Family Forums!
What: Parties for Families
Why: To build relationships and teach
When: Start first month of school and continue each month until the end of school.
Here is my 2018 Family FUN Pod Cast!
https://twitter.com/coolcatteacher/status/989398967015346176
Family Forums help you build relationships with families! Every PP must have food, music and fun.
Organization
Prepared
No longer than one hour in length.
No children
Ensure to involve the communities and take donations.
Have a calendar of events for the entire year so families can plan accordingly.
Record and house the videos on your classroom YouTube channel so families can re-watch or watch if they have to miss the live Family Forum.
Here are some examples of each of my months:
August: Ice Breaker (you want families to feel comfortable) This will set the tone for the rest of the year. Classroom tour, school tour, explain rules, expectations, literacy/Family Learning Bags bags and what we will be doing during the year.
Guest Speaker: Principal
Food: Hamburger Cook Out
Prizes; Your choice
September: Explain social media and sign up for accounts. Have PTO donate a school t-shirt to each parent/family.
Guest Speaker: Counselor of the school
Food: Pizza
Prizes: Your choice
October: Literacy Vocab/activities for home (invite librarian to help with an activity). Everyone goes home with a free book. I collect these from Scholastic Books.
Guest Speaker: Librarian
Food: Taco Pile On
Prizes are the books :)
November: Cooking for Families. Make pumpkin pie in a baggie and send home recipes. invite a nutritionist to speak. Give out a cookbook or recipes.
Guest Speaker: Nutritionists/health expert/cook
Food: Thanksgiving Feast
Prize cookbook of recipes easy to cook with children. You can even copy these from the internet and make your own.
December: Math Meeting (Teaching vocabulary) (Developmental Milestones and stages children are in).
Guest Speaker: Someone from the community that works with children that has Math ideas.
Food: Turkey Sandwiches
Prizes: Math game donated or make one.
January: Invite outside resource to help you: Government assistance, Dentist, physical therapist. Provide activities to help with children at home. After you have learned about your families these are people that you know can provide info to your families or help them if needed.
Food: Vegetable Soup
Prize: Send home a coupon to somewhere they can go eat with their families. These can be donated.
February: Science Ideas and Vocabulary. Make smoothies in a baggie.
Food: Pizza
Guest Speaker: Music Teacher
Prizes Ingredients to make smoothies in a baggie at home.
March: What kinds of activities can you be doing with your families this Spring?
Guest Speaker: Someone holding activities for children this summer.
Food: Walking tacos in a bag
Prizes: Disposable camera for their outdoor challenge.
April: What can families do to help their children this summer? Why Play is so important.
Food: Fruit salad
Prizes: Swim passes for children for the summer.
May: Family Forum Party Month: What skills can we work on this summer? Children could be invited.
Food: BBQ/ Make Ice Cream in a Baggie
Prizes: A Bag of things to do with your child for the summer.
These forums can be transformed in to anything that works for you and your families. Children should not be present as it is only for adults so they can form relationships with you and the other families.
https://twitter.com/coolcatteacher/status/989398967015346176
Family Forums help you build relationships with families! Every PP must have food, music and fun.
Organization
Prepared
No longer than one hour in length.
No children
Ensure to involve the communities and take donations.
Have a calendar of events for the entire year so families can plan accordingly.
Record and house the videos on your classroom YouTube channel so families can re-watch or watch if they have to miss the live Family Forum.
Here are some examples of each of my months:
August: Ice Breaker (you want families to feel comfortable) This will set the tone for the rest of the year. Classroom tour, school tour, explain rules, expectations, literacy/Family Learning Bags bags and what we will be doing during the year.
Guest Speaker: Principal
Food: Hamburger Cook Out
Prizes; Your choice
September: Explain social media and sign up for accounts. Have PTO donate a school t-shirt to each parent/family.
Guest Speaker: Counselor of the school
Food: Pizza
Prizes: Your choice
October: Literacy Vocab/activities for home (invite librarian to help with an activity). Everyone goes home with a free book. I collect these from Scholastic Books.
Guest Speaker: Librarian
Food: Taco Pile On
Prizes are the books :)
November: Cooking for Families. Make pumpkin pie in a baggie and send home recipes. invite a nutritionist to speak. Give out a cookbook or recipes.
Guest Speaker: Nutritionists/health expert/cook
Food: Thanksgiving Feast
Prize cookbook of recipes easy to cook with children. You can even copy these from the internet and make your own.
December: Math Meeting (Teaching vocabulary) (Developmental Milestones and stages children are in).
Guest Speaker: Someone from the community that works with children that has Math ideas.
Food: Turkey Sandwiches
Prizes: Math game donated or make one.
January: Invite outside resource to help you: Government assistance, Dentist, physical therapist. Provide activities to help with children at home. After you have learned about your families these are people that you know can provide info to your families or help them if needed.
Food: Vegetable Soup
Prize: Send home a coupon to somewhere they can go eat with their families. These can be donated.
February: Science Ideas and Vocabulary. Make smoothies in a baggie.
Food: Pizza
Guest Speaker: Music Teacher
Prizes Ingredients to make smoothies in a baggie at home.
March: What kinds of activities can you be doing with your families this Spring?
Guest Speaker: Someone holding activities for children this summer.
Food: Walking tacos in a bag
Prizes: Disposable camera for their outdoor challenge.
April: What can families do to help their children this summer? Why Play is so important.
Food: Fruit salad
Prizes: Swim passes for children for the summer.
May: Family Forum Party Month: What skills can we work on this summer? Children could be invited.
Food: BBQ/ Make Ice Cream in a Baggie
Prizes: A Bag of things to do with your child for the summer.
These forums can be transformed in to anything that works for you and your families. Children should not be present as it is only for adults so they can form relationships with you and the other families.