Guidelines for Parent-Teacher Communications at Woy Woy South PS

We value the strong home-school partnership that we have at Woy Woy South Public School. Next to high quality instruction in the classroom, our partnership stands as one of the most significant factors in a child’s education. We want to ensure that we have an open and highly collaborative relationship with all our parents and that our communication is strong. In addition, we want to address any concerns you may have over the course of the year in a positive and constructive manner.

Parents have several direct ways to communicate with teachers including: the telephone, school e-mail, face-to-face meetings, Class Dojo and SeeSaw. The latter have become a helpful form of communication in our society because it is fast and convenient.

However, this technology has its drawbacks, especially for our teaching staff. It has significantly increased workload and has led to an expectation for a turn-around time that might not be possible. With this in mind, we would like to clarify the guidelines for what is effective and appropriate in terms of home/school communication.

The Realities

The teachers’ top priority during school hours is working directly with the children. As such, the classroom environment does not allow teachers to check their e-mails regularly. In most cases, teachers respond to e-mails before and after school.

Teachers are sometimes unavailable due to meetings, illness, conferences/training and personal/family responsibilities which will delay their response.

Teachers devote considerable time before and after school developing lesson plans, preparing for daily activities, marking work, and reviewing the curriculum that must be taught.

Considerations

Timing - Please remember the classroom environment and the complexity of a teacher’s day. If you don’t receive an immediate answer to your e-mail or message, it doesn’t mean you are being ignored. A teacher will respond within 24-48 hours.

What is the goal? Please consider your goal in communicating with the teacher. If your purpose is to share information, or give the teacher time to think about an issue, an e-mail is appropriate. However, if you would like two-way dialogue on a complex issue, e-mail or messaging is not always appropriate. Please consider a request for a face-to-face meeting.

Volume - Each primary teacher has at least 20-30 students in their classroom. Please consider how many e-mails and messages teachers could potentially receive throughout the day from parents.

Additional thoughts

Teachers are interested in communicating with parents, especially if a student is experiencing difficulty at home or at school.

Communication, although important, needs to be controlled. Responding to emails and messages takes thought and reflection.

Unfortunately, emails & messaging leaves a lot of room for misinterpretation. Face-to-face contact with the teacher will lead to better communication and problem-solving.

Emails to the School Email account should be reserved for requesting appointments, enrolment enquiries, providing documentation. Enquiries about day to day student procedures and processes should be communicated with a phone call to the school office or to the classroom teacher via SeeSaw or ClassDojo.

Concern Management Process

1. Contact the teacher via the school e-mail woywoysth.p-school@det.nsw.edu.au , Class Dojo or SeeSaw or phone the school office requesting an appointment. The teacher will respond within 24-48 hours. 

2. If you send an e-mail or message to the teacher, please state the general concern. If the concern can be resolved through e-mail, the teacher will address it through e-mail. However, if the concern is more involved, please state it without detailing all the specifics. We have found that that best way to resolve concerns is to discuss them, and not try to resolve them through e-mail.

E-mail and messaging is not always an adequate collaboration tool to address concerns but it does serve to express the need to work on the issue.

3. The teacher will connect with you to understand and resolve the concern. If necessary, the teacher would offer a time for a face-to-face meeting.

4. If you and the teacher cannot resolve the concern, please ask that the Stage Supervisor participate in the problem-solving process. If the concern remains unresolved, the matter will be referred to the Deputy Principal or Principal.

Avoid using e-mail or messaging for matters of controversy or distress. If you have a serious matter, please meet with the teacher directly.

It is not advisable to say anything in an e-mail or message that you wouldn’t want published. The rules for civility in e-mails and messages are the same as in face-to-face meetings. Conveying a positive tone will set the stage for a cordial relationship with the teachers and other school personnel.

We thank you in advance for following this process. We can best meet your needs by working together, face-to-face or on the phone as appropriate. We want to ensure that our decisions for your children are thoughtful, measured, and within our capacity to reasonably deliver. Our experience tells us that students benefit most when we work together to meet their needs in a culture of respect and collaboration.