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1.
Won't it be confusing and disruptive, having parents present
on the First Day of School? |
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Most
schools report a strong spirit of parent/teacher/student
cooperation and reduced disciplinary problems when parents
(and other adult family members or mentors) are on hand
for First Day programs and celebrations. Here's how
an elementary school says it got parents involved:
The
way we structured our program, with opportunities for
parents to participate in a variety of activities, they
were anything but disruptive. Parents were there to
assist as we needed them, and they were supportive in
a hands-on kind of way that was unique to the First
Day of school "Holiday" program. Their enthusiasm helped
generate even more enthusiasm and cooperation from the
kids, and the day ended up going more smoothly than
most first days had in the past!
Don't forget - you're in charge. Each school plans its
own First Day. You can structure First Day of School
Programs for Parents in ways to bring out the best in
everyone, yourselves included!
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2.
Why on the First Day? What's wrong with later in the school
year when things have settled down? |
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Waiting
for things to settle down usually means that students
with academic or behavior risks will have "settled down"
into bad habits and parent/teacher relationships may
have also settled down into something negative. Building
parent/teacher and family/school partnerships from the
very First Day, when everyone - including teachers!
- has a clean slate, keeps a lot of kids out of trouble
and helps parents and teachers forge friendly relationships
so they can deal more cooperatively and effectively
with problems which may arise later.
The
excitement and symbolic importance of the First Day
of School - even the First Day anxieties we all experience
- make First Day the one day each year when it is simultaneously
most important and easiest to establish rapport with
parents, enlist them as partners in education, and coach
them in positive and effective ways they can help their
children have a great school year.
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3.
Why call it a "Holiday"? Why not "First Day Celebration"
or something else? |
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The
word "Holiday" is useful in a number of ways. It's attractive
to parents (especially those who are uneasy or intimidated
in an academic setting), it catches people's attention,
it's a great newsmaker, and it reminds employers that
their role is to allow a little time off so that working
parents can attend and participate.
Actually,
though, you can call it whatever you like: First Day
of School Jamboree, Rodeo, Fair or something else. Each
school plans, prepares, presents, and names its own
programs, custom tailored to its particular circumstances.
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4.
We already have an Open House and plenty of parental involvement.
Who needs another event? |
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Open houses have their place, but First Day is unique
in underscoring the value the entire community places
on education. When employers give their working parents
time off, even unpaid or flex time, to attend school with
their children, that's a message which can't be replicated
any other way. Plus, getting parents in on the First Day,
instead of even a couple of weeks later (when some kids
are already in trouble, often the students who need the
help and support) really helps set the tone for the year.
It may seem only symbolic, but symbols are important specifically
because of how they mobilize us and make us receptive
to ideas, change and challenge. |
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5.
Won't a First Day program make the transition to school
more difficult than usual, especially for the youngest
students? |
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We've
found that when parents and kids all get to know the
school together, everyone is more comfortable, including
the very youngest students. In fact, many of them find
it easier to bond with the new classmates they're meeting
when their parents are right there on the sidelines.
In the three years we've been doing First Day, we've
never had separation problems when it's time for the
parents to leave. If anything, it's been far easier
because of those first few hours of togetherness and
support.
Kids gain confidence from knowing that their teachers
are not strangers to their parents, and seeing parents
and teachers together on the First Day can build that
confidence immediately.
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6.
How much extra work will it involve? |
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I'm already stressed! Presenting First Day Programs
for Parents requires a bit more of teachers and school
administrators. This can be a little or a lot, depending
on how ambitious and elaborate your programs and activities
are. You'll probably want to "start small."
But
even just serving refreshments and being friendly can
go a long way towards setting a positive tone. You can
probably get the refreshments donated, while being friendly
costs nothing and pays back big time. A one-page list
of "Tips to Parents" takes only a little time to prepare.
It's
a small price to pay for the benefits realized - getting
parents on board with you right from the start, and
helping them understand how they can send their children
to school ready to learn each morning. If they can help
that way, your own stress will be noticeably reduced.
And next year you can add some more substantive activities
and materials.
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7.
I'm trying to set the tone for the year. This is MY time
to build rapport with my students. |
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Rapport between teachers and children is ten times
better (at least!) when both children and parents feel
welcome not only on the first day but throughout the year.
Rapport is about openness, it's about being vested in
one another, it's about mutual support and striving to
meet each other's expectations. Rapport is not something
which is set in a day, but it is something which can be
far stronger the more inclusive you make it. I've heard
and old saying that goes "There's nothing as powerful
as a teacher with the door closed." And I say that real
power, positive power comes when we open that door, especially
if it divides teachers and parents. |
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8.
What about kids whose parents don't show? Couldn't that
make them feel worse? |
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As long as a child has a caring adult to buddy up
with, he or she can feel just as important as anybody
else. We've had a lot of people from the community come
in to participate in our First Day programs, and they're
all happy to pair up with children. Whether it's a teacher,
another parent, or a community member, the important
thing is that the child feels supported and is receiving
some special attention. Some kids whose families are
not so supportive may even feel more comfortable with
another student's parent. It's just never been a problem
for us.
