We were so happy to see our grown-ups at Family Chapel this morning. Thank you to the Big Green Room for writing and illustrating our October Blessing.
Halloween
Halloween is next Thursday, and each class is celebrating in their own age-appropriate way. We ask that families save costumes for after school as they can scare the younger children who are just learning to distinguish fantasy from reality. We don’t want children to feel overwhelmed at school. We also ask that candy be kept for an afterschool treat.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent Teacher conferences are coming up on November 5th (all day) and November 12th (evening). You will receive an email from your child’s teachers to sign up for a conference. School will be closed for conferences on Tuesday, November 5th, with no children in attendance.
During your conference time, childcare will be available in the gym between 8:30am and 3:00pm. School is open November 12th with a regular schedule. There is no childcare for evening conferences.
Conferences are a wonderful opportunity to gain insights into your child’s life at school and help formulate goals for the school year with your child’s teaching team. At the end of the newsletter we have included an article published by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) outlining how parents can prepare for conferences with their child’s teachers. I hope you find it helpful.
Talking About Race with Young Children – Parent Talk with Lori Riddick
For the past several years, Plymouth faculty have been working closely with Lori Riddick, an equity and leadership expert, on how to talk about race and racial justice with young children. We have invited her to talk about these important issues with you, our families, on November 15th at 9:00am. This is essential work that we are doing as a community and we want all of you to attend.
We often avoid talking about race with our young children but, whether we like it or not, children notice similarities and differences between people. When we are silent they are left to draw their own conclusions about what “different” means. Without coaching or support, their conclusions often reflect and reinforce biases. Fortunately – when we are intentional – we can impact the ways that our children see, categorize, and make meaning about race.
Please join us to begin to build a foundation of common language and common strategies that can be used by the community to support ongoing conversations about race.
Lori Taliaferro Riddick is an equity and leadership expert who works within school communities to bring an anti-racist lens to teaching and learning. Lori co-founded Raising Race Conscious Children, and leads workshops with school leaders, teachers, and families on how to talk about race with young children. Her workshops focus on building practical knowledge that educators and family members can quickly implement in their classrooms and homes respectively. Lori is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she received a B.A. in Urban Studies and a Masters of Science in Education.
Admissions Begins
Believe it or not, the admissions season has begun. Please complete our online application for any sibling applicant by going to the admissions page on our website: www.plymouthchurchschool.org. All applications for siblings should be completed by November 15th. As always, our current families are a priority! If you have any questions, reach out to Mindy mgoldstein@plymouthchurch.org. Re-enrollment for current students will take place in the new year.
Fall Family Day
Come celebrate fall with the Plymouth community at our Fall Family Day on Saturday, November 9th from 10:00am to 12:00pm. There will be fun activities for the children and cider and doughnuts! What a wonderful way to connect with other Plymouth families. We hope to see you there.
Label All Clothing
Now that the weather has gotten cooler, your children are wearing more layers to school. Please label all clothing, shoes, bags, scooters and helmets with your child’s name. This greatly increases the likelihood that a missing item will be returned to you and helps teachers keep all those articles of clothing organized.
Family Handbook
For your reference we have uploaded the 2024-2025 Family Handbook to the Families tab on our website: www.plymouthchurchschool.org.
News from Plymouth
Our website now has a News tab where you can view the News from Plymouth.
News from Plymouth Church
Plymouth Church and its Brooklyn Interfaith Partners are hosting a free community screening of the anti-political polarization documentary Undivide Us. The film is touring nationwide and filmmaker Kristi Kendall, a Park Sloper, will join us for discussion and a neighborhood tea party. The film is suitable for teens and adults. You can register for the screening here.
Film synopsis:
America is at a crossroads, with partisanship, division and political violence threatening to drown out our democracy, spiritual lives and hope for community. Regular citizens can help create dialogue. Disagreement is not division. UNDIVIDE US is a timely and urgent plea to reclaim the nation’s soul through open discourse, civic engagement, and self-governance.
Important Dates to Remember
November
1 – School Closed for Diwali
5 – School Closed for Parent/Teacher Conferences
9 – Fall Family Day
12 – School Open – Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences
15 – Parent Talk with Lori Riddick - Talking About Race with Young Children
15 – Priority Application Deadline
22 – Family Chapel
27-29 – School Closed for Thanksgiving
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher relationships are most effective when participants have frequent and open communication with each other and demonstrate mutual respect for each other’s role in a child’s life. When families are positively involved in their child’s education, the child will flourish. Teachers prepare for conferences by thinking about each child’s interests and progress. Here are some ways parents can prepare so they too can be active participants in parent-teacher conferences.
Be willing and ready to share information about your child and family. Families are the most important influence in a child’s life. You know your child better than anyone else and have valuable insights to share with the teacher. Advocate for your child. Share things about your child’s life at home—personality traits, challenges, habits, friends, hobbies, and talents. Focus on the things you believe the teacher needs to know. What kinds of things do you enjoy doing with your child? How do siblings relate to their brother/sister and vice versa? What kind of discipline do you use? What are your dreams for your child? What are your concerns?
Stay focused on your child. In our childhood, some of us might have been shy students who avoided the teacher’s gaze. Others were very active and seemed to always need the teacher’s help to stay on task. It is natural for our ideas about teachers and their role to be shaped by our own school experiences. Think about and then put aside your past experiences as a student. Stay focused on your child and his or her unique temperament, individual needs, and special interests.
Attend every parent-teacher conference. If your work schedule makes it difficult to meet during regular hours, make this clear to the teacher and try to set up a meeting time that is good for both of you. If you can’t visit in person, schedule a telephone call to discuss your child’s progress. Whether in person or by phone use the conference as a time to exchange information with the teacher and discuss ways to work together to enhance your child’s education.
Arrive on time. Teachers usually have a tight schedule for conferences—typically 20 minutes per child and family. If you would like additional time to talk, ask for it ahead of time so you and the teacher will have plenty of time to discuss your ideas, concerns, and suggestions. Be considerate of other parents whose conferences will take place after yours. Remember that the teacher needs a few minutes between conferences to record the information shared and to prepare for the next parent.
Remember, children can hear and remember what is said. Young children often get mixed messages when they hear adults talking about them, no matter how positive the conversation may be. It’s best to arrange for a caregiver for your child or invite a family member to occupy him or her during the conference. If this is not possible, bring a favorite toy or activity to keep the child busy in another part of the room. Unless a child is expressly invited to take part, the conference is a time for you and the teacher to discuss your child.
Listen with an open mind. Try to concentrate on what the teacher is saying instead of what you are going to say next. Ask questions when you don’t understand. Speak up if you disagree with a strategy or don’t understand how it will support your child’s development and learning. Explain the reasons for your views and voice your concerns but be open to suggestions. Stay on the subject: your child’s progress.
Be prepared. You might think about or write down one or two questions to ask the teacher. It’s a good idea to ask the most important question first, in case time runs out. Remember, while teachers have specialized education, they don’t have answers for everything. Teaching just isn’t that simple.
Keep the conversation focused on what can be done for your child. When there are problems, both teachers and parents need to stay calm and work together for the best interest of the child.
Stay involved. Try to visit the center or school frequently, not just for conferences and Back to School Night. Ask the teacher to suggest activities you can do at home to reinforce your child’s learning. Look for opportunities to engage yourself in your child’s education.
Source: Adapted from H. Seplocha, 2004, "Partnerships for Learning: Conferencing with Families,” Family Ties, Young Children 59 (5): 96–99. © National Association for the Education
