Parent’s involvement in preschool is essential. We, at Ohana International School, talk specifically about working in partnership with parents. Parent involvement is something that positively impacts academic success, school readiness and social and emotional development.
Working in partnership for our school, has many faces:
- Being constant with guidelines at home and matching in as is as much as is possible, the approach that we take for this at school.
- Reminding children that at home we have certain guidelines/rules which perhaps are slightly different from those at school and vice versa. In each location, adapting to the different guidelines/rules can be challenging for little children, however maintaining consistency is the key.
- Applying positive parenting practices at home – our goal at Ohana International School is to ensure that children are successful in what they set out to do (even if the process is different from their teachers and classmates) There are many roads that lead to one place!
- We encourage participation in our school program – festivals, birthdays, special events, mystery readers, OPTO, coffee mornings. Parents are welcome to participate in special events in their child’s class, especially when we celebrate the different festivals that are an integral part of our lives in Japan together with the other cultures that are represented in our school population.
- Regular communication from the school to parents and parents to the school – any changes at home can deeply affect a child and how they settle at school each day e. g. a parent on a business trip, a parent who is unwell, grandparents who were visiting and have left to go to their home country etc.
- Parent support workshops specifically geared towards parents of preschool aged children – our OHANA PARENT TEACHER ORGANISATION together with the school, organises workshops for parents on subjects that parents specifically request.
The sharing of information and keeping in constant contact takes place through our school app called Class Dojo, where parents receive daily updates on what takes place in class, together with a collage of photos. It is called Class Story. Parents are requested to share other information with the office via email.
We are deeply grateful for the community that is our Ohana family. Using the mindset of working together to support everyone in the school, creates a wonderful positive environment and ultimate success in the greater scheme of things.
