If educators want parents to be partners, to feel welcome, to participate as first teachers, then a critical responsibility of the principal, staff and parent organization is to provide quality orientation programs. If feeling unwelcome is a barrier to effective parent involvement at home, we educators must develop a host of welcoming strategies. With input from staff and parents, many schools are rethinking their orientation programs. Surveys and feedback can provide insight and suggestions. The Hackettstown Elementary PTA conducts four visitations for students who will be entering kindergarten the following year.
Sessions are about ninety minutes long and take place in kindergarten rooms during the day.
These orientation sessions include mini-lessons taught by classroom and special area teachers. Parents are invited to the first and fourth sessions at which time they meet with the principal and other staff members. The pamphlet is distributed to new parents at the Hackettstown Hospital. A companion video has been donated to the hospital. A liaison links the school to the hospital's pre-natal and natal programs.