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by Allison Thompson
Throw the sunscreen back in the closet and set the lunch money on the counter. Trade the cartoons and baseball cards for textbooks and three-ring binders. Soon children will be thrust back into the routine of waking up early, going to school, doing homework, going to bed early and repeating the process the next day. That’s right: It’s back-to-school time.
After receiving the back-to-school
supply list and realizing there isn’t a single
store in town with the specific type of
loose leaf, wide-ruled, hole-punched
paper your fourth-grader’s teacher
claims is absolutely necessary, you may
also wonder how the summer months
flew by so quickly and where the time
you planned to spend with your children
went.
For many parents, the school year is a
nine-month block during which they
spend less time with their children,
sometimes unaware of what is going on
in their school lives. Involvement at your
child’s school is essential in order to
avoid this disconnect, but it can be especially
difficult for working parents.
Although working a full-time job is a
heavy load, involvement in your children’s
education is crucial to their academic
success, and it not only makes you
a more informed member of the community,
but a also better parent to your
son or daughter.
Getting involved in your child’s school may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t mean you have to single-handedly coordinate the school’s annual carnival or spend every minute of your spare time sewing costumes for the school musical. For busy, working parents, there are other ways to get involved.
Know what your kids are learning. One of the simplest ways to be involved in your child’s school life is to know what your kids are studying and to communicate with their teachers. Discussing your child’s progress with school faculty and letting them know if your child needs extra help is a basic first step. You will get to know their teachers and possibly learn of ways to further your child’s education.
Don’t leave homework
to the kids. Develop a daily routine
for your child’s
studying. Ask them if they need help and quiz them before
exams. Keeping up with their progress shows the teacher that
you have a genuine interest in your child’s success, and just
understanding your child’s strengths and weaknesses at school
will help you feel more knowledgeable and in touch.
Participate in the school’s parent-teacher organization. These groups concentrate on establishing connections between
parents and school staff, bridging the gap between students’
home and school lives. They can also offer ways to get involved
in the school and community. For example, the Muscogee County Council of PTAs manages the
Sara Spano PTA Clothing Bank to
provide clothes for disadvantaged
children in the school district. Each
school in the district sends three
volunteers to work at the clothing
bank four days each year. Parents
can also get involved by making
both monetary and clothing
donations to the bank. And of
course, parent-teacher meetings,
as well as school board and town
hall meetings, provide good
opportunities to voice thoughts
about any school concern.
Meet other parents. Get to know fellow parents by attending sports games, school plays or other school events. Many of these events take place on weekends or late in the evenings, so even working parents can find opportunities to attend. Other parents who attend these events are likely engaged in different aspects of the school and may suggest additional ways to get involved.
Start a carpool. Even if your kids take the bus, carpooling is great for getting kids to sports practices, games or any extracurricular activities. It’s convenient and an easy way to meet both other parents and your children’s friends. Most schools have directories showing which areas of town people live in. Find a family or two near your home to carpool with, and you will likely meet other parents with many of the same interests and goals you have for your children.
Make an appearance. Meeting your
children’s school friends is just as important
as meeting other parents. Pop in the
school every so often. Have lunch with
your children or even treat them and a
few friends to an after-school ice cream
trip. You don’t have to spend hours playing
PlayStation 3 or become BFFs, but
when your kids’ friends recognize you,
you are instantly more connected to the
school, and to your children.
Do what you know. Are you a great
cook? Love art? Think about what sets
you apart and use it both to become
involved and to help the school. Make
cakes for a bake sale or help out at a
school art show. Have an energetic personality?
Volunteer to help the parent
leader of a sports team. Organize the
snack list or host a team party at the end
of the season. Want to help students
improve their grades? Volunteer as a
tutor. There are countless ways to get
involved by doing what you enjoy.
Incorporate your career into the classroom. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question frequently asked of school-aged children. Often, teachers look for outside speakers to come in and give short presentations to students about what they do at their jobs. It’s an opportunity for kids to explore different professions and for the speaker to get to know the teachers, administrators and students.
To find other ways to get involved, most schools have websites that list upcoming events and information for parents. Don’t wait until halfway through the school year to get involved. Plan now to be more active in your children’s education when school starts. It’ll be here before you know it!
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