With the absence of face-to-face classes due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the need for schools to maintain their partnership with parents has become a vital conversation in education.
A week before the opening of the new school year 2021-2022, the school administrators of the Montessori De Sagrada Familia addressed this growing concern by conducting a week-long series of parents’ orientation meetings across all departments (Pre-elementary-Senior High School) via the Parents R Partners Official 2021-2022 Facebook group. During the said meeting, the school Principal, Mrs. Maria Cristina Santos-Silamor (T. Cris) welcomed the old, new and returning Sagradan families and presented important updates regarding the status of classes and the improvements that parents should expect for SY 2021-2022. Towards the end of her presentation T. Cris repeatedly emphasized the importance of healthy communication between parents and teachers. This school year, the school will be utilizing Google Chat Groups as the official communication platform for teachers and parents, in addition to the MDSF Parent Portal and MDSF Facebook page.
The assistant principal, department heads and subject area supervisors introduced the curriculum innovations and enrichment that the teachers planned and will implement as the school pushes to further adhere to the constructivist approach of education. Moreover, important academic policies as stipulated in the memoranda issued by the Department of Education were presented to the parents as well.
In terms of academic/student support services, the Student Well Being Officers and Counseling & Testing Officers also reiterated the student wellness, formation and discipline programs that the school will adopt for the new school year. Other units (Finance & ICT) also presented their policies, services and procedures to the Sagradan families.
After the plenary, the parents were directed to their breakout rooms wherein they were met by their child’s homeroom adviser. During the breakout sessions, both parents and teachers introduced themselves and the latter presented the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders including parent representatives in the online learning modality. Lastly, before the meeting was adjourned, each of the homerooms held an election for a parent representative to foster communication among other parents.
Parents who were not able to attend the said orientation meeting may watch the recording during their most convenient time. The minutes of the orientation meeting were also uploaded in the Welcome Page of the student’s Learning Management System.