It might feel like summer just started, but Back to School Season is already here.  Bobbie Cecio, co-founder and director of Village Gate Children’s Academy, shares how to create True Partnership with your child’s school in order to create the best possible solutions for your child!

How Do We Create Partnership?

The word “Partnership” is a beautiful one and carries with it so many meanings for so many people. So how do we establish a common idea of partnership? It takes communication, it takes time and effort, and it takes a willingness to be partners.

It is my firm belief, that in order to create an environment where children thrive and learn how to partner with each other, we as educators and guardians must operate consistently with our expectations and hopes for our children. We must push ourselves beyond our comfort zones, judgments, opinions, and the places where we would often “give up” so that we are models for our children living the values and qualities of True Partnership.

See Bobbi Cecio’s Village Conference Talk on Children and Schools here.

Partnering Through Challenges

Being partners is easy when all is going well. It can be more difficult when there is something a little more challenging to work through. Throughout your children’s growing years, they will encounter several forks in the road, where they will have to make important decisions about what they do and how they act. This is completely normal and to be expected. Most often, it is these “forks” that provide the greatest opportunities for growth. It is a child’s job to search for and explore his/her boundaries. Our job is to provide guidance and boundaries to support their ability to find where those boundaries are.

Learn more about setting boundaries through our online parenting course.

If the boundaries at home and school are inconsistent with each other, the child may get confused and ineffective habits or behaviors may continue or possibly increase. At the very least, your child may not succeed at his/her highest potential. You will not feel confident as a parent, nor with the educators. This is why establishing parent-educator partnerships are so critical for our children.

Ways to Establish Partnership with Your Child’s School

1. Take the time to ensure you understand the philosophies of the school’s programs and curriculum.
2. Participate – Participate in school meetings and events. Meetings are designed to take care of your questions and concerns, to provide you further knowledge of how the classroom and school operate and to allow you the opportunity to create relationships with your child’s teachers and other parents whose children are enrolled in your child’s class. School events enrich your experience of the school. Socializing with one another is a wonderful opportunity to relate with all members of the community and to develop relationships at a deeper level.
3. Enroll in Redirecting Children’s Behavior & Participate in Parent Education Programs – By doing so, it allows consistency & continuity to be created between home and school and a common language can be established.
4. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate – Any time you have a question, concern or idea, please make the time to speak to your child’s teacher, an administrator or anyone who can successfully assist you in coming to a conclusion that will work in the best interest of everyone involved. Communication is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. With communication – All things are possible; Without it – Nothing is.

The foundation for a successful parent-educator  partnership should be the mutual belief that each party has your child’s best interest at heart. As educators, we bring our past experiences with children and the perspective. And you, the parents, bring your understanding and knowledge of your child. In addition, your child brings their perspective. Together, we will be able to create the best possible solutions for your child.

By Bobbi Cecio

Bobbi Cecio has spent over 16 years in the field of Education, providing learning experiences for both adults and children. She is co-founder and director of Village Gate Children’s Academy, where partnership is a cornerstone of the program.

Village Gate Children’s Academy serves children Kindergarten through Sixth Grade with Academic Year Programs and Summer Programs. Find out more on their website:  www.villagegateacademy.com.