Families at the Heart of Education

Recently the education specialist Mar Romera, an expert on emotional intelligence throughout Spain, gave a conference at school where she explained that ‘we must never forget that children learn from us. This is why the main thing we must do is be a good role model for them’.

Bearing in mind that teachers and families are the mirrors where children look to learn, at Caxton College we continue to work to establish a strong link with our families so that the values and messages that the school conveys to students are reinforced at home and form a part of their home lives.

Shared Emotional Excellence

‘It’s essential for families and schools to be closely connected to ensure that we are all on the same team’, said Marta Gil, Principal. Children need emotionally balanced role models, and if they find these both at home and at school, everything will work better. For this reason, developing an annual programme of activities that brings the two parts together is fundamental. ‘At school we have initiatives such as our Activity Afternoons for parents and children, we invite our families to share in charitable or cultural events such as our sustainable second-hand clothing sale, art exhibitions or book fairs, so that they can share in the values that the school teaches their children. The same occurs with open doors events for co-curricular activities, where they can see for themselves the skills their children are developing to be able to encourage them at home. Also, our Family Coffee activity, where members of the Board of Directors have an opportunity to chat with parents of our students, is enjoying great success. Another initiative that brings families closer to school is our Teacher Appreciation Day event. In summary, our doors are always open to school families’, said Ms Gil.

This connection with families creates a very enriching educational community where students feel admired and find emotional excellence both with their families at home and with their teachers. That is the point at which their brains can be truly ready for learning.

Technology: Joining Responsibilities

For technology to continue to be used responsibly, and for it to be perceived as a tool with a solely educational purpose, the school also encourages families to get involved so that there is coherence between the message given at school and at home. To achieve this, the school keeps families informed and provides them with technical resources, such as programmes that restrict the use of digital devices. In this way, with everyone’s commitment, we can attain a balance between the advantages that technology can bring to learning and the challenges that it presents. ‘We work together as a united community under our motto “One School, One Community” to provide our students with the best possible future’, said Cristina Pérez, Psychologist in Secondary.

Caxton College is the author of this content, which has been published in Spanish media such as Las Provincias and El Periódico de Aquí, and English media such as Valencia International.