Dear STEM School Highlands Ranch Families,
Every parent wants the absolute best for their child. Every individual that works in education works hard and is committed to helping all children learn, grow and succeed. Parents and educators are passionate about this critical outcome. To achieve these common goals, we must commit to creating healthy partnerships that support every student’s growth.
Healthy relationships involve honesty, trust, respect and open communication. Within every relationship exists bumps and growing pains and unfortunately, from time to time, concerns and conflicts are likely to occur. When these situations occur, we must also do our best to assume the positive intentions of others and work appropriately to address them. This takes effort and compromises from both parties.
I wanted to share this message with our community because it is the same message that we share with our students and our staff. And, for us to be successful as a school, we need our families to partner with us.
Steps to consider when faced with a concern and/or conflict:
- Listen to the individual’s concern and consider the possibility of differing perspectives.
- Reach out to the other party to share the concern. Share concerns, listen, and ask questions.
- The best case scenario is that both parties better understand the situation and the different perspectives, and a plan is made to move forward that best serves the child’s needs.
- If a resolution or understanding cannot be reached, seek the assistance of the next person listed in the communication pathway.
STEM has created a Communication Pathway Document to guide families and students on who to reach out to when an issue, question or concern arises. This Pathways Document was created by our School Accountability Committee (SAC) and is vetted yearly to ensure that the pathway is still relevant.
I am fortunate to work with a great group of Administrators and Leaders here at STEM and I know that we are all committed to providing the best service to our students, families and staff members.
On a fun note, Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up the week of October 10-14 for both Elementary and Secondary. Please check the All School Calendar and the respective newsletters to see the exact dates and times of your specific conference. Please consider attending in person and engaging in a conversation about your student’s academic progress. This is an excellent opportunity to develop a relationship with your student’s teachers.
When individuals work toward a common goal and through tough situations, stronger relationships are grown. We hope that you will commit to working together to ensure each student richest their fullest potential. Thank you so much for your support and commitment.
In partnership,
LynAnn Kovalesky, Executive Director