iServi News | 26 June 2020 | Term 2, Week 9
Parent Engagement
As a community-based College, we are strong promoters of parent engagement. There has been considerable research released over recent years which highlights the positive impact that genuine parent engagement can has on the educational, social and emotional development outcomes for their children.
In support of parents effectively engaging in the learning journey with their children, the University of NSW in conjunction with the Gonski Institute for Education has released a document entitled “Being your child’s first and forever teacher: How to be an effective partner in your child’s learning”.
The document highlights what the research tells us about parent engagement. Some key points from the document are included below:
“Parents are a child’s first and most influential teachers. ‘Parental engagement’ means being positively involved and active in your child’s learning process. It is one of the simplest ways to help your child be successful.”
“Parents are particularly well-placed to interact with their children frequently. The reciprocal, spontaneous conversations, language-rich interactions, shared customs and routines that are facilitated by many parents help to build a healthy and responsive brain and well-supported child. These regular opportunities offer multiple opportunities for learning and provide parents with extensive knowledge about children’s interests and needs.”
“Parental engagement promotes shared responsibility for education and a partnership between families and schools. A collaborative and supportive relationship between home and school is key to promoting better outcomes for children’s learning and happiness.”
The supporting document from the Gonski Institute for Education then outlines a series of key suggestions and tips that parents may adopt to support increased levels of engagement in their child’s education, some of which are as follows:
- Understand the difference between being involved, and being engaged. You might help in the canteen, which is helpful for the school and great if you enjoy it, but this is not the same as engaging with your child’s learning and being a collaborator.
- Communicate with the school, and expect the same in return. Teachers can help parents understand what is happening inside the school gate.
- Provide a stimulating home learning environment.
- Have regular conversations with your child about school. In these, try to cover a range of topics about their school work, friendships, relationships with teachers and if they are worried about anything.
- Communicate the importance of learning, and talk positively about school and learning.
We warmly welcome all families to work in partnership with the College to support the growth of their child. We have a range of formalised engagement opportunities for parents, but of course always invite families to make contact with the College at point of need.
COVID-19 Update
Aligned with the latest State Government and Department of Health advice, the College continues to maintain COVID-19 physical distancing and hygiene precautions to protect the health of our community. With the wellbeing of all students and staff as our highest priority, additional cleaning regimes remain in place. As restrictions ease, including changes to physical distancing requirements, updated information about College policies and events, including excursions and incursions, will be distributed.
School Holidays and Travel Restrictions
Families are asked to notify their Head of Community if their child will be travelling interstate and/or overseas for the July School Holidays, 6 to 17 July 2020. To prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Western Australia, people returning from interstate or international travel must self-quarantine for 14 days from arrival. Further information about self-quarantine requirements is available here.
Mr Jeff Allen
Principal