FAMILY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
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Parent Communication Paths
Developed by the Family-School Partnership
Committee
I. Statement of Philosophy
The purpose of this document is to inform parents as to the
appropriate means of communicating with faculty and staff of Cary
Academy. We recognize that parents will have questions from time
to time about school policies, procedures and actions. The
following guidelines are meant to direct parents to the right
place when questions occur, thereby saving time and energy for
all. It is Cary Academy’s policy that all parent concerns and
questions will be taken seriously, listened to carefully and given
a timely response. However, parents should recognize that when
voicing questions or concerns, they may not always get the answer
they would like. While disagreements will occasionally occur,
disagreeing agreeably will enable the parent and school to
continue to work together productively.
II. Guidelines for Parent/School Communication
Teachers are expected to share information with parents to
keep them advised of student progress or concerns. Similarly,
parents are encouraged to contact their child's teachers or
advisor with questions or information that will help the teacher
to work successfully with the student. If, for any reason, a
parent is concerned about a specific situation involving his/her
child, the parent should always first try to solve the problem
at the level at which it occurred. The proper sequence of
communications is as follows:
- First, contact the teacher, advisor or coach directly to
discuss the issue.
- If the issue was not resolved satisfactorily by talking
with the teacher, advisor or coach, contact the appropriate
Department Chair, Division Head or the Dean of Students.
- If the earlier steps were unsuccessful in resolving the
problem, the final step is to contact the Head of School
Faculty » Department
Chair » Division
Head » Head
of School
Coach »
Athletic Director »
MS or US Division Head »
Head of School
Staff »
Division Head »
Head of School
******refer to the Department Directory section of the Cary
Academy Directory
for the specific names of the people in the above
positions********
III. Method of Communication
Email: when you need a
short response within a 24 hour period. Generally, confidential
information should not be shared via email. Also, significant
concerns should not be voiced via email, but conveyed via direct
contact between the parties.
Phone: when the issue will likely involve an exchange of
ideas, information and opinions.
Conference: when the issue is particularly sensitive and
better suited to face-to-face discussion, or when the discussion
focuses on student work.
IV. Sample Questions
About Curricular Issues
Why does my daughter’s English teacher teach vocabulary
acquisition using lists generated from their books?
Call or email the English teacher.
Why are students in 8th grade English spending so
much time studying grammar?
Call or email the 8th grade English teacher.
How are we teaching middle school students study skills?
Call the Head of Middle School.
4. My son came home and couldn’t stop talking about the creative, interesting lab
he did in science class today.
Call or email the teacher to let the teacher know.
5. I have an idea for a new elective for juniors or seniors.
Call or email the Head of Upper School.
- I am wondering if students are spending enough time on
environmental science.
Call or email the middle or upper school science department
chair.
- I would like to consider making a change in my child’s
schedule.
Call or email the student’s faculty advisor.
About Pedagogy
- My son received a zero for not turning in his homework in
Spanish class and I don’t understand why.
Call your son’s Spanish teacher.
I spoke with the Spanish teacher and I am not comfortable
with her grading policy.
Call the Foreign Language Department Chair
- My daughter says she got marked down and yelled at because
she was talking in line while waiting to run the 60 yard dash
in PE class. This sounds unreasonable.
Call the PE teacher.
- My daughter who has never liked to write came home beaming
because her English teacher recommended she submit her story
to the school’s literary magazine.
Call or email the teacher to let her know.
- My son says his coach will not let him start the next two
games because he missed practice due to a music lesson. This
doesn’t make sense to me.
Call the coach.
- I spoke with the coach and I am not comfortable with his
policy.
Call the Athletic Director.
- I do not agree with my daughter’s history teacher taking
off so much credit on papers for spelling and punctuation. I
have already spoken to the teacher and still disagree.
Call the history department chair.
About General School Discipline
- I am worried that supervision on the last school trip was
not appropriate.
Call the faculty or staff member responsible for the trip.
I spoke with the faculty member responsible for supervision
on the trip and still feel more should be done.
Call the appropriate Division Head (middle school or upper
school).
- I have concerns about the Dress Code.
Call the Assistant Head of Middle School or the Dean of
Students (upper school).
- I have questions about school rules and behavior policies.
Call the Assistant Head of Middle School or the Dean of
Students (upper school).
- I saw a person (or a car) on campus last weekend that was
doing something inappropriate.
Call the Director of Facilities
- I saw a student who I know goes to Cary Academy doing
something inappropriate on campus last weekend.
Call the Assistant Head of Middle School or the Dean of
Students (upper school).
- I am aware of a computer use violation.
Involving students: Call the Assistant Head of Middle School
or the Dean of Students (upper school).
Involving all others: Call Bill McKeown, Director of
Information Services.
V. General School Questions
I just received my financial aid award for next year and I do
not understand why the award is different from what I received
for the current year.
Call the Director of Admissions .
I have a suggestion for how to improve the lunch program.
Call the Dining Services Manager if it is food or service
related.
Call the Dean of Students or Assistant Head of Middle School if
it is student related.
I have information of a confidential nature that I am not sure
I should share with the school.
Call the appropriate Division Head .
My child seems unusually quiet or anxious.
Call the student’s faculty advisor or grade level counselor.
Whom do I call regarding questions about the parents’
association?
The President or Vice-President of the Alliance.
I just inherited a larger amount of money and would like to
support a special program at Cary Academy.
Call the Director of Advancement or the Head of School.
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