It’s Back to School Time and you know what that means, back to school shopping, new parents, old friends, all those wonderful fundraising ideas, smoothing out new school anxiety and more. Just a few short weeks ago I attended a PTA conference and look forward to the school start, now it’s here. One of the main things that they discussed was improving communication between parents and schools.

I walked away from the conference with a renewed focus and a committed spirit. For all of my parents out there, I have two suggestions.

1) Commit to updating your contact information with your child’s school

2) Commit to participating in at least two events at the school

It is practically a given that students perform better when their parents are involved. However, parents are busier than ever before and they often do not participate in their children’s school because of the perceived time commitment. Just realize that every minute you dedicate to the school goes a long way. Whether you sign up to be a snack mom, a field trip chaperone, a PTA member or a Booster Club volunteer, know that your time and presence is appreciated and creates a ripple effect.

Check out the links below to learn more about the benefits that can come from parental involvement:
http://michigan.gov/documents/Final_Parent_Involvement_Fact_Sheet_14732_7.pdf
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/succeed/parental.cfm
http://www.nea.org/tools/17360.htm