secondary parents could you attend a short school day event with 2 weeks notice

[twinsetandpearls]

I want to reward some of my pupils with a tea party and I would like to invite their parents or somone special from home.

I can't do it after school as I have clubs or meetings every night and I also think it will be more of a reward for them to have treat in the school day when everyone else is working rather than keeping them back at the end of the day. I also thought that if parents work getting in during the day is as challenging as getting in at 3.15pm.

So how many of you could attend a tea party for about 30 minutes during the day?

I am thinking about half two in the afternoon as they coul then take their sons or daughters home with them or be free to get children from primary school afterwards.

2 weeks is very short notice for me tbh.

A month is more reasonable. I'm booked up with meetings for about 3 weeks to a month in advance.

well I could and I have to be back by 4 for dd to get home from her sn school. but i am a SAHM
How old are the dc's?

I know 2 weeks is quite short but it a reward for being top of our merit league table, if I give the parents a months notice the reward will not have the same impact on the children as the gap between earning the reward and recieving it will be too big.

The children are 11 and 12 in year 7.

why do you want the parents there?

If you made it on a Friday afternoon more people might be able to make it - I think most people try to avoid booking meetings for a Friday PM

I think if its a special occasion, then I would make every effort to be there. It sounds like a lovely thing to do and I would certainly move heaven and earth to be there for my dd.

Haven't experienced secondary yet but hope that lots of teachers will be as considerate as you are. Wish they were at my son's primary. I could probably do two weeks notice, and yes, a Friday afternoon is always preferable.

However, what about the ones who's parents simply cannot make it?

I would definitely make the effort,but not too sure my dd would appreciate my being there.
I think she and her friends would be dying of embarrassment having their parents there.
I could be wrong as dd is 15 now,maybe she wasn't so bad at 12.

At the beginning of the year I asked the children what rewards they would like as it is pointless doing rewards if they don;t want them.

We do tea parties already which are very popular but they said they would like their parents to be there.

THe school I teach in is in an area of high deprivation where school home communication is a big problem. I try and get parents involved and into school as much as I can to address that problem.

Peaches thanks , some will not be able to make it and I have to accept that but I think to be honest that just the invite will get across the message that I see us working together.

Yes at 15 most of our would not want parents there and the odd one wouldn;t at 12 but tbh the kind of children who have won the award are those that like their parents to be invited to things.

Unfortunatly I can't do a Friday afternoon as I have a GCSE class.

Do you know if the parents work and are they in the sort of jobs where they have meetings booked up in advance? Just thinking, if there's high unemployment in the area... dunno.

Lots of our parents don;t work tbh but some do and many of them do not have proffessional jobs but sometimes a proffessional job is more likely to let you have time off. For example I think every time I have asked for an hour off to see dd in an assembly or go to a meeting with a teacher I have been given time as my employer understands how important it is that I am able to be involoved in dd education.

Yes, I could, my boss is very flexible when it comes to things relating to my children.

Shame you couldn't do Friday afternoon, because that would probably be most convenient to more working parents.

It's a lovely idea twinset. I hope it's a successful event.

Thankyou unknownrebelbang

We are round the corner from our main feeder primary, although because of the nature of our intake we do have kids travel from all over the town.

What I think I will do is send an invite home and have three options
tea party at the start of the day
tea party at around 2.30pm
tea party after school

I will then choose the most popular option.

Don't have secondary children yet but I would be able to get the time off at 2 weeks notice. My husband who is a teacher would not.

It would be MUCH easier to have it at 9.00am and say I would be late into work, even dh might manage that one for a special occasion.

I have written the letter giving six choices of the beginning of the school day, around 11am, at the end of the school day and after 5pm on different dates giving between 2 and three weeks notice.

I will then choose the slot which is most popular.