First Day can actually be an opportunity to recruit
volunteers for Big Brothers/Big Sisters or similar mentoring
programs. And organizations like RSVP can be natural
partners in First Day activities.
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9.
First Day may be OK for little kids, but junior high and
high school students don't want their parents around! |
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The structure of First Day programs will be different
in the upper grade levels; parents and students may
spend more of the day apart than together. But the purpose
is the same: for parents to demonstrate - to both their
children and their children's teachers - their support
of education, and to get some coaching on their changing
roles in their children's education. Remember, parents
probably need even more coaching as their children enter
the increasingly risky years of middle school and high
school. This is a time when parent/child relationships
change ever more rapidly, and everyone may need help
keeping up.
As
First Day becomes a "traditional" community-wide event
so that it comes to be something that's expected year
after year and accepted by all students at all grade
levels, then it may well help to convince parents that
adolescence is no time to drop their kids on the school
doorstep and leave.
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10.
What about teachers who are also parents? How do you make
it fair for them? |
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This is a hard one. There's really no way to let them
off on the First Day of School. But we make provisions
for teaching parents to get free for a couple of hours
during that first week so they can go visit their children's
schools and meet their children's teachers. It's so important
to be able to do that during the daytime when class is
in session, and teachers need that experience as much
as any other working parents. |
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11.
How do we monitor security with all those extra people
around? |
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It's really just like any other event, whether that's
an open house or a popular athletic event. In fact, security
on First Day may even be a little easier because people's
positive energy is so high, it's hard for something really
negative to gain any momentum. Our main concern is knowing
where the students are, and making sure they're safe and
involved. With that many adults around, we're probably
far more secure than we would be otherwise. |
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12.
What about parents who are disruptive or who have been
ordered not to be around their children? |
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First Day's no different than any other day in that respect.
If a parent arrives at the school drunk or disorderly,
or otherwise compromises students' safety and security,
then you'd call in the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Because First Day is such a positive experience, though,
these kinds of incidents are less likely to happen than
they might be otherwise. |
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13.
Our parents probably wouldn't want to come anyway. They're
all busy people who just don't have the time, or they're
not interested and wouldn't know what to do. |
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You
never know until you ask! Most parents would really
love to come to school, and all they're waiting for
is the invitation and the chance to leave work without
compromising their jobs. The First Day of School "Holiday"
gives them the opportunity to do that.
Many
of the schools which have hosted First Day Programs
for Parents have witnessed a sharp increase in the number
of parent volunteers who stay around to help throughout
the year. In some schools, parent involvement in the
PTA has increased by 8-10 fold. One school saw its numbers
rise from just a handful to 50% of all parents in the
school.
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14.
Will employers allow working parents time off to attend
First Day of School activities? |
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In our experience, employers see the benefit of supporting
their working parents and allowing them time off from
work to participate in First Day of School Holiday programs.
The cost can be negligible because time off can be unpaid,
time to be made up, or paid time. |
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15.
If my school is the only school in the district that is
interested, can we still participate? |
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Certainly.
Your school can be a leader, inspiring others to follow
in years to come! |
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16.
There are only a few weeks before the end of this school
year. Do I have enough time to plan a program for the
beginning of the next school year? |
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Of
course you do - because you design the program as you
wish. Obviously, if you had more time, you could gain
more support and feedback from others, which makes the
process even more manageable. However, there are still
a great number of First Day programs you can successfully
present with just a few weeks of planning time. Remember,
some of the planning can also take place during the summer. |
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17.
How can we handle more people, traffic, parking? |
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Depending on where the school is located, parking can
be a problem or of no concern at all. If it is a problem,
it's not insurmountable. Here's one town's solution:
We're fortunate in that a lot of our parents and
students are within walking distance. But to accommodate
the increased volume of traffic at some of the schools
downtown, the merchants got together and sponsored a
shuttle service from the municipal parking lots. That
gesture alone sent a huge message to the kids about
community support of their education and their schools!
In another community, the company providing school bus
service offers free school bus shuttles from and to
parking lots volunteered by shopping centers.
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18.
OK, but why should we make this effort? Why should we
do this? |
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The First Day of School Holiday is a powerful tool for
building positive relationships between parents, teachers
and students, starting on Day One. It serves to strengthen
the link between community employers and the school system,
and gets everyone primed for a great year ahead. Watching
teachers in action gives parents and other community members
a newfound level of respect for what teachers do throughout
the year. So it's a winning proposition for everyone involved!
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First
Day Foundation
210 Main Street, PO Box 10, Bennington, Vermont 05201-0010
Phone: (802) 753-3005 Fax: (802) 753-3009 Toll Free: 1-877-FIRST
DAY
e-mail: firstday@sover.net
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Major
funding provided by
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