Your child’s school is an important part of your community. Today, it seems that many parents believe their child’s school doesn’t want or need them, or that their part is just to get them to the door or bus. Not true! You have tremendous opportunity to not only keep up with what your child is learning, but to build up, support and bless the educators who impact every single student in their school each day of the school year.
In addition to communicating your needs (using the PEACE-ful approach, of course!) look for opportunities to affirm teachers for the work they do and the care they give to your child. PEACE has provided suggestions on how you can begin or continue building positive relationships with your child’s teacher and school staff.
Step 1. Build relationship with school staff
Often blessing can happen incidentally. As you drop your children at school or pick them up at the end of the day, think about ways that you can make a difference and make the most of every opportunity, no matter how small. As you cross paths with teachers, your child’s principal and even the crossing guard on the way home, make an effort to be polite, sincere, and caring. You never know what one act of kindness can do!
1. Pray
• For the Lord of the harvest to raise up workers for the harvest
• For favour, open doors, and success for PEACE Ontario in your school
• Prayer walk your school campus weekly
• For unity among pastors and the Church of our community/city
2. Bless and serve the school
• Ask the principal what are the needs of the school/teachers and how we can help. This has been the single most important means of establishing trust, building influence, being an asset because it involves actually listening and starting with the needs of the school instead of our own needs/goals
• Volunteer at school events—fun fair, fitness meet, movie night, fundraisers, etc
• Become a School Council member
• Run as a school board trustee
3. Bless and serve the teachers
• Pray for teachers by name and for their classrooms
• As you walk the campus, thank, bless and encourage teachers
• When meeting a teacher bless with a coffee/tea, muffins, etc.
• Teach your children to be a blessing to the teacher and others
• Provide some of the classroom supplies requested by your child’s teacher (a list usually goes out to parents at the start of the school year)
• Group of parents – throw an end of the quarter “Thank-you” ice cream social for teachers/staff
4. Bless and serve the students
• Pray for students by name
• Drop off a treat for all students in the class
• Tutor
• Volunteer for an after school activities/club— sports, chess, science, technology, robotics, health and wellness, etc.
• Learn from the principal what the needs of low income students are and meet them
• Read in classrooms
Step 2. Communicate with your child’s school
The Ontario Ministry of Education has stated that parents are to communicate with the school so that the school is aware of the concerns. They also want parents to list specific concerns. Sound like a lot of work? Don’t worry, PEACE has created parent forms that make it easier to share your needs in a clear and respectful manner. We’ve researched all the Ministry documents to ensure that by using the PEACE forms, your response will meet their requirements all while using the PEACE-ful approach.
Click below to download the resources you need to communicate your needs effectively with your school.
Step 3. Provide a solution with PEACE alternative curriculum for grades 6-8
When parents request a lesson accommodation, the school is supposed to provide an alternative assignment. Why not provide the solution for the school? PEACE has developed alternative, independent study units for Gr. 6, 7 & 8 (other grades are currently in development) that help the child connect the learning to their faith. Instead of having your child sit in the hall, request that he/she be allowed to work independently on this assignment.
To learn more about our Wonderfully Made curriculum series, click here
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Step 4. Stay connected
Keep communication open with your child and teacher about what they are learning and how to frame it in a biblical worldview.
Continue to
- Build the positive relationship
- Communicate regularly with school staff
- Expand on teaching/discipling your child