Letters to Parents

Student Teaching (Riverside Elementary) – Spring 2020

Parents are one of the most valuable resources for understanding and supporting students. They are the

ones who have cared for their children for the longest time when they come into elementary school. Thus,

establishing good rapport is crucial for developing a strong collaborative relationship with parents. Fostering

this relationship is important as parents serve as advocates for their children and deserve a teacher who will

communicate and listen to their concerns and suggestions. Thus, as I recognized the importance of

communicating with parents, I made an intentional effort to send letters home with my students to give to their

parents.

Throughout my student teaching at Riverside, I sent home a total of four letters including an

introduction letter, a space unit letter, a Valentine’s Day party letter, and a jungle unit letter. I was overwhelmed

by the positive feedback I received from parents concerning these letters. While there were some parents I did

not hear from, the parents who responded were very appreciative of the communication. One mother emailed

my cooperating teacher to thank me for including questions to ask her student as she stated she never knows

what to ask her daughter when she comes home from school. This encouraged me to continue my

communication with parents and proved to be a very beneficial experience in collaborating with parents. When

I sent home my Valentine’s Day letter, requesting donations of gift bags and Valentine’s Day decorations,

parents responded immediately with enough donations for us to save and store to use for next year’s party.

I believe my efforts to communicate to parents demonstrates my ability to meet the standard concerning

school and community involvement. By reaching out to parents, I gained a valuable resource that helped me

provide better support for my students. Before the children in my classroom are students, they are sons and

daughters. Recognizing the importance of the relationship with parents, then, is vital for supporting students and

understanding the factors that influence and guide them. Furthermore, parental involvement is important for

making educational decisions concerning their child and for volunteering for events such as field trips and

school parties that contribute to the development of their child.

 February 5, 2020
Dear Parent/Guardian,

Valentine’s Day is almost here! We will be having our Valentine’s party

in the afternoon on Thursday, February 13. To prepare for this special event,

I am hoping you can help me with a few things:

1. Please send a plain gift bag to school with your student by Monday,

February 10. Students will decorate these bags at school and use them

to collect their Valentine’s cards from friends.

2. On the back of this paper, you will see pictures of all of the students.

Please have your child use these pictures to address their Valentine’s

cards. This helps students hand out their cards much more easily 😊

3. I would appreciate any donations of Valentine’s Day themed stickers or

craft supplies to use to decorate our gift bags! If you are able, I would

love to have these by Monday, February 10.

We are looking forward to having a great time at our Valentine’s Day party!

Thank you for your help!

Jenna Marcisz
Student Teacher