Peek at the Week Newsletter
To bridge the link between home and school, it is critical for me to communicate regularly with parents about what is going on in the classroom. This not only informs parents of what their child is learning, but it also holds me accountable for what I teach. I send out weekly Peek at the Week newsletters both in paper form (example) and on my teacher website. Information on the newsletters includes the week’s learning standards and activities, homework, and important announcements.
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Class Dojo
Class Dojo serves as both a behavior management strategy and a parent communication tool. I use Class Dojo as a way to show a child’s Dojo score report, to message parents, and to share positive photos. Through Class Dojo, I post photos to the whole class story for all parents to see and post photos to individual student stories. I started using Class Dojo during my internship year in 2017 and have received comments from parents saying that they love seeing photos of their child during the school day and that it has helped them feel more involved with their child’s schooling
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Second Step Home Link
I have taught the Second Step social-emotional learning curriculum. With this curriculum, I assigned Home Links worksheets for students and an adult family member to complete at home that corresponded with the in-school lessons (e.g. making a plan, calming down from strong emotions). The Home Links were another way to connect home-school life while focusing on developing the child’s lifelong social-emotional skills. Adults could reinforce the positive behavior and coping strategies covered in the Home Links.
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