The Importance of Parent and Family Involvement
There are three main reasons why family involvement is critical to Spectrum School:
- Education at Spectrum is a three-tiered partnership between Family, Staff, and Students. Each is an essential component of the intellectual and academic development of the child. Love, support, and encouragement must come from the family; the focus on material and academic growth comes from the staff; willingness to learn and grow in developing understanding of self, others, and the physical universe comes from the children. When this partnership is flourishing and fully functional, great things happen for the student – learning happens, understanding happens, autonomy happens! It is beautiful to witness!
- Parent involvement is critical to the existence of Spectrum School. Tuition alone does not cover the cost of running Spectrum School. Both because we consider parents essential partners and to keep tuition at current levels, the help of parents is essential to a program that is rich in experiences, offerings, individual attention, low class size, teams of teachers and talented assistants working and planning together for each child, and the utilization of the tremendous talent available within the parent and extended family community.
- Family presence at Individual Progress Report Meetings, General Presentations, School Shares, Events, Performances, Fund-Raisers are visible representations to Students of interest and involvement in their educational evolution. Students pay attention! They know and note when families attend events or visit the school. They may not say anything or even sometimes feign embarrassment, but they register that family came, family cared, family thought what they were doing was important enough to be present and participate. Additionally, the development of awareness of relationships between families strengthens the relationships between students.
RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN THEIR CHILD’S EDUCATION IS THE ONE FACTOR UNIVERSALLY COMMON TO STUDENT SUCCESS IN SCHOOL AND BEYOND.
This Volunteer Form lists some ways you as parents and/or your family members might be willing to participate. Please add any interests, skills, talents you would be interested in sharing that are not mentioned. Know that Spectrum is respectful of your time and other obligations, but if you could find something you would be willing to commit to, it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
