Aim: To communicate regularly with parents of Y11 IT students
Rationale
Students at level 1 usually need support and encouragement when it comes to completing classwork and homework. As this is their first exposure to NCEA it is important to ensure that they are on-track and coping with the course work. Parents can be valuable partners in this endeavour and sending regular communication home should prevent students from falling through the cracks / flying under the radar. I have chosen to focus on Y11 as at Y12 and Y13 it is hoped that students will take more responsibility for their learning / work load. At those levels communication with parents will be along the lines of ‘here is the plan, please contact me if you are worried’.
Action Plan
- Set assignments electronically
- Mark assignments
- Every two / three weeks download all class results and use mail-merge to send individual progress reports to parents
Year End Reflection
I successfully communicated with the parents of my level 1 IT group throughout the year. These emails were generally appreciated and meant that here were no unwelcome surprises (caregivers had a clear idea of how students were progressing and we were able to address any issues as they arose).
Here is a typical letter to parents of one of my better students. I have removed the student’s name for privacy reasons.