GEMS WORLD ACADEMY SENIOR SCHOOL

COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL

While all GWA staff members genuinely value working together with parents to ensure students succeed to the greatest extent possible, it is also important at this point in a child’s development for them to learn to advocate for themselves.

Regularly, students are able to sort out issues on their own and in the process have learned a valuable interpersonal skill that will become increasingly important as university life approaches.

Adult intervention on a child’s behalf is rarely unreasonable and sometimes necessary, but most often issues of concern or conflict can provide an educational opportunity for our students and can be resolved by them. Parents are asked to encourage their child to advocate for themselves, it is a lifelong skill that we can begin to teach now.

Expectations regarding communication

Any substantive issues should be raised in face-to-face meetings. Email is not always effective medium to raise a substantive issue or attempt to resolve it. 

Most often parents and teachers should not copy the principal or other administrators when e-mailing as it can send the wrong message or implicitly suggest that the issue cannot be worked out on their own.

Teachers will respond to parent communications promptly, even if it’s a brief acknowledgement. For their part, parents should appreciate that teachers are busy during the day and may have other responsibilities after school. Students and parents should be aware that teachers may need 24-36 hours, during the week, to respond to an email.

Finally, assume best intentions, when the child is placed at the center of the conversation issues can be more effectively focused.