Working together best approach
Home and School and You – November 2013
When schools and parents are able to work together in constructive and meaningful ways much can be achieved.
The federation, along with its partners in education, strives to encourage parents and guardians to be more involved and participatory in their child’s education. Small group discussions held at a recent meeting at Bluefield high school brought current educational topics to the table for parents to discuss with the minister of education and other education partners. Reports, when completed, will be posted at https://peihsf.ca
Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Alan McIsaac released P.E.I.’s 2013 Common Assessments results for grades 3, 6, and 9 in literacy and mathematics the end of October. Assessments tell teachers and parents how well their children are doing in math, reading, and writing.
Reports have been sent home with students. Parents are urged to take time to review the results and discuss them with their child’s teacher, and to invite the principal to discuss their school’s results at the next Home and School meeting.
See all reports on the education department’s website at: http://www.gov.pe.ca/eecd/studentassessment and assessment results by school are on the English Language School Board website at: http://www.gov.pe.ca/eecd/index.php3?number=1049146&lang=E
Research on improving educational outcomes for students supports the co-operation of those who have the greatest influence on them, namely parents and teachers. There is unequivocal evidence that parental involvement makes a significant difference to educational achievement.
Thriving Families, Schools, and Communities: Resilience What it Takes to Thrive is the title of a presentation to be given by Dr. Michael Ungar on Thursday, Nov. 7, 7-9 p.m. at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel, Kent Street. Ungar has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and appears regularly on radio and television. His blog www.psychologytoday.com, Nurturing Resilience, can be read on Psychology Today's website. This session is presented by the P.E.I. Home and School Federation with the support of the Department of Health and Wellness.
Here are a some good questions to ask about a child’s performance at upcoming parent teacher interviews at Island schools. What does my child do well? What activities can we do at home to strengthen developing skills? How does my child get along with other students? What is the best way to contact you if we have more questions?
Don’t miss this opportunity to support your child’s education. Remember to talk to your child about school before the interview. Prepare questions ahead of time. Be open and honest. Ask curriculum questions, find out what your child has learned and what is coming up in the next term. Find out about problems before they happen. Ask about how often and how much homework is being assigned and how long the assignments should take to complete and does the teacher correct the homework regularly. Support your child by monitoring their homework.
The strength of P.E.I. Home and School Federation lies in its member associations and parent councils in schools across Prince Edward Island, and the more that the federation can learn about local concerns, share ideas from school to school and assist its members in their local work, the stronger and more effective we become. Local members and parents, students, educators and administrators are welcome to use this form to communicate issues of general concern to the federation at: https://peihsf.ca/content/talkback
Local home and school associations are reminded to submit their membership fees to the provincial federation office by November 30th.
This month, families attend Remembrance Day services with family members to reflect upon and remember the commitment and sacrifice of those who have served and are still serving in the country's armed forces to protect the rights and freedoms everyone values and enjoys in Canada. We must not forget. We must remember.