Mathematics 7–9
Home–School Communication Resource
The Department of Education
is pleased to provide your
school with …
The Mathematics 7–9:
Home–School Communication
Resource!
Let’s look inside …
Overview
The resource makes it easy for
grades 7–9 mathematics teachers to
inform parents and guardians about
their students’ mathematics program
and involve them in what their
students are learning.
CD—Electronic Files
All the paper files and folders packed in
this box are also available electronically
on the CD. That means you can always
print another copy of anything that’s here.
Newsletters, Email, & Websites
• You can keep parents up-to-date on what
their students are learning in class by
sending out emails, regular newsletters,
or maintaining a website.
• The communication resource contains
information about email communication,
samples of a newsletter and websites, as
well as tips on how to create your own.
Sample Newsletter
Email and Websites
Information Sessions
Inviting parents to visit the school to attend and
participate in curriculum information sessions
provides a great opportunity to involve parents
in student learning by explaining what’s going
on in class. We’ve put lots of goodies in the
communication resource to make your
curriculum night the best it can be …
Curriculum Night
Contents
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Information Session Letters
Grades 7–9 Curriculum Summaries
Suggestions for Parents: Helping with Homework
Mathematics 7–8–9: A Textbook Tour PowerPoint
Presentation
– Presentations: How We Teach
• A PowerPoint presentation has been prepared that is specific
to each grade. The materials are also available for each grade
on overhead transparencies.
Curriculum Night
How We Teach
Special Events
Family Math Night
Family math nights are informal evenings
during which students, siblings, and
parents are invited to the school to do
math-related activities. The whole family
becomes engaged in the student’s learning.
Here’s what we’ve packed in the
communication resource to help you make
your school’s event a success …
Special Events
Contents
– Grade 7 Activities
– Grade 8 Activities
– Grade 9 Activities
Each grade section provides guidance
for running a teacher-led introductory
activity and five activity cards for small
groups to work on.
Special Events
Sample Activities
Parent/Student/Teacher
Meetings
Meetings can be held for a variety of reasons.
Several types of meetings are addressed in
this section, including information to help you
run student-led conferences with parents.
This section of the resource provides
information about parent meetings, with
samples of invitations to parents, parent
response forms, materials for student
portfolios, and related articles about organizing
effective meetings with parents.
Parent/Student/Teacher Meetings
Support Resources
Here is what the communication
resource contains to help you
meet with parents …
– Sample Invitation Letters
– Sample Portfolio Forms
– Sample Parent Response Forms
– Related Articles
– How to Run Successful Parent-Team Conferences
– Letting Students Lead Parent Conferences
– Student-Led Conferences
– Parent-Teacher Meeting Guide
Resources:
Books and Pamphlets
Your communication resource also contains two
books and several pamphlets for your reference in
communicating with parents.
Here’s what you get …
Pamphlets
Pamphlets are another good way to get
your message about mathematics
learning into the hands of parents.
Samples of these pamphlets are
provided.
• Let’s talk about …
– Mental Math and Estimation: Grades 7–9
– Homework: Grades 7–9
• Homework Tips: Grades 7–9
Pamphlets
Book:
A Family’s Guide: Fostering Your Child’s
Success in School Mathematics
“This guide is intended to help family members
understand changes in mathematics education and to
suggest ways that they can support their children’s
learning of mathematics.”
Book:
Conferencing and Reporting
“The authors focus on practical ways for teachers to
involve students in their own assessment. They
provide examples of how students can demonstrate
their learning to others and take an active role in
conferencing with their parents, or teachers.”
A Final Thought
We hope you find all the items in your
communication resource helpful.
Teachers and administrators can use these
resources to make the school’s communication
with its parents about mathematics education
even MORE effective.