Kelsey Mercadante

August and September Engagement Opportunity Rationale

August
Welcome Postcard
A welcome postcard is a great opportunity to initially welcome
parents and their students to your classroom. According to Davis and
Yang (2005), one of the goals of the first six weeks is to help parents
feel welcomed. Parents should feel that the teacher is excited to have
their child as a student and is looking forward to working with them
throughout the year (Davis & Yang, 2005, p. 34). By sending out a
welcome postcard to each family, I will genuinely welcome each
student and their families into my classroom. The postcard is a great
approach to welcoming families before their initial visit to the
classroom because it will allow families and students to feel more at
ease that the teacher is excited to have both parents and their child in
the classroom.
I will plan to send out the welcome postcard as soon as I receive
my class roster, before the first day of school. I will need to consider
when I will receive my class roster. If I do not get my class roster until
registration day, then I will send out postcards right after registration
day, still welcoming parents and students to my classroom. I could also
thank the parents who came into registration.
Postcards will be a perfect way to shortly introduce myself
(Macpherson, 2015). Another fun way I could send out welcome
postcards is by sending a playful picture of me playing with my dog or,
and then write on the back of the photo, like a postcard (Macpherson,
2015). The students and parents would love to put a face to my name!
Sending out a postcard to each family serves as a personalized
addressed note that students and parents will appreciate. I could use
the post card in a number of ways other than welcoming families such
as sending personal invitations encouraging parents to visit the school,
or sending a personal thank you to parents and students for bringing in
supplies, volunteering, and attending school events (Virginia
Department of Education, 2010).
In order to send out the postcards, I will need to get the correct
addresses for each of my students from the main office. A postcard will
be appropriate for any family schedule. If I happen to have a lot of
students who speak other languages at home, I could contact a
translator and see if I could translate the welcome postcard into
another language as well as English, to meet the needs of each family.
A postcard will serve as a great tool for reaching out to families as
early as possible.
Welcome Letter

Kelsey Mercadante

A welcome letter is a must for every classroom teacher.

According to Davis and Yang (2005), a welcome letter would fulfill each
of the main goals of investing in the first six weeks of school. I would
choose to send out a welcome letter because it will help parents feel
welcomed and valued, it will welcome parents to take an active role in
their childs education, and it will help build a sense of community
among families (Davis & Yang, 2005).
I will plan to send out a welcome letter during pre-planning or the
first week of school. Since the postcard will serve as a short, initial
welcome, the welcome letter will serve as a more informative piece
that welcomes, as well as informs families of the upcoming school year.
In the welcome letter I will provide fun facts about myself, highlights of
what the children will learn this year, simple ways families can support
their children, ways parents can be involved in the classroom, and my
contact information. My welcome letter will warmly welcome families,
and allow them to feel secure that their concerns, questions, and input
are important. The letter will also offer suggestions on how the parents
can volunteer in our classroom. Volunteering will help parents
understand the teachers job and increase comfort in school. It will also
send a message that families are welcome and valued at school
(Epstein, n.d.). The welcome letter will include how important a teacher
and parent partnership is and how the parents can help their child
learn at home. Lastly, I will provide all of my contact information and
welcome communication from families (Virginia Department of
Education, 2010).
Since this is a letter, it will be appropriate for any family
schedule. If I happen to have a lot of students who speak other
languages at home, I could contact a translator and see if I could
translate the welcome letter into another language as well as English,
to meet the needs of each family (Epstein, n.d.) A welcome letter is an
essential opportunity to welcome, inform, and invite families into your
classroom.
Back to School Night
Back to School Night is a great opportunity to build a sense of
community among families. At the same time that were building a
positive relationship with parents, we can be helping parents build
positive relationships with each other (Davis & Yang, 2005, p. 40). I
plan on having Back to School Night on the second or third week of
school, or whenever the school plans it. When I have Back to School
Night, I plan on involving a modified version of Morning Meeting for
parents to experience.
During Back to School Night I plan to share my goals and
expectations for the year, as well as allow time for parents to get to

Kelsey Mercadante
know one another. Since I plan to include Morning Meeting in my
classroom with my students, I want to have the parents experience a
modified version of it, so they understand the concept. I would
welcome each parent at the door, and have them read a message on
the chart paper. They would write down any questions they may have
on the paper. Then they would walk around the room to view their
childs work (Davis & Yang, 2005). I would also notify parents of
volunteering opportunities. There would be a volunteer sign-up sheet
in the room that will encourage parent involvement. Volunteering will
boost a parents confidence about their ability to work in school and
with children (Epstein, n.d.).
Once everyone arrives to Back to School Night we would sit in a
circle. The Morning Meeting structure will set a positive tone for adult
communication and collaboration. I would go through the Morning
Meeting steps of Greeting, Sharing, Group Activity, and Morning
Message. After the meeting, people will feel more comfortable, and
everyone will be forming relationships. I would begin to conclude the
Back to School Night by going over the questions parents had,
reviewing the curriculum/homework, and discipline approach (Davis &
Yang, 2005).
During the meeting, I would have to make sure I use adult chairs,
nametags for parents, and low-risk activities that will help parents get
to know each other. This will help parents feel more comfortable and
ease communication (Davis & Yang, 2005). Once the parents know
each other, they can use one another as resources. For example, a
parent could call another parent about a homework question (Virginia
Department of Education, 2010). This Morning Meeting Structure of
Back to School Night is an inviting, engaging, and positive method of
building a sense of communities among families.
September
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly newsletters are a great teacher-to-parent communication
technique. Each Monday, I plan on sending a newsletter home with
each student in their daily folders they will bring from school to home
everyday. I will begin to send home a newsletter on the second week of
school.
The weekly newsletters will provide highlights of what we are
learning in each subject for the week. I can use them to communicate
simple reminders to parents. The newsletters will also provide helpful
resources for parents as well as helpful resources for students. Weekly
newsletters are a great way to inform parents of what their child is
currently learning. The provided resources will provide opportunities for
parents to help their child learn at home. Weekly newsletters meets

