This week is School Home Partnership Night. As you read this, you may be recovering from the event itself, or you may be getting prepared for it. However the event turned out for you, it is important to recognize that the Thursday night event is not, in and of itself, our partnership. Rather, the event is the launching of our partnership for the year. Of course we hope that you get all of your questions answered, that you make many new parent friends, and that you now have full trust in your child’s teacher. But that may not be a realistic expectation for one hectic night at the end of September.
If the night has been a success, then you will know how to get your questions answered when they arise. You will recognize that Cambridgeport is a vibrant adult and child community where you have the possibility of making lifelong parent friends, even if the specific connections weren’t made on Thursday night. You will see that, more than anything, your child’s teacher wants to partner with you for the success of your child—academically, socially, and emotionally.
I have come to recognize that it is not just a platitude to say that education is a partnership between families and school; it is a critical element of our success. Of course partnership can look many different ways. At its core, partnership is about recognizing that we all have a critical role to play in terms of our children’s joy, passion for learning, and academic success. If any of us are uncertain about our respective roles, or actions to take that will forward our mutual goals, we need to communicate.
One goal we have as a school this year is to share with you on a regular basis work that your child has done in school. We hope that this sharing strengthens our partnership, as it will give you a clearer window into not only what is being taught, but also into how your child is learning what is being taught. We hope that sharing this work will enable you to support the learning goals by engaging in further conversation and reflection with your child about the work.
We are all truly looking forward to the many ways we will connect with one another and strengthen the fabric of our school community this year. Thank you for being a part of this important work.