School is back in session, and parents are busy making final preparations to help their kids have a successful school year. One important thing to not overlook is a back to school welcome call from a virtual school teacher. This is a great way to help all students learn what is needed to get the school year started properly, settle into new routines, and become connected with staff and classmates. Ideally, these welcome calls should occur before the first day of school and no later than a week after, if that is not possible.
What should be discussed during the welcome call?
The back-to-school welcome calls are ideal for helping students get back into the swing of things. Students will have an opportunity to: ask questions, connect with teachers, and receive essential information. During this time, parents can also find out more about the curriculum used by their child’s virtual school.
Typically back to school welcome calls include topics like:
- How is back-to-school going? How was summer vacation?
- Who can we contact with questions once the school year begins?
- What do you look forward to most in your classroom?
- What was your favorite subject last year? What was your least favorite subject? Why?
- What is a typical day for a virtual school student?
- Are there deadlines, due dates, and assessment types?
- Do you have any concerns for the upcoming school year?
The answers to these questions can help students, and parents, gain a better understanding of the operations, logistics, and requirements of the virtual school.
It also helps teachers identify which students may need academic support or social, emotional, and behavioral interventions.
Many would argue that the welcome call is vital for relationship-building.
Why are teacher-student relationships meaningful?
Teachers and students are connected by the relationships they share. These connections form a bond between them to establish an understanding of one another. This could also lead to knowledge and information passing on through open dialogue or mutual respect for each other’s input.
The teacher-student relationship is essential for many reasons. These include: forming friendships, sharing knowledge, and fostering professional growth based upon interpersonal communication skills (both verbal and nonverbal) being used daily within this ongoing interaction throughout time.
Never too early to think about back to school
One of the most important things you can do for your child is to help enable them to have a successful school year. That starts with making sure that they’re appropriately welcomed and feel comfortable in their new environment. A welcome call from a virtual teacher is one way to help them settle into routines and become connected with staff and classmates before the first day of school. Ideally, these calls should occur before the first day of school or no later than 1 week after if not possible.
A recent study showed that students feel a greater sense of belonging at their new school after a phone call with a school teacher was made before their first day of school.
They also felt less stressed about starting classes because they knew someone was waiting for them on campus or online. These early conversations helped reduce feelings of isolation among these students by providing an opportunity for them to ask questions about how things work at their virtual school.
Schedule a Welcome Call
If you want your child to have a great experience at their new school this year, don’t forget to schedule a welcome call with one of the teachers! We’ll be able to answer any questions they might have about what’s expected on their first day, so there are no surprises when they walk through those doors for the first time.
If your child is currently attending Iowa Connections Academy, the staff will automatically make those welcome calls. No need to schedule in advance. However, those attending other virtual schools are encouraged to reach out as early as possible to schedule a welcome call.
