Mrs. White Learning Center: Reflective Essay

Welcome to Mrs. White Learning Center where we strive to create a loving and safe environment. We believe that all children are unique, therefore we welcome all cultural to our school because it brings diversity and creates exceptional opportunities for children to learn about other cultures and traditions. At Mrs. White Learning Center, we have an open-door policy where we partner with the local community and families to help create a warm home atmosphere, since families are their children first teachers we encourage and offer open communications between our families and staff. We believe having strong relationship with families with help to promote children social, cognitive, physical and emotional development.

Our Values

Staff- We understand the importance of quality staff, that’s why we provide our staff with professional development training and well as other opportunity for them to enhance their own education.
Education- Here at Mrs. White Learning Center we are dedicated to provide families and their children with excellence in early childhood care and education in a home environment that encourages learning.
Health and wellbeing- We promote a healthy lifestyle providing wholesome meals for the children to eat, meals are severed family style in a loving and relaxing setting.
Community – We strive to be a role model for the community by giving back.
Families – We are devoted to creating a strong bond between community, school and families.

2) Describe TEN family friendly classroom practices you plan to put into place in your
classroom.
• The first thing I would do is to make sure that the environment feels warm and inviting. I would have pictures of all the families around the room and I would display the children work at their level.
• I would provide monthly phones to the parents just to inform on things that will be taking place at the center and to discuss any concerns that may have.
• I would also provide parents with a newsletter that will display the letter, shape, color of the month as well as any birthday, special events that will be taking place or introduction of new teachers.
• I would provide parent teacher conference at different times of the day to make sure that every parent had the opportunity to come.
• I would invite parents to come in a be a classroom helper
• I would also create a staff profiles outside of each teacher’s classroom to better help the parents to get former with the person that is care for their child.
• I would make sure that the parents could reach the teacher directly by cell phone and email.
• I would provide resource to families are in need.
• I would also like to provide education opportunity for parents to learn how to deal with situation where their child might be a bitter or bed wetter.
• I would provide children homework that requires their parent to read to them and the log will need to sign and retuned every day. If a parent had trouble reading I would provide tutorial for them at no cost.
• I would to provide opportunity for the student, teacher and family to connect outside of the school.

Part II: Your Family Involvement Outreach Strategies

Each of the below questions are based on the article “What Research Says About Family’s Involvement in Children’s Education”.

Level One-How will you support families’ efforts to establish positive nurturing relationships with their children and/or their capacity to implement effective parenting techniques?
I would offer free training for parents so that they can learning new parenting techniques, I would like to offer education classes for such as GED and some college course. I think it would be great to have some classes where the parent and child can go together such as The Family Nurturing Center they have a program that focuses on the development needs of young children and it set the foundation for a heathy and nurturing relationship.

Level Two-How will you communicate with families and have them communicate with you? (Two way communication vs. One way)
I will communicate with my parents through face to face interaction everyday as well as through regular monthly phone calls. I would also provide my parents with my personal phone where they can call or texts when needed

Level Three-How will you have families serve as volunteers in your classroom?

Having parents to volunteer in my classroom would be wonderful I would have them to do a dress up as a special character and read to my kids. I think it would also be great to have volunteer during the summer when children are going to different field trip for example I would take my children to splash town and I would love to have several volunteers to help me on this trip.

Level Four-How will you have families help with learning at home?

I would have homework polices that the parents would sign when they enroll their children, that they will have a positive attitude about homework since its part of the learning process.

Parent will have to sign off on the children homework every day and one of the requirements will be to read to your child for twenty minutes a day. I believe that homework can be fun for instance for I would ask the children to count the numbers of windows in their houses.

Level Five-How will you have families help with decision-making on campus?

To have families help with decision making on campus I would provide survey or have a meeting where the parents can come out for us to discuss the best

solution.

Level Six-How will you collaborate with the larger community?
I would identify and partner with community program such as WIC so that if a parent couldn’t afford milk for her baby then I can guide her to the right people. I would become part of the food bank so that if we have a family that need food we can assist them in these areas. It’s important to go out into the community to make them aware who you and that you willing to help others, this way you can get the resource that your parents may need, plus it gives you the opportunity to know what service in the community needs your help.

Part III: Monthly Family Involvement Events or Activities

Month Describe each of the monthly events or activities you will use to encourage families to be actively involved in their child’s education at school and ensure that families play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning. What are the Outreach Strategies and/or Family Friendly Practices this activity supports?
August
Open House
Children and parents will have the opportunity to come out and explore the school and meet her teacher. Parents will learn about different ways that they can get involved in their child’s educations.

Outreach strategy
Communicating (2), Learning at home (4)

September Family Night
Parents will come together for a better understanding of academic content. Teachers will explain the math program and parent will discuss how they use math on their jobs. There will be several types of math games for the family to play

Outreach strategy
Learning at home (4), Collaborating with the community (6, Communicating (2)

October H.O.P.E.
Hang on Please Everyone
An education training on depression for parents and students. After the training everyone gets into small group to discuss and share ideas and suggestion. This will be offered by the school to help parent understand the sign of depression and to help children to deal with it.
Outreach strategy
Communicating (2)
Parenting (1)
Collaborating with the community (6),
Decision Making (5)

November Fall Festival
Organized carnival games, chili cook off, and free rides the community. This event is to bring the community together and to raise money for the school. This event will be put on the parents.
Outreach strategy
Volunteering (3), Collaborating with the community (6), Decision Making (5)

December PACT
Parents and Children Together
Worksheets will be handed out, the first sheet will discuss the correct way to dress your child during the Winter, there also another sheet that the parents can do with their children at home, where they can practice building and dress a snowman or penguin. Parents will also be giving a list of books that they can read to children that talks about Winter. Outreach strategy
Parenting (1)
Communicating (2)
Learning at home (4)

January Family Fun Day
This event will provide educational and family activities that shared the importance of physical; activities. The children will work on team building and social skills, Outreach strategy
Communicating (2)
Learning at home (4
February Valentine Day Dance
Children and theirs are invited out to come celebrate Valentine’s Day together. This is a great way to get know each other on a personal level. There will be food, games, and a DJ.
This event is put on by a network of parents, so all the decision was left up to them. Outreach strategy
Decision Making (5), Volunteering (3), Collaborating with Community (6)
Month Describe each of the monthly events or activities you will use to encourage families to be actively involved in their child’s education at school and ensure that families play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning. What are the Outreach Strategies and/or Family Friendly Practices this activity or activities supports?
March
Day of Care
Children will collect sock to give to the homeless, which we a seeking volunteer to help the children. Children will get the chance to speak to some hopeless people and learn about our they ended up homeless.
Outreach strategy
Volunteering (3), Collaborating with Community (6)

April Classroom Volunteer Month
Parents will assist teacher in different task in the classroom, this will help teachers spend more one on one time with each student. Students will also dye Easter Eggs and we will host an Easter Hunt for the younger classes. Outreach strategy
Communicating (6)
Volunteering (3)

May Muffins with Mom
Mothers will have the opportunity to eat with their children, and learn about their progress in class.

Outreach strategy
Parenting (1)
Community 2)