Kelsey Mercadante
one of the main goals of investing in the first six weeks, which is to
welcome parents to take an active role in their childs education (Davis
& Yang, 2005).
Some resources I can provide on the weekly newsletters include:
offering a help line for parents to use after school hours, websites
where parents can print practice worksheets, websites where students
can practice a concept, or explaining strategies that students are being
taught, so parents can work with their child on a strategy (Virginia
Department of Education, 2010).
When developing the newsletters each week, I will have to
consider the resources the families have at home. For example, some
families may not have a computer; therefore I may have to provide
practice materials for those particular families if they would like to
work with their child at home. I will also have to consider any
communication gaps from families who speak other languages. If this
occurs, I will contact the ESL teacher for assistance, or I could translate
my newsletters into another language using Google translate.
Newsletters will provide and strengthen communication between all
families and I by notifying families what the students are learning in
school (Epstein, n.d.).

Hopes and Dreams Conference

On the second or third week of school I plan to have a hopes and
dreams conference with each students parents/family. I would plan to
send a hopes and dreams letter home to parents beforehand to give
them time to think about their goals for their child. I would encourage
parents to choose an academic as well as a social goal, which can take
the pressure off of parents (Davis & Yang, 2005). I could also remind
parents of this conference in many ways: first phone call, sending a
note home, reminding in a newsletter, and also noting in students
agendas.
I would choose to have a hopes and dreams conference at the
very beginning of the school year because it is a powerful way to show
parents that they matter. By having this conference, I will also gain
information about the child and the family early on, which will allow me
to effectively teach the child (Davis & Yang, 2005). As the parents
communicate their goals with me, I will make sure to write down notes
and record the goals for documentation. During the conference, I would
share how I will try to help their child achieve this goal; as well as
share my goals I have for the entire class. I will tell parents how I will
document student progress toward this goal and I will tell them that we
will work on these goals throughout the entire year, and change them
if needed (Davis & Yang, 2005).

Kelsey Mercadante
During this conference, I will consider whether the goals that
parents make are on level for their child. If the goal is overly ambitious,
I will tell parents what we will be working on this year and how it
compares to that goal (Davis & Yang, 2005). I will try my hardest to
meet with every single family in my class. To accommodate various
work schedules, I will be available before school and after school hours.
I will also be available to meet during my resource time during the
school day. If a family does not show up, I will reschedule a meeting
until I can meet with them in person. I could have a conference over
the phone if a family is unable to make a face-to-face conference. I
could accommodate parents by also having the conference in another
location such as a coffee shop. If there is a language barrier, I could
supply interpreters and or liaisons for the ESOL population (Virginia
Department of Education, 2010).
This conference will strengthen relationships between the
parents and me. The conference will also allow parents to monitor and
be aware of their childs progress (Epstein, n.d.).
Family Interest Inventory
On the fourth week of school, I will send home a family interest
inventory. The family interest inventory will be a form that asks parents
to list any special talents, skills, interests, or family traditions they
would be willing to share with the class. I chose to do a family interest
inventory because it will show families that they are valued. It allows
me to learn more about families and it strengthens my connections
with every family. Families will be more interested to take an active role
in the classroom if they know that they are valued and needed (Davis
& Yang, 2005).
As I receive the completed interest inventories, I will learn a
great amount about each family. I will compile a list of all of the things
the families are willing to share with the class. This list will help me as I
plan lessons and units. I can include parents into the unit that their
interests relate to. These opportunities will allow students to learn
about each others families and this is also a great way to talk about
diversity in our classroom (Davis & Yang, 2005).
This opportunity is a great way to include all families and their
diverse interests. If there is a language barrier, then I can translate the
interest inventory using Google translate. I could have an interpreter
come to class on the day the parent would come into the class to share
their interest. To accommodate all families, I may have to be flexible in
my scheduling. Since people work at different times, I may have to
change up my daily class schedule so parents are able to share their
interests in our classroom (Epstein, n.d.; Virginia Department of
Education, 2010).

Kelsey Mercadante

References
Davis, C. & Yang, A. (2005). Parents and teachers working together.
Turners Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.
Epstein, J. (n.d.). Epstein's framework of six types of involvement.
Retrieved September 13, 2015.
Macpherson, E. (2015). 10 creative ways to introduce yourself to
students. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
Tips and strategies for increasing parent and family involvement in
Virginia schools. (2010). Retrieved September 13, 2015.