Parent Night & Lesson Plan Inspiration!

At VHFLC, we love spending time with our students' families so we can all get to know each other a little better and display the projects we've been hard at work on! Three times a year, every site chooses a theme and carefully conceives a plan to give families a great night of fun and bonding. Sites will choose to do anything from plays, to carnivals, to holiday parties and more, and then divvy up tasks between children and staff, depending on where expertise and interests lie.

For our most recent set of Parent Nights, we checked out Rosedale, Banks, and Butternut Creek, who orchestrated bowling, a holiday party, and an international travel-themed event, respectively. As you will see in the case of Butternut Creek, not only can Parent Night be used as a one-time opportunity for kids to express a theme, but it can also be used as a chance to incorporate some of the teachers' week-long curricula. By doing this, we give parents a glimpse into the diverse things we learn in addition to the projects we create. All chosen ideas were a hit, and fairly simple to replicate if you're a teacher searching for subject matter!


Butternut Creek Elementary

Butternut creek decided they wanted to expand their scope beyond the Portland Metro area and compare where everyone had traveled - and where they intended to travel! They assembled coins and bills from different countries so that they could examine their similarities and differences, and teacher Jessica brought in a scrapbook from some of her travels, along with various mementos, postcards and her passport for students to peruse and learn about.

Part of the week's lesson involved geography (see activity below), and knowing what recognizable places we could use to help us remember different cities and states. Assigning visuals and places to landmarks is also a great exercise for comparing and discussing defining features like climate and architecture.

Jessica's scrapbook

Tokens from around the world!

In addition to these activities, Butternut Creek students also spent time working on map puzzles and playing games with license plates. By talking about many different cultures with one's students and granting them exposure through books, pictures and games, you enhance their development on a number of levels. This might include helping them form a more accurate world perspective, broadening their tastes and interests, and reducing egocentrism.  

Rosedale Elementary

For Rosedale's Parent Night, teachers rented bowling mats and pins (for free! Businesses can be very accommodating if approached for a noble cause...) and parents had the opportunity to refresh their bowling skills by playing head-to-head with their kids. Kids even set up a mini concessions stand with popcorn and soda floats!

"I think I'm gonna beat you today, Dad!"

Note the chef shirt

Group effort to serve the parents!

 Banks Elementary

Who doesn't like to decorate cookies with their kids? Here is a theme that works for many holidays, and by structuring one's Parent Night as a group activity like this, the event can take on a heightened social element. Teachers may find that by positioning everyone around one table (if the space permits), conversation becomes more open, inclusive, and fluid. Rather than separating families into several smaller tables, this can be a great platform for parents to connect with each other in addition to connecting with their children.

 

Sometimes all you need is snacks, goody bags, and a calm activity to make everyone happy!

One Banks cutie and her love-ly creation!

What fun! And talk about the many ways you can have it. Teachers, do you have an upcoming Parent Night you would like us to come visit? Write us or call the main office at (503) 452 8633. We'd love to stop by and see what you're planning!