Strengthen Connections
Through Family and
Community Engagement
Supporting student success and well-being is a shared responsibility between staff, parents and caregivers and community members. We know that through strong partnerships with families and communities, students are able to thrive in their learning environments.
Building strong home and school connections is critical to improving student achievement and well-being. The Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) and school councils are among some of the ways WRDSB and schools engage with parents and caregivers. With a focus on providing open and accessible communication, WRDSB consults with parents and caregivers throughout the school year to ensure all families experience inclusive engagement in their child’s learning. From discussing curriculum updates and new approaches to leading in education to school renaming, we connect with parents, caregivers, community leaders and interested stakeholders to learn how we can work together to build a healthy and inclusive Waterloo Region.
.jpg)
Meaningful engagement starts with listening to community needs. For example, parent-led group Adventure4Change met with jeewan chanicka, director of education, and other staff members to build community connections. Their mission is to contribute to a changing world by supporting those who are most marginalized in our community. By meeting with organizations such as Adventure4Change and other individuals in the community, WRDSB is leading with love and being responsive to what is most important to the communities we serve.
Making sure that students and families feel their identities are reflected in their school environments is an important part of meaningful engagement. WRDSB marks dates of importance through educational information and resources to promote increased awareness and understanding of the diverse communities we serve. WRDSB also hosts events throughout the year, such as National Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day; the inaugural Asian Heritage Day at Eastwood Collegiate Institute; Black Brilliance Month; Islamic Heritage Month; and Pride Month to provide education, awareness and foster environments where students and staff see themselves represented and celebrated.
In order to help all students succeed, we must work together to ensure students have the supports necessary to learn and thrive. In order to enable positive Grade 8 to 9 transitions, staff host information nights at secondary schools to meet with students, parents and caregivers to help them better understand the available programs and support services, course selection process, graduation requirements and extracurricular activities. Similarly, families new to the WRDSB and those registering their children for Kindergarten are provided opportunities to connect with staff to learn about how to best support their child as they start their educational journey.
Throughout 2023, we have offered lunch and learn sessions for parents and caregivers to connect with psychology staff to provide resources and information to assist families with supporting their learner. Other sessions have been offered in the areas of assistive technology support, as well as vaping and cannabis education.
We have also launched our vision for Transforming Education, which includes key plans for engaging with parents, caregivers and communities. We know that schools are hubs for communities and provide supports and resources for students and families, beyond student academic achievement. Through collaboration with municipal and provincial governments, local community non-governmental organizations, agencies or coalitions, we can all work together to increase engagement and identify meaningful ways to support students and families.
Read more about how we are strengthening connections through family and community engagement:
.jpg)
