Home-School Communication Tips

1. Stay calm. Project the image that you will help your child solve the problem.

2. Talk to your child. Ask as many questions as necessary to get a true picture of what the concern may be. If you feel that more information is necessary, move on to Step 3.

3. Speak to the teacher. Remember that at this point you have only heard your child’s version of the story. In stressful situations, we all, our children included, sometimes don’t hear or perceive things in the way they were intended. Ask the teacher to help clarify the situation for you so you can help your child figure out what his/ her next steps should be.

4. Encourage your child to address the concern independently. Children need to learn to be more self-sufficient and resilient. When a challenge at school surfaces, it is a great opportunity for us to coach our students on how to advocate for themselves. Without practice, it will be more difficult for them to learn this necessary skill.

5. Call your child’s Guidance Counselor – The counselor can help your child with new strategies for solving problems, managing stress, etc. He/she can also simply provide a listening ear.

6. Set up a meeting with the teacher(s). This can be done by calling the teacher directly or by speaking with the grade level Guidance Counselor.

7. Contact someone from the school’s administration (Principal or Assistant Principal). At this point, it may be advisable to put your concerns in writing to the administration so that the message will be clear and understandable for both sides and we can focus our energies on solutions.

1. Use steps 1, 2, and 3 above.

2. Contact your child’s Guidance Counselor and explain the situation. Together, you and the counselor will devise a course of action which may include the involvement of the Principal or Assistant Principal if necessary.

Shared Responsibility: It is our contention that homework is a shared responsibility between school and home. Each party has a very important role in ensuring that homework attains its desired result with each individual student.

Teachers will:

Follow Dudley Middle School Homework Guidelines

Ensure that assignments are clearly understood

Ensure that assignments are properly assessed

Students should:

Write assignments in their agendas

Complete homework to the best of their ability

Organize materials so that homework is returned to school on time

Parents are asked to:

Treat homework as a priority

Help their child establish a daily routine

Also, it is important for teachers and parents to communicate with one another. If a student is having difficulty of any kind, both parents and school staff should make themselves available to work together in the best interest of the student. Part 3 (“Home-School Communication Tips”) of this “Survival Guide” provides information to help all parties work together in the best interest of the students. 

Extra Help: Keeping in mind that parent work schedules are often very extensive, Dudley Middle School offers homework and extra help several days each week:

Extra help with individual teachers – Information will go home with students the first week of school.

Intramural Homework Club – Days TBA from 2:40 - 3:40 PM

If your child is having difficulty getting homework done, the following may help. Every child is different and what works for one student/family may not work for another. It can be a trial and error process to find what works best for your child:

Try various times — Some students / families find that right after getting home is the best time. Others find that letting their child have some free time (i.e. playing outside) to unwind before starting is best.

Parent dependence — Many students are able to do their homework with little or no parent supervision. Others need a parent to keep a watchful eye over progress. And others, still need to have someone sitting with them every step of the way.

Location, Location, Location — Some families find a central location (i.e. kitchen table) works best. In that setting, there is often someone nearby to help when necessary. For others, there may be too many distractions in a busy place in the house and therefore a quiet place, such as a student’s bedroom may be more appropriate.

Check your child’s agenda — Getting your child in the habit of writing assignments in his agenda can be useful for a variety of reasons. First, it helps develop positive organizational strategies. Also, it allows you information regarding daily homework assignments.

Ask other families or school staff — Utilize the experience others have had. Sometimes the solution is something simple you haven’t yet tried. While it can be frustrating, don’t give up. The effort will be worth it in the end.