Learning in Partnership

One of the things that I most enjoy about Calrossy is the level of relationships that exist across the School community. We are a relational school in which people matter. It is one of our strengths.

Positive relationships between staff and students is part of the magic that exists in every classroom. Mutual trust, respect and partnership are pivotal to strong school culture. Knowing children and supporting their individual learning is important in bringing out their best.

Parent relationships with school are also vital. There is a great deal of research that indicates that when parents are invested in their children’s education and work closely in partnership with the school, the outcomes for children are much higher. This is why the partnership component between parents and staff is part of the Strategic Plan for the School.

From the School perspective, it means ensuring effective communication to the parent body. Providing information on progress, student activity details, reporting on progress and how improvement might be achieved, ways in which parents can contribute and forums through which to raise concerns, are all important. The School also needs to be open to listen to parents, understand the children and enable dialogue that supports student learning and growth.

It has been a great pleasure this year to observe the resumption of events in which the important partnership with parents has been emphasised. Parent attendance was high in the various Information Evenings, there was strong support for the P & F contribution to the Colour Run and I have been delighted with large number of parents visiting the Junior School assemblies where the student learning is visibly on display. Recent Parent Teacher interviews have been productive. The assistance of parents in Sport and co-curricular activities is also a positive and a wide range of parent contributions adds value to the students and their learning opportunities.

I am not naïve enough to believe that Calrossy is perfect in all communication and we are always open to constructive feedback from parents, both positive and relating to areas needing improvement. This form of partnership is productive as we work to improve, grow and provide the optimum conditions for student growth and learning.

Whilst the large majority of our Calrossy parents are extremely supportive, schools everywhere have recently reported increasing issues related to the parent/school partnership. I came across this COVID related article below in Mama Mia online magazine and thought it worth sharing. It is summarised but the entire article can be accessed via https://www.mamamia.com.au/teachers-wishlist-for-parents/

The article is based on quotes from teachers.

Things Teachers Wish Parents Would Stop Doing and Saying.

© Mama Mia magazine

In 2023, there's one thing that's become apparent: The conditions of three years of COVID have led to some people forgetting how to behave. And it's no-one’s fault. After all, we were locked inside for basically two years. Isolated. Spending a lot of time online wearing stained ‘trackies’ and watching celebrities make TikToks.

So, in a bid to help remind us all how to behave like polite human beings, Mama Mia magazine has asked people in different fields to share their hard-line dos and don'ts, according to their expertise. The article below used primary and high school teachers to write about the things that parents do that get on their nerves.

1. Talking about teachers and schools online.

"I’m a teacher and a mum. I’m in a Facebook group for the parents in my child’s class. I hate that these groups are used to talk about teachers, their decisions, their teaching or the school in a ‘private’ space behind their back. I think if you have a concern about something, speak to the teacher. Teachers are doing the best they can (mostly) and deserve the respect of being treated like professionals and not gossiped about." - Clare.

"Don’t put anything in a Facebook group or chat that you wouldn’t say to the teacher’s face. If it’s in writing somewhere, chances are they’ll see or hear of it, and it is so demoralising." - Michelle.

2. Poor communication that is 'urgent' or angry.

"Please don’t email me during the school day to ask me to check if your child is cold so that you can bring them a jumper. I probably won’t see it until the end of the day. I know we are all busy, but if an issue is concerning you enough to send an angry email, take the time to make a phone call or come and see us for a meeting. Harsh, angry emails upset us because we are always trying our best." - Rebecca.

"Please don't email and expect a response from me during the school day. I barely get to look at my computer to check emails because I am teaching your child!" - Kate.

3. Don't ask teachers to solve your kids' social media issues.

"If you allow your child to have social media, please don’t ask me to sort out issues that have occurred between your child and another child on social media." - Rebecca.

4. Not believing the teacher's version of events.

"Please give us the respect of believing us when we tell you what happened. No, your child is not always telling you the truth. No, you cannot always tell when your child is lying." - Rebecca.

Please don’t email me saying your child doesn’t have to do the detention or other consequences for their behaviour. Please remember that children don’t want to disappoint or upset their parents so the version they tell you is almost always not the whole truth." - Anna.

5. Not allowing your kid to be independent.

"Please stop carrying your child’s belongings for them and then unpacking for them. Your child needs a sense of independence and awareness of where their things go in the classroom. You don’t need to be able to find it - they do!" - Kate.

"Stop texting and phoning your kids in school hours!" - Amie

6. Moving your kids around too much.

"Please try not to move your kids from school to school. Give your child a chance to settle and find a community!" - Kate.

7. Undermining our decisions.

"Please do not question my integrity or decisions in a public forum like Facebook, outside my classroom door or in front of your child. If you show me disrespect, so will they." - Carla.

8. Making excuses about homework.

"Please stop whining about how you are too busy to complete any homework, even when it's just five minutes of reading at night." - Hannah.

"Learning occurs outside of the classroom too. Provide opportunities for them to read, write and work mathematically. Don't wait for homework to be given - learning should be fun and relevant to their home life, not a chore." - Jessica.

9. Allowing sick kids to go to school.

"Please, when your child says, ‘I feel sick and don’t want to go to school today’, don’t say to them, ‘If you feel sick, tell the teacher and I’ll pick you up.’ Nine times out of 10, this then becomes their immediate plan for the day - complain to the teacher, call Mum/Dad, get picked up, go home." - Rachel.

And finally, here's what teachers want from parents....

10. Please be kind.

"Please just be kind and decent. You have no idea what my day has been like. Teaching has been so tough in the past few years; we take on so many of the traumas and burdens our kids suffer and some days that load is overwhelming." - Carla.

"Do not underestimate the impact of a simple letter of thanks. Feeling appreciated makes a HUGE difference to how I feel about my job and my life choices. These small tokens of gratitude are like 'power ups' for teachers; they give us the energy to keep going and remind us that we are making a difference, even when it feels like we aren't. Many teachers treasure little letters of gratitude and we keep them in our drawers to re-read when having tough days." Rachael.

"Don’t feel the need to give us material gifts. Do say thank you or write a little note to express your gratitude. Those are the things I treasure and re-read when I need reminders of why I do the job." - Laura.

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I rarely encounter too many of these issues at Calrossy and I believe we enjoy a positive partnership with our parent body. However, I found it a helpful article to consider as I reflected on the important partnership between school and parents. (I have no doubt it would be helpful for me also to read about things that schools do, that don’t assist parents.)

What the article emphasised to me though is that ultimately both parents and teachers have a common goal – which is the success of children. When that is primary, the outcome in terms of learning, personal growth and success is promoted in a most powerful manner. Long may we partner together.

“Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.” Proverbs 1:8-9

David Smith

Principal

Calrossy P and F