHEC has a long history of strong parental involvement, and in fact our current facility and many of our resources are due to strong parental advocacy for our school.  We have two parent centers, and you read more about them in the section that describes the duties of the Parental Involvement Coordinators. We also involve our parents through our digital communication system and by making home visits with buddy teachers to explore parents and students hopes and dreams for their future.  At this time, the home visits are compensated.

            Parents are most interested in getting to know their children’s teachers, and establishing relationships with them.  The more communication we provide for parents, the more supportive they can be at home and in school.  Language is never a barrier, because we have so many staff members who speak different languages.  It is recommended that you send parents a list of suggestions on how to get involved in your classes and/or counseling services. Some possibilities are:

·    Guest speakers on careers, interests, countries or cultures

·    Portfolio Panelists for October, January, March and June

·    People to be interviewed for research projects

·    Assistance in the classroom (attendance, tutoring, resource manager, assistance with routines)

·    Attend field trips

·    Calling other parents, coming to classroom recognitions and celebrations – have a parent leader for the class to help engage other parents.

·    Involve them in homework assignments

Every nine weeks, at the mid-advisory point, there is a Parent Teacher Conference day.  There are no classes that day, and teachers report from 12:00 noon until 7:00 pm to meet with parents.  It is extremely important to be present and prepared on that day, since these meetings can be very powerful.  All teachers bring their grade books and student portfolios to the meeting, and we encourage students to come as well so that they can discuss their work with their parents.