Parent Involvement
Success at School
We believe that you are the primary caregiver in your child’s life. Your love and support are what develops the basic trust needed by your child in his or her immediate world. At Golden Pond School we believe that parent involvement is an integral part of a successful preschool experience. Researchers have been studying the effects parent attitudes and actions have on their children's academic success for more than 30 years. The results have been consistent. Anne Henderson and Nancy Berla summed it up in their book A New Generation of Evidence: The Family Is Critical to Student Achievement, which reviewed the existing research: "When parents are involved in their children's education at home, they do better in school. And when parents are involved in school, children go further in school and the schools they go to are better."
We have an open-door policy under which parents/guardians are welcome to visit Golden Pond School at any time and are encouraged to participate in any of our activities. You are welcome to visit your child at any time. You have unlimited access to Golden Pond School during our normal hours of operation for the purpose of contacting your child and assessing the teaching and care provided. Please notify us of your presence upon arrival. Parents are welcome to eat with their child on any day. Please let the teacher know by 9:00 am of the morning you would like to come. Golden Pond School believes that active participation and involvement by parents gives children a much better experience at our school. We provide several ways that you can be involved in your child’s day. If you are interested in sharing time, hobbies, etc., with your child’s class or chaperoning field trips, please contact your child’s teacher.
We also have observed that your child’s school serves as an effective vehicle for expanding the range of social contacts for their parents. For these reasons, we plan multiple opportunities throughout the year for parents to get involved with their children’s preschool activities and for social interaction with other parents. Additionally, our parents have established The Parent Social Group - an independent group of Golden Pond School parents that share a common interest in their children’s school and sponsor a variety of events that supplement school activities.
The Parent Social Group works to foster a Golden Pond community whereby families come together to get to know each other and participate in fun social and charitable activities. The Parent Social Group organizes events such as Field Days and our End of the Year Picnic and coordinates Teacher Appreciation Week festivities. Additionally, the Parent Social Group organizes charitable events aimed at teaching our children the many ways that we can give back to the community, such as the Thanksgiving Food Drive, Holiday Coat Drive and the National Reading Month Book Drive.
Throughout the school year, there are many opportunities for parents and families to participate in school-wide events. These include:
- Open House & Orientations (beginning of school)
- Fall Festivals (October –Kindergarten & Kindergarten Enrichment)
- Halloween Parade & Parties (October – Preschool & Kindergarten)
- Colonial Days (November - Kindergarten & Kindergarten Enrichment)
- Thanksgiving Feasts (November – Preschool & Kindergarten)
- Thanksgiving Basket Food Drive and Pie Sale (November)
- Holiday Parties (December - Preschool & Kindergarten )
- Holiday Coat Drive and Secret Santa Shoppe (December)
- Fairy Tale Tea Parties (February – Kindergarten & Kindergarten Enrichment)
- National Reading Month Book Drive (March)
- Donuts with Dad (March – Preschool & Kindergarten)
- Spring Sing (April - Preschool & Kindergarten)
- Safety-Day at the Ashburn Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department (April)
- Memories with Mom (May – Preschool & Kindergarten)
- Field Days (June)
- Year-End Picnic (June)
- Kindergarten Enrichment End-Of-Year Celebration (June)
- “Fly-ups” (June - year-end recognition, performances & parties for Preschool & Kindergarten)
If you would like to get involved at Golden Pond School with any of the above programs, please talk with your child's teacher, the Parent Social Group or give us a call for more information at (703) 723-7663.
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