The Importance of Partnership

The word "Partnership" is a beautiful one and carries with it, so many meanings for so many people. So how do we establish a common idea of partnership? It takes communication, it takes time & effort and it takes a willingness to be partners. It is my firm belief, that in order to create an environment where children thrive, where they learn to be partners with others and to let their partners know how to partner with them - That we, the guardians and elders, must operate consistent with our expectations and hopes for our children. We must push ourselves beyond our comfort zones, our judgments & opinions and the places where we would often "give up" so that we model for the children in our school the values and qualities of true Partnership. Having your child in our school will call upon you to actively participate in co-creating that environment both at school and at home. Being Partners is easy when all is going well. It can be more difficult when there is something a little more difficult to work through. Throughout your child's growing years, he/ she will incur several forks in the road. This is completely normal and to be expected. Most often, it is the Forks that provide the greatest opportunities for growth. The results of those forks are benefited by the strength of the partnership that exists between home & school. Your child will be searching for and exploring his/ her boundaries. That is each child's job. Ours is to provide guidance and boundaries to support their ability to find where the boundaries are. If the boundaries at home and school are not consistent with each other then the child may get confused and the ineffective habits or behaviors may continue or possibly increase. Minimally, your child will not be succeeding at his/ her highest potential and you will not be feeling confident as a parent nor with us, as educators. Does that mean we have all of the right answers…"No!" It means we have some of the answers. We bring our past experiences with children and the perspective of Village Gate Children's Academy. And you, the parents, bring your understanding and knowledge of your child. And… your child brings their perspective. Together, we will be able to create the best possible solutions for your child. The foundation for such a partnership should be the mutual belief that each party has your child's best interest at heart. In order to establish this belief, time and energy needs to be put into formulating and growing the relationship between home and school. Some suggestions for doing so are:

1. Take the time to insure you understand the philosophies of the school's programs and curriculum.
2. Participate - Participate in school meetings and events. Meetings are designed to take care of your questions and concerns, to provide you further knowledge of how the classroom and school operate and to allow you the opportunity to create relationships with your child's teachers and other parents whose children are enrolled in your child's class. School events enrich your experience of the school. Socializing with one another is a wonderful opportunity to relate with all members of the community and to develop relationships at a deeper level.
3. Enroll in Redirecting Children's Behavior & Participate in our Guardian Programs - By doing so, it allows us to be able to create continuity between home and school and to establish a common language for your children.
4. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate - Any time you have a question, concern or idea, please make the time to speak to your child's teacher, an administrator or anyone who can successfully assist you in coming to a conclusion that will work in the best interest of everyone involved. Communication is the cornerstone of a successful relationship.