Introduction
The school under consideration is a kindergarten in the K-12 system in the United States. The kindergarten is located in an urban area characterized by ethnic, cultural, and racial diversity. The preschool facility can be classified as mid-sized and is attended by over 160 students. Both full-day and half-day kindergarten classes are offered to students. The average class size is 17 students, with two teachers assigned for each group. The kindergarten caters primarily to students aged four to six and offers K-1 and K-2 grade-level classes. The class under review is a K-2 level group of 18 students.
All classes in the kindergarten are taught with the use of the team teaching method. Two special education teachers work together in groups with special needs children to provide them with the most appropriate activities and prepare them for school. The class under consideration does not include any children with special needs. In addition, the classroom setting is bilingual, with English and Spanish being introduced to children. It should be noted that nearly two-thirds of the students in the class are Hispanic. However, not all of them can Speak Spanish fluently. There is no language division with both teachers in the team assigned the taught languages in order to avoid causing confusion and anxiety as to their roles in the classroom (MĂĄrd-Miettinen et al., 2018). Considering the team teaching model, any communications with parents or guardians should include both teachers.
The kindergarten requires all teachers to timely update the parents on the progress made by their children as well as communicate any upcoming events in the school. Teachers are expected to contact the parents before the start of the school year in order to introduce themselves, confirm the received information about the students, and share the plan for the school year. The initial communication is required to take place over the phone or via a video call. In addition, the end-of-the-year communication is mandated to take place in the form of a report and a meeting with both teachers present. Furthermore, it is crucial to consider the language of teacher-parent communication. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I, Sec. 1112(e)(4) states that communication with parents of the students should occur in the language they can understand (Georgia Department of Education, 2019). Thus, educational facilities are expected to cater to parents with limited English language proficiency. Specifically, the existing communication plan should be available in the languages requested by the parents (Georgia Department of Education, 2019). Oral communication in the chosen language should be provided via interpretation resources.
Parental Characteristics
Parental characteristics are critical to consider in the communication plan. Nearly two-thirds of the parents and legal guardians of the children in the class are Hispanic, with Spanish being their mother tongue. Nevertheless, the majority of Spanish-speaking parents are proficient in English and do not require communication in Spanish. Several families are first-generation immigrants and would benefit from any communication concerning their children and school affairs being carried out in Spanish. In addition, it should be noted that almost all the children in the class are the first children in their families, with the commencing school year being the first experience with kindergarten for most parents. Therefore, communication with them should be fairly frequent in order to prevent any misunderstandings or unwarranted anxiety.
Communication Plan
Routine Communications
Routine communications with the parents of the children in the class will be carried out via two channels. Daily low-tech communication is to happen face-to-face at the end of the school day, with parents being briefly informed about the topics touched upon and homework assignments if any. Summary of the week reports will be sent to parents via email at the end of the week. Similar reports on the monthly progress and work towards goals are to be sent via email at the end of the month. In addition, pictures of the activities may be sent to parents daily via email or messengers to alleviate separation anxiety and strengthen the teacher-parent relationship. Any photo or video material can be taken after written consent is obtained from the parents.
Alternative Communication Options
It is expected that daily face-to-face communication will be received by the parents or legal guardians. If they are not present, the teachers are to send daily short reports and reminders about the class topic and homework. These reports can be omitted if the parents expressly state that they receive the information from the persons collecting the children after class. If the weekly and monthly written electronic communication appears not to have been received by the parents, a meeting with them is to be arranged to address the issues preventing them from receiving or responding to reports. Daily communications, such as teachers sending pictures or videos of activities, do not require an answer from parents.
Conclusion
Urgent communications concerning discipline infractions, school emergencies, and last-minute notices are to be carried out via an initial call or instant messaging applications. Last-minute announcements do not require additional communication from the teachers. In case of school emergencies, teachers are mandated to update the parents and communicate the resolution to them. Discipline transgressions mandate a teacher-parent meeting to be organized in order to discuss the infraction and develop a plan to address the unwanted behavior both in school and at home.
References
Georgia Department of Education. (2019). Communication with parents in languages other than English. Web.
Mård-Miettinen, K., Palviainen, Å., & Palojärvi, A. (2018). Dynamics in interaction in bilingual team teaching: Examples from a Finnish preschool classroom. Preschool Bilingual Education, 25, 163–189.