Communication

We look forward to working and growing with you and your child. Here are some guidelines for communicating with the various components of our school. All staff and Board members can be contacted via email, which are provided to current families in the Directory, provided in August and updated as needed. For a list of ways to contact the school: follow this link.

Your child’s teachers are here to foster your child’s growth—emotionally, socially, and intellectually. When talking with teachers:

• In the morning, please let us know briefly about significant events that may help us understand your child’s mood and behavior at the start of the day. The more teachers know, the better they can teach your child. It is helpful for parents to tell us about things like family visits, parents’ absences or trips, family or friends’ illness, new pets or pets’ illness or death, exciting family events, particular stress at home from work deadlines or school exams, and so forth.
• Please hold off on other or lengthy discussion until after school or in the evenings. Teachers are very busy first thing in the morning and will be focusing on making your child’s transition into the classroom a smooth one.
• We try to include children in our conversations and not “talk over their heads,” or assume that they are not listening. Please make alternative arrangements to talk with the teacher at another time when the topic is not appropriate for your child or other children to hear.

Teachers communicate regularly with parents about class events, current projects and the like, through classroom newsletters (published a few times during the year). At orientation, you will receive additional contact information for your particular classroom teachers. Parent conferences are an important time to discuss your child’s growth with his/her teachers and family consultants. We encourage both parents to attend both conferences during the year.

Questions/concerns/kudos regarding the classroom should be addressed first with teachers. If necessary, the next person to speak with is the Executive Director.

Family Consultants are volunteer child development specialists—psychoanalysts, psychologists, and social workers—who act as unique resources to Allen Creek families. Through weekly observations in the classroom, discussion with teachers, staff meetings, conferences, and twice-monthly evening meetings with you, your family consultants are here to support teachers and parents in understanding your child’s growth. Through these meetings, information, insights, and questions brought by parents can be linked with the observations, knowledge, and understanding of the consultants, teachers, and other parents.

Meetings with your Family Consultants are an integral part of the Allen Creek program. At least one parent is encouraged to participate in the group meetings, held the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month.

Questions/Concerns/Kudos relevant to family consultants should be addressed first with your classroom family consultants. If necessary, the next person to speak with is the Child Development Director.

Allen Creek’s Administrative Team is made up of the Executive Director, the Office Administrator, Child Development Director, Admissions Coordinator, and the Education Coordinator. The Administrative Team supervises the Faculty, Staff and the Family Consultants; manages the school facility; coordinates all events; communicates with parents; and works with the Board of Directors in managing the organization.

Notices and Updates from the Administrative Team are sent via email. Calendar events and other information of interest to parents will be displayed on our website and a bulletin board in the hall, and there will be weekly updates with school news and important reminders by email with paper copies also available.

The Administrative Team welcomes your questions!

Allen Creek’s Board of Directors meets eight times per year. The Board publishes an E-News Newsletter two times per year. Executive summaries of Board meetings are available upon request.

The Allen Creek Parent Council works throughout the year to support parents and teachers through various projects and occasional fundraisers. In past years, projects have included book sales, a room parent program, our Dining for Kids dinner and silent auction in May, and an appreciation luncheon for staff. Meetings are held monthly. Check the school calendar on the website for specific dates. News from Parent Council and the current Co-Chairs are sent out through the Weekly Updates. Come join us!