Communication and Collaboration

A. Family Communication I will make communicating with parents a priority in my class. I plan on meeting the parents and getting their contact information if possible at the annual meet and greet before school starts. Then, I will send home a Music Notes welcome letter at the beginning of semester. In this letter I will introduce myself, list important deadlines and dates, share a little about what the students will be learning, and explain any class expectations I have for the students. I may also follow up with a phone call to introduce myself and give the parents my phone number. The parents will need to sign and send an attachment back to school with their child so that I know they received the letter. I will also communicate with parents periodically during the school year to update them on how their child is doing in music class. Midway through the first and second semester, and closer to the end of each semester are good times for me to update them about how their child is behaving and performing in music. Periodically, I may need to let parents know about field trips or performances coming up. I will do so by first notifying them through a letter, and then sending home a flyer to remind them about the performance about a week before the event. Parent/Guardian Communication Plan Beginning of school year: Welcome/Introduction Letter with class expectations Second week: Follow Up Phone Call/Meet the Parents End of the first month: Music Notes Newsletter with Field Trip/Performance Information Middle of semester: Music Notes Newsletter with individual student report Repeat for the second semester. There will also be periodic communication with the parents about behavior, performances, field trips, t-shirt money/orders, and other incidental occurrences. This communication will mainly occur through letters sent home and sometimes personal phone conferences. B. Communication/Collaboration with Colleagues I will meet with other teachers in the school at the beginning of the year to discuss any students we share who has special needs, behavioral problems or other special considerations. I will keep in regular contact with students who need a TA or other accommodations through email and meetings to discuss their IEPs throughout at least 4 times each school year. For more informal communications, I will use email or after school meetings with other teachers and school personnel who work with this student. I plan on collaborating with professionals and other teachers in the area to provide special opportunities for my students. I will collaborate with Greenwood Lander Performing Arts to provide field trip opportunities for my students. I can do this by contacting the director of the organization via email before the school year begins to find out season information. I will then plan field trips and master classes for my students accordingly, staying in contact with GLPA through email and phone calls. Parents will be notified of field trip dates at the beginning of the year and reminded through a letter. I will also collaborate with other educators at my school to make cross-curricular connections with the subject matter. For example, students who are learning about music from around the world might do a presentation for another class who are learning about holiday traditions from around the world. I might also plan a special school program with the other teachers and invite parents to participate.