INITIAL OUTREACH TO FAMILIES
It is a PLA expectation that all families receive a welcome phone call or letter from their classroom teacher PRIOR to the first day of school to welcome them to their classroom. There is a lot of anxiety around the start of a new school year by not only the school, but also our families. A simple welcome call or letter goes a long way to making our families feel welcome and excited about the new year.
School leaders should organize this effort and ensure it happens. This could take place during the Teacher Institute. Leaders set asside 1 hour to have all staff reach out to families and welcome them. This also helps with attendance. It gives the school a chance to remind families of the first day of school and answer any questions they may have.
Here is an example script that could be followed when reaching out to families and making that initial contact:
“Hello, I am Ms. PLA calling to let you know I will be _________'s teacher this year, and I am so excited to meet him next week. <Share any Back to School Night information as well as first scholar day.> Please reach out to me at <email address> if you have any questions. I can’t wait to get started next week, and look forward to a great school year!”
"Making a positive phone call home after the scholars are in the classroom the first week goes a long way in building trust and early relationships with families!"
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