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Parent Workshop Project

Kendall Kiss

Sinclair College

ECE 2200

Swapna Purandare

April 25, 2021

Topic and Purpose of the Workshop

For my parent workshop, the topic I will be discussing is Getting Ready for School. This topic will

cover what students and parents alike should expect when they are trying to adjust to their child’s first

time at school. The age group of the children will be from 4-6 years old, as they will be kindergarten

children. The reason I chose to discuss this topic is because a child starting school can be an extremely

rough for both the them and their parents. For approximately 5 years of their life, the child has been at

home with their parents, but now the child must learn to be semi-independent. To parents, their child is

the most important thing in their lives. I need to help them feel comfortable with leaving their child’s

emotional and physical wellbeing in my hands. With this transition, parents and children can feel very

uneasy about the entire situation. A lot of parents are walking into this situation blind, without any

knowledge on how to deal with this major transition. With this workshop, I will be able to provide the

parents with tips, tricks, and my expertise on the subject.

The Style of the Workshop

I want the group size to remain small. It will just be my class so around 20-30 people. Assuming

not every parent comes, this number will fluctuate depending who will be in attendance. I would set up

chairs that face the front of the room, with enough space so the parents don’t feel cramped. Since it

may be difficult to fit so many in a room, I can ask the administration if I could use the school’s

multipurpose room or the library to host my workshop. That way, the parents feel like they have enough

room to be comfortable. I will provide name tags as well so the parents can get to know each other

better. When it comes to instructional materials, I will be bringing in handouts giving a basic overview of

what we will be discussing at the meeting so parents can have information to take home with them.

Along with the handouts, I can also prepare a checklist/ tips and tricks pamphlet so the parents can have

it on hand. Having a physical list at home may give them some peace of mind. I can bring pencils and
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pens in case a parent needs to write something down. I will also need to bring markers and index cards

for my ice breaker.

Time and Day of the Workshop

The time of the workshop will be at 12:00 pm. 12:00pm should be right around when parents

have lunch breaks from their work as well, which can help increase the number of parents in

attendance. I will also make it on a Friday, since the week is usually winding down by time Friday comes

around.

How I will Motivate Parents to Attend

To motivate parents to come to my meeting, I will provide drinks and snacks for them to enjoy. I

will also provide them with small school-provided welcome gifts at the meeting, like a small stationary

kit with the school’s logo on it. I will also tell the parents that this is the perfect opportunity to ask any

questions they may have about their child’s education and see their child’s classroom. Every parent who

comes can drop their name into bowl and at the end of the meeting, I will draw a name and the winner

will receive a gift basket with school supplies.

My Role During the Workshop

I will be teaching the workshop, offering the parents my expertise and my experiences with new

children and families starting school for the first time. I am also planning on bringing in the school

counselor and the art teacher. The councilor can talk about the mental aspect of starting school for the

first time and the art teacher can talk about the arts program the school offers and how it can enrich

their child’s education. During the workshop, I will do my best to guide and support the parents while

they share their thoughts and concerns and I will stay objective during discussions. I will also protect

each parent’s right to speak and use verbal and nonverbal ques, along with feedback from the group, to
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help move the discussion forward. I also want to avoid using a lot of media, so I don’t overwhelm the

parents. I should also give parents equal opportunity to take center stage during the meeting, so it

doesn’t seem like I am the only on that gets to talk the entire time.

Sample Newsletter

Hello Parent/Guardians,

I hope you are all doing well this week! I’m sure this summer has flown by with getting your

child ready for their new adventure, but I can’t wait to meet all of them in just a few short weeks!

I am putting together a workshop to help parents/ guardians understand how to get your child

ready for school! I am inviting you all to come to this workshop on Friday 23 rd at 12:00pm. It will only last

for about an hour and a half, just enough time to get in touch with other parents and learn some trick

and tips on how to make your child’s transition into school life a little easier. This is also an amazing

opportunity to come see your child’s school and the facilities we have available. We will also have some

snacks, refreshments, and every parent who attends will be eligible for a drawing, with the prize being a

gift basket of school supplies!

I will be offering advice and will answer any personal questions you may have about how to help

your child ease into kindergarten. We will also have a Q and A session with Anthony Smith and Sarah

Gray, the school counselor and art teacher respectively. Mr. Smith will talk about how to help your child

mentally prepare for starting school and Mrs. Gray will be talking about the wonderful arts program we

have here! As teachers, they can also offer their viewpoint on ways to help your children and how they

handle tough situations.

I hope to see you all there!

Sincerely,
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Miss. Kiss

Workshop Agenda

12:00pm- Parents arrive, find a seat, find their name tag, and enter name into the drawing

12:05pm- Introduction and Icebreaker

12:25pm- Instructional period run by me! (Throughout this, parents can feel free to interject with

questions at any time.)

1:00pm- Q and A session with guest speakers!

1:20pm- Last call for any questions or concerns from the parents and announcing the drawing winner!

Parents can feel free to tour the building at this point in the meeting.

Icebreaker

For my Icebreaker, I am going to play a quick game called The Trading Card. I will give every

parent a notecard and a marker. On that notecard, I would like them to draw a self-portrait, write their

names, a nickname (real or made up) and a fun fact about themselves. After they are done, they will get

a few minutes to get up and trade cards with people as many times as they would like. When they sit

back down, we will take turns reading the cards they traded for so we can get to know each other a little

better! I will even encourage parents to ask questions to the person whose card they are reading from if

they find something interesting!

How to get Parent Involved and Potential Questions

I will continuously encourage parents to ask questions during the meeting. I also feel confident

that the ice breaker will make parents more comfortable about speaking in this setting.

5 Questions Parents may Discuss About This Topic:

1. How much involvement will the parents have in the classroom?

2. How would you handle a situation where my child is upset?

3. I’m worried about my child making friends. Will there be an opportunity during the day for them

to get to know the other children in his/her class?

4. What can I do at home to make my child more prepared for separation anxiety?

5. How can I make school seem more exciting for my child? They seem uninterested.

5 Questions I can ask the parents to Stimulate Discussion:

1. What are the main concerns or fears you have about your child starting school?

2. In what ways do you think you can help your children be more comfortable at school?

3. What ways do you suggest that I help them feel more comfortable, relative to your child’s

specific needs?

4. What is the best way for me and you to stay connected throughout the school year, so your

child feels more comfortable about their school-home transition?

5. In what ways can we collaborate together to make school more inviting for your children?

Parent Follow-Up

After the workshop, I will send a weekly newsletter via email. This will have information about

what we discussed in the classroom and different activities going on at the school. These newsletters

will continue on a weekly basis throughout the school year. I will also have monthly parent-

conferences that are on a as-needed basis. I will make it abundantly clear that I am open for any

questions they may have throughout the school year.