close

Church, school VPK program encourages parent involvement

4 min read

To the editor:

Parent involvement in a VPK program is very important. Throughout the school year, Good Shepherd incorporates numerous activities, projects, and field trips into our curriculum to encourage parent involvement in the classroom.

Our year really begins about two weeks before the students arrive. Each parent and child has an individual conference with their teacher. This enables both the parent and child to get to know the teacher and see the room. By doing this, they become much more comfortable with their new environment. The teacher also uses this as an opportunity to tell the parent how they can become involved in the class or with our PTL (Parent Teacher League).

Parents are encouraged to join in the fun during the school year with some of our projects. This year we made reindeer food and snowman poop _ as well as other cooking projects. Science Fair is another opportunity for parent involvement. Our older students participate in the Edison Regional Science Fair so we start in VPK with science experiments also. We select a project, do it as a group, and then construct a science backboard – just like the “big kids.” Parents help with each step of the process.

For parents who are unable to take off from work and spend a day in VPK, we have four major at home projects each year. Some of the ones we have done recently are “All about Me” and “My Family Tree.” These encourage the parent and child to spend time together working on a project that the child can proudly share with their classmates.

Children love it when their parents are involved in the class and yet another way this can be achieved is through field trips. So far this year we have taken three such trips.

The first was to the Pumpkin Patch. Kids of all ages love picking out a pumpkin and having stories read to them during this excursion. This is a short trip and enables parents who don’t have much time to get involved. Our second trip was to Il Primo Pizzeria. Parents and students loved the opportunity to make their own pizza. They learned what goes into making their favorite meal and then they got to eat it. We are able to turn this into a good lesson on nutrition.

The third field trip this year was to the Imaginarium. The parents turn out in droves for this one! The kids learn so much and the parents really enjoy all of the hands on experiences. Other outings often include trips to the local Publix or the Shell Factory.

Each field trip is a learning experience for both the parents and the student. This encourages Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Art and Technology with parents and children. The children are learning process skills to help them do better in the following years of education.

VPK is not daycare. The more the parent is involved, the more they learn that their child can and is learning more and more each day. The parent really begins to realize that this is their child’s first real experience in going t school and the joy that learning gives. The more the parent is involved the easier it is on the child. They gain the confidence they need for when they start kindergarten.

They have learned to socialize and learn with the skills that an active and involved VPK program offers. Our program uses the Early Childhood Standards set by the State of Florida. VPK is a State of Florida funded program that all children who are four years olds by Sept. 1 of the starting school year can go to school for free. This program is offered all over the State of Florida.

I would like to say thank you to the North Fort Myers Neighbor for all their support over the years for always reporting the great fund-raisers that our school and parents do to help other in need.

By Terea Herrin

Preschool Director

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School

North Fort Myers , FL