There
are significant differences in traits of parents who are involved
in their children's education and those who are not involved. All
these differences benefit children and can be encouraged. Here
are the most significant things parents can strengthen:
Are more sensitive
to their children's social, emotional and intellectual needs.
Show more affection
and are more accepting of their children.
Praise children
more often and use less punishment.
Use more complex
language with children and encourage them to voice their thoughts
and feelings more.
Are more apt
to reason with children than rely on their parental authority
to get children to behave.
Encourage children
to take more initiative and engage in more exploratory behaviors.
Are more aware
of the causes of children's distress and more skillful in comforting
children.
Find children
more interesting and enjoyable, and find parenting less
burdensome.
Pursue more
educational development for themselves.
Are more skillful
in using the community agencies to meet family and child's needs.
Ongoing Communication...It's
important!!
The teachers
and principal are eager to have ongoing  communication
with parents and other family members who are important in our
student's lives.
Parents are
encouraged to call the school to speak with their child's teacher
or to arrange for a conference. Also, parents are welcome
to drop by the classroom to make arrangements for meeting with
teacher(s). We make every effort to develop a dialogue with
you about your child!
Classroom Visits
Occasionally,
a parent would like to visit their child's classroom. Please
contact the office so that you and the teacher can coordinate
a time.
Volunteers
Parents and
community members have a long tradition of giving valuable time
to help at school. On special occasions such as field trips
and book fairs, parent help is solicited by a notice sent home
with your child. The staff is open to parents suggestions
about ways to volunteer time, expertise, etc. Give us a
call or send a note.
Open House
Early in the
school year, late September or the beginning of October, we hold
our annual Open House. This is an opportunity for the entire
family to visit all classrooms and teachers. There are special
displays and children's work throughout the building. Generally,
Open House is accompanied by a bake sale sponsored by the PTO.
Parent Conferences
Parent/Tteacher
conferences are held formally two times a year, once in November
and again in March. During these conferences, teachers share
your child's progress in school, your child's portfolio and work
samples. This is a time for you to discuss your concerns
and impressions of your child's work and progress. Please
remember that you do not have to wait until the formal conference
times to meet with your child's teacher should any questions or
concerns arise. The staff is available throughout the year
for arranging conferences with parents.
Report Cards
Report cards
for grades 1 & 2 will be issued two times during the school year.
These written reports will be sent in January and June and
have been set on an alternating schedule with conferencing, i.e.
conference-November, report card-January, conference-March, report
card-June.
For Kindergarten
and Grade 3 a different schedule will be followed. These
grades will follow a three period reporting system: conference
and report card in November, conference and report card in March,
and report card in June.
Child Study
Sometimes
it is necessary to have additional information about a child's
growth and development. This may be because the child is
experiencing some difficulty with learning and/or emotional adjustment.
In order to determine how best to help a child succeed,
a group of selected support staff, the classroom teacher, parent(s)
and building principal convene in what is called a Child Study
Meeting. At this time, all members at the meeting offer
input as what other instructional approaches and/or materials
should be attempted or if formal assessments should be pursued
through Special Education. Parents
are welcome to bring along a friend or family member to help in
the decision making process.
Newsletters
Each month
a newsletter is sent keeping parents informed as to upcoming events
and important notices. Each classroom is highlighted so
as to keep everyone abreast of the variety of activities happening
throughout the school.
PTO
The Montague
Center School has a Parent Teacher Organization that meets monthly.
The group works on raising funds to support educational
enrichment projects/activities. For the 1995/1996 school
year the PTO spearheaded raising close to $20,000 for the construction
of the playground structure and swings that we now enjoy. Previous
to that, the PTO was instrumental in purchasing computers for
classrooms. This year's focus has yet to be determined.
The PTO provides an active and enthusiastic setting for
supporting the school.
School Community Council
School councils
were offically formed by the Massachusetts Education Reform Act
of 1993. The council consists of parents, teachers, a community
representative and the principal. The purpose of the council
is to work with the building principal on assessing the needs
of the school and helping to formulate a plan to achieve school
improvement. Some of the elements contained in a school
improvement plan are: class size & teacher ratios, professional
development, school safety & discipline, school climate, diverse
learning needs of students within the regular classroom setting
and further subjects considered appropriate by council members.
The Montague
Center School Community Council meets once a month from 3:30 to
5:00 PM on a day convenient for all members. The first Council
meeting generally takes place in October.
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