Family and Community

8 Ideas for Engaging Families and the Community

Strong family and community relationships are critical components of positive school culture The importance of building strong relationships with parents and community members cannot be underestimated; these stakeholders must be an integral aspect of a school’s culture. School leaders must also recognize that bi-annual conferences, monthly newsletters, and occasional calls to a media outlet are

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No More Assemblies

How to make engaging with outside professionals count An exploding mixture! A cloud in a bottle! Every student’s hand in the air to volunteer. Everyone’s laughing. Sounds like an educator’s dream. But when the dust (or simulated volcano) settles, it is often difficult to pinpoint what students learned. Did they leave with a stronger understanding

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Let’s Make a Video

Developing communication and leadership skills through community engagement During the middle school years young adolescents not only become aware of the changes associated with physical and emotional maturity, but they also adjust to new learning standards and expectations. The goals of middle school include fostering the self-esteem, self-worth, and confidence necessary for young adults to

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Going Beyond School

Connecting school and community in project-based learning It’s easy to stereotype “kids these days.” Always on their phones, always taking selfies, tethered to a virtual world but disconnected from the real one. If you don’t work with kids, or know what is happening in schools, it can be easy to think of young adolescents in

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