OWIS: Where Parent + Teacher Communication = Happy Students

Open communication is key to supporting strong, confident learners. Here are all the ways parents, students and teachers stay connected at One World International School (OWIS)

Every mama knows that What did you do at school today? is usually likely to elicit dull responses like “I don’t know” or “Nothing”. Not exactly inspiring stuff. While there are certainly better questions you can ask your kids, it also highlights one of many reasons why communication between teachers and parents is so important.

At One World International School (OWIS), communication is a three-way process between the school, parents and students, because OWIS recognises the crucial role open communication plays in helping a child meet – or exceed – their own goals.

According to early childhood educator Dawn Ross, “Parents who are supportive and proactive about their children’s education are more likely to have children who succeed and do well at school.” At the same time, it’s important for a school to be transparent and to be clear in communicating each child’s progress (or challenges) to their parents. Teachers have an opportunity to observe a child’s academic growth, emotional development and social needs on an up-close, daily basis, and can provide vital insights to parents that can carry over to home. This consistency helps children become strong, confident learners.

How OWIS Communicates with Parents

At OWIS, open communication allows parents to build strong relationships with their child’s teacher, making it easier to come forward with concerns and, conversely, allowing teachers to better explain what is going on in the classroom to increase understanding. Along the same lines, OWIS encourages parental involvement in classroom life, whether volunteering with school events or participating in fun and exciting classroom activities (this delights children as well!).

OWIS keeps parents regularly updated via email communication, providing weekly updates from the Head of School, as well as announcements about school activities and events.

The school also employs a digital portfolio, Seesaw, to share each and every child’s individual learning via photos and videos. Parents are able to access this with a unique code and password.

At the Primary School level, teachers are always available in the mornings before school starts and at the end of the day to exchange messages, or to make appointments for further discussion.

When OWIS students progress to Secondary School, communication goes through ManageBac, a leading online learning platform for international schools. This not only enables efficient curriculum planning, assessment and reporting (while also eliminating paperwork!), but it also enhances communication to parents and students.

Teachers can view events, tasks, deadlines, exams, and entire calendars, while students also have access to their own calendars which are updated in real-time. The corresponding Parent Portal provides parents with an interface to keep track of their child’s performance, view upcoming tasks (no more nagging about homework!), and see portfolio items.

At OWIS, a positive mini-community is created between every teacher, child, and their parents. This triangular approach to communication empowers children to play an active role in their own education, and ensures that all parties involved are completely on the same page.

When everyone is able to openly communicate with one another, the result is usually a more positive and productive relationship for all!

One World International School (OWIS), 21 Jurong West Street 81, Singapore 649075, email [email protected] or Tel: (+65) 6914 6700, www.owis.org