Artifact Hi Parents! To celebrate the conclusion of our bowling unit, we will be going bowling!

The Illini Union Bowling Alley has graciously opened up their space to not only allow us to have some fun playing, but also explore the behind the scenes of the alley and the machinery. The trip is on Monday, November 18th at 10:00 am. The cost per student is $4.25. Please bring this in no later than Tuesday, November 12th. I encourage parents to join in on the fun. Let us know if you would like to join us as we wrap up our bowling unit with a bang! Thanks so much, Ms. Jorie Reflection My artifact is a letter I sent home to parents during my five-week takeover this semester. I gained the experience to effectively develop professionalism in the methods I used to communicate important information with the parents of my students. I had the opportunity to write detailed sections of the parent newsletters, I wrote my own additional letters home in regards to my project, and sent a parent thank-you letter at the end of the semester. The artifact I chose is representative of Standard Nine: Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy, because it demonstrates my ability to apply my leadership skills within the classroom community and to maintain this control in another setting. This artifact also demonstrates my ability to communicate with families in order to enhance parent/guardian participation. The artifact demonstrates my ability to communicate important and relevant information to parents and guardians. This artifact is an appropriate representation of Standard Nine and demonstrates the characteristics defined in Knowledge Indicator E and Performance Indicator D. The letter I sent home to the parents shows my emerging and developed leadership skills and how I apply these skills within a variety of learning communities. When I took over, it was my responsibility to keep parents informed of all the activities that were occurring in the classroom, and any upcoming events I would be planning. In my placement there is always a field site visit that corresponds to the Project the children are studying. I was responsible for planning this visit and keeping the parents informed and engaged. This letter shows my leadership skills as a head teacher during a five-week period. This artifact is also a good indicator of my ability to communicate with families, respond to concerns, and contribute to enhanced family participation in student education. The purpose of sending out a letter to the parents is not only to inform the parents of upcoming events, but also to involve them in the process.

The letter is short and to the point because I have learned that the parents in this classroom prefer reading simple letters that are clearly written. In the letter I explained the expectations of all the parents, while also explaining what we would be doing at the visit. I let the parents know the purpose of the visit. Their children not only would be able to enjoy bowling but also understand how the machinery and the systems work. I encouraged the parents to participate in their childs education by joining us on the trip. This artifact demonstrates my growth and development as a teacher because it gave me the opportunity to use my developing leadership skills in a real community setting. I worked within the community to plan the visit, while also working with the parents to join us on the trip. A letter is a simple yet efficient way to communicate with parents, and it was the start to many conversations in person. Once the parents received the initial letter many additional conversations with the parents followed. It opened many opportunities to work on my professional etiquette in writing while also in person. I am more prepared for more future teachings because I have experience communicating with parents in person and in writing. I also gained experience learning how to formally collect money from parents, which can often be a difficult experience. Learning how to effectively communicate with parents is an important skill in becoming a successful future educator.