Parent Communication Paths

Developed by the Family-School Partnership Committee

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 be taken seriously, listened to carefully, and given a timely response. While disagreements will occasionally occur, disagreeing agreeably will enable the parent and school to continue to work together productively.

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.*

• 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 earlier steps were unsuccessful in resolving the problem, the final step is to contact the Head of School.

*refer to the Department Directory section of the Cary Academy Directory for specific names of those in the above positions

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.

1. Why does my daughter’s English teacher teach vocabulary acquisition using lists generated from their books?

Call or email the English teacher.

2. Why are students in 8^th grade English spending so much time studying grammar?

Call or email the 8^th grade English teacher.

3. 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.

6. I am wondering if students are spending enough time on environmental science.

Call or email the Middle or Upper School Science Department Chair.

7. I would like to consider making a change in my child’s schedule.

Call or email the student’s faculty advisor.


About Pedagogy

8. 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.

9. My daughter says she got marked down and yelled at because she was talking in line while waiting to run a 60-yard dash in PE class. This sounds unreasonable.

Call the PE teacher.

10. Although my daughter has never liked to write, she 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.

11. 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.

12. I do not agree with my daughter’s history teacher taking off so much credit on paper for spelling and punctuation. I have already spoken to the teacher and still disagree.

Call the History Department Chair.


About General School Discipline

13. 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 or Upper School).

14. I have concerns about the Dress Code.

Call the Assistant Head of Middle School or one of the Deans of Students (Upper School).

15. I have questions about school rules and behavior policies.

Call the Assistant Head of Middle School or one of the Deans of Students (Upper School).

16. I saw a person (or a car) on campus last weekend that was doing something inappropriate.

Call David Modlin, Director of Facilities.

17. 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 one of the Deans of Students (Upper School).

18. I am aware of a computer use violation.

Involving Students: Call the Assistant Head of Middle School or one of the Deans of Students (Upper School).

Involving all others: Call Bill McKeown, Director of Information Services.


General School Questions

19. I just received my financial aid award for next year, and I don’t understand why the award is different from what I received for the current year.

Call the Director of Admissions.

20. I have a suggestion for how to improve the lunch program.

Call the Dining Services Manager if it is food or service related.

Call one of the Deans of Students or Assistant Head of Middle School if it is student related.

21. I have information of a confidential nature that I am not sure I should share with the school.

Call the appropriate Division Head.

22. My child seems quiet or anxious.

Call the student’s faculty advisor or grade level counselor.

23. Whom do I call regarding questions about the parent’s association?

Contact the President or Vice-President of the Alliance.

24. I just inherited a large amount of money and would like to support a special program at the school.
    
    Call the Director of Advancement or the Head of School.