TWS 10: Communication and Collaboration

Family Connection

It is important to keep students parents/guardians informed throughout the school year. Each
day the students will write down their homework in their agendas. Their homework would be placed
inside the agenda according to the days date. The parents should look at the agenda and sign it after
the child has done the homework. This shows me that the student has shown their assignments to their
parents, and ensures that the homework gets done.

A monthly newsletter will be sent out to the parents to inform them with the upcoming events.
The newsletter will include a break-down of the topics that will be discussed in class, a calendar of
events, and contact information. The information will also be updated on the school website. In addition
to the newsletter, the students will be sent home with a packet of work from the previous month. The
parents/guardians are to sign the packet and return it with the student. This allows the parents to see
the work that their student has done.

In the beginning of the school year, I will send home a letter to the parents/guardians to let
them know about me. In the letter I will include background information such as education, family, and
experiences. I also will send a letter for permission to be video recorded.
Below is the form that is sent home with the packet of papers from each month.

Dear Parents/Guardians, Packet sent home on: September 30, 2016

Attached to this letter is all the work your child has completed this past month. Please look
through the packet and see what your child has been learning. This packet includes all major
tests, word study tests, in class worksheets, and homework. The homework assignments were
checked for correctness, but were not graded.

-Ms. Holland

Please sign below stating that you have looked through this packet.

__________________________________________________________
Communication/ Collaboration with Colleagues
When creating an effective environment for you and your students, it is very important
to communicate and collaborate with colleagues. The first form of communication with
colleagues would be to get in touch with my grades team of teachers. I would contact them to
set up an appropriate time to meet. At the meeting I would want to discuss long range plans,
lesson plans, and upcoming events with them. Being in touch with those who are going through
the same thing as you is very important. Having a close team of teachers creates accountability
and organization that will later make your school year run smoothly.

I would also want to be in touch with the resource teachers, the ESOL teachers, and the
RTI specialist. This is a group of teachers that will be constantly in and out of the classroom. I
would want to touch base with them to ensure the students are well taken care of in and out of
the classroom. I would also communicate with all of my colleagues during the regular staff
meetings.

I would also e-mail the school guidance counselor and the technology specialists that
are available to me. Teachers should be familiar with their resources and use them effectively. I
would be best to reach out to the guidance counselor to see what they will be doing with your
class. The counselor may have something planned that will affect your day, so you would want
to know and plan accordingly. You would want to be very familiar with the technology specialist
so that if any problem came up, you would know what to do. Technology is becoming more
prevalent in classrooms and it is essential to stay up to date with the changes.
To: ____________
Cc :____________

Subject: John Doe____________

Mrs./Mr.,________________

This week we will be covering comparing and contrasting during reading time.
During writing, students will be asked to write how their two animals are alike
and different. They will use the Venn diagram they created in reading to create
this writing. Since John is with you during writing, is there any way you could help
him start on his writing?
Also, I noticed that John has not been having more difficulty spelling than he
normally does. Do you have any ideas of why or how to assist him?

Thanks,

Ms. Holland
 Below is an example of the worksheet used during grade team meetings. It would be
turned in the week before the lessons are taught.

Week: ________ Date:__________

Writing Word Social
Math Reading Science
Study Studies

Lucy Calkins
Lucy Calkins
Unit 3:
Unit 3: Native
Multiplication If/Then ier/eer/ear Off week
Mysteries Americans
Sessions 4-
Sessions 2-6
8

What is something you need to work on with instruction?

What is something going well with instruction?

Are there any comments and/or concerns?

Please sign below stating you were present during the grade level meeting:
Extra-Curricular Involvement:

The first extra-curricular event I participated in was the kindergarten pumpkin patch field trip.
The class I chaperoned for was in desperate need for help. The day before the trip the people where
were to help called and said they were unavailable. This was a perfect opportunity for me to learn about
field trips within a school. I was able to see what the teachers do and how they handle behavior on a
trip.

The second extra-curricular event I attended was the Mathews Elementary Fall Festival. The
festival was open for students and the family of the students. Mrs. Ott and I worked a bean bag toss
game. The event was held for two hours in the evening. This opened a perfect opportunity to get more
familiar with families.