Dozens of Ideas

In Education World's Principal Files, principals shared dozens of great ideas. Here are twenty ideas from principals Yolanda Z. Ramirez, Marie Kostick, and Mary Ellen Imbo.

1. We hold a R.I.S.E. (Reading Is Surely Enjoyable) in the Morning program. Parents sit in the hallway and read to a child or groups of children.

2. Parents remind other parents of meeting times or special events. Those reminders can help motivate parents who are reluctant to participate.

3. We have a Parent Center. Parents can spend an hour or a day. Our parent involvement specialist plans workshops for parents on topics of interest.

4. Parents serve as tour guides to parents who are new to the school and the area; they welcome new students to our campus.

5. Teachers send students to my office and ask me to call the parents at home or work to celebrate a specific success.

6. Parents act as classroom monitors when students take standardized tests.

7. We hold a Grandperson's Day on the Friday before Mother's Day. A "grandperson" in a child's life (not necessarily a grandparent) attends a special performance and goes to the student's classroom to work on a project. Then the grandperson accompanies the child to lunch and recess. One year, our fifth graders presented a USO show -- as a culminating activity related to their study of WWII -- for Grandperson's Day.

8. Parents are invited to our media center Monday through Thursday to watch our in-house broadcast of morning exercises.

9. We hold a Technology Showcase night for parents. Students demonstrate the technology they've learned to use and show off projects they've completed.

10. Parents help at book fairs, field days, school-picture days, car washes, bake sales, rummage sales, and other school events.

11. Our school nurse organizes a health screening for all students each year. Parents help at each of the screening stations.

12. Parents remind other parents of the importance of student attendance.

13. Our science teacher sends "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" progress reports to parents every two weeks.

14. The state of Alabama has implemented a statewide Discover Your Schools Day to build ongoing, productive relationships among community leaders, PTAs, businesses, churches, and government and to promote parental involvement in education.

15. Parents can help schools acquire needed supplies, equipment, and services, such as landscaping, carpeting, painting, and more.

16. Our teachers call on parents whenever special help is needed. For example, a teacher might want help with activities that involve sewing Colonial costumes, dissecting frogs, or making gingerbread houses.

17. Parents assist with our school breakfast program. They deliver the food chests to classrooms and pick them up.

18. A group of parents sewed Christmas stockings for every single child on our campus! They made 376 stockings and handed them out to students at an assembly.

19. We have a district chess tournament that involves parents and students.

20. Teachers send home postcards to share good news with parents.