category Learning Celebrations

Parent involvement bridges the gap between school and home. Bridging that gap is key in encouraging well rounded learning and positive child development. Encouraging parents to become more involved can be daunting so holding “Learning Celebrations “ that accommodate busy lives and diverse communities are essential. Engaging in non-judgemental forms of communication lays the foundation for strong and collaborative relationships between parents and teachers.The more connected parents feel to the school and its teachers the more likely they are to actively engage in learning with their children. Learning Celebrations will naturally encourage communication among the parent community, which will build social support for families.

Kids being able to demonstrate their learning in different ways outside the more structured classroom will build a more confident learner.
These resources are events or projects that can used by a teacher to encourage family involvement and create memorable events that parents and students can share. Teachers are by no means expected to use all of these events in a year but hopefully this website can provide an ample amount of ideas and resources that teachers can use. All of the resources are editable, to allow the teacher to customize the events to fit their classroom needs, as well, as their own ideas.

Guidelines for Learning Celebrations

– Early in the school year make parents aware of all celebrations and get them to commit

-Respect all family diversities

– Provide a childcare lounge for young siblings (if possible)

– Host a parent only night early in September to inform parents of Celebration expectations

– Publish your Learning Celebrations early

– Make sure kids are involved from idea to product

– Stay in the background during celebrations

– Establish behaviours at Celebrations with your students and guests early on

– Stress the value of a School/Parent /Community partnership

– Utilize available adults and professionals ie school psychologist, librarian, caretaker or administration

– Set clear boundaries and emphasize learning expectations

– Never trivialize celebrations