Find Ways to Unite your Community
Building unity benefits students, teachers, and families
Your school community is made up of individuals who come together for a common purpose. Members should feel welcome and valued. Schools and classrooms are where children and parents spend a significant amount of time each week, and parent volunteers have an opportunity to help their students and teachers make the most of that time together by developing a community.
When parent groups and schools work together everyone benefits. We also know that when parents feel welcome they are more likely to take a more active role in their child’s education. Research shows that kids attending schools with a strong community are more likely to be academically motivated which means everyone wins with a strong school community!
Here are some ideas and events to create camaraderie, engagement, and a sense of belonging:
Be Welcoming
Give parents an opportunity to gather with quarterly coffee include snacks and a meeting topic.
Improve Communication
Keep your website and Facebook pages current and up-to-date
Recruit a room parent for each classroom to keep classroom parents informed
Connect Families from Different Groups
Bringing together different groups for a common project can also help build a sense of community. Pay attention to your parent population and find ways to highlight your diverse community with events like: Host an International Night or Showcase you Family Heritage
Increase Community Partnerships
Business partnerships can be valuable when your community needs financial or material support. Be specific about your needs such as building material for a playground or community garden– seek out businesses that sell building materials and can help with your specific request.
Throw a back-to-school cookout
Get the whole school community together to get “fired up” for the school year. Having time to casually socialize with teachers and staff, helps ease the transition for students and families.
Have a school movie night
Spread a king-size sheet or a painter’s tarp on the side of the school to project a movie and invite students and their families to bring lawn chairs or blankets. If the weather’s cold or rainy, turn your school gym into a movie theater and spread out the gymnastics mats for seating.
Order school bumper stickers
Get the whole town thinking about your school throughout the year by putting your school name on car bumpers and back windows everywhere. It’s also a great way to let families show their school pride.
Read, Read, Read
Reading together as a family is one of the best ways to bond while improving children’s competencies. Read-a-thons and book fairs are quick events to coordinate and have huge outcomes.
Digital Learning Event
Have a Family Technology Learning session on topics like digital safety, cyberbullying and equity in access.
Tell us your most successful community building event on Facebook.