JCDSRI home visits ease back to school

Gabriella Rothman, who is a parent of three children at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island (JCDSRI), remembers when her oldest son started Pre-K and his new teacher came to visit. “Andrea walked in and immediately sat down on the ground with Eitan. She allowed my son to show her his world, and she bridged the transition to a new school, making it easier for all of us.”

JCDSRI Pre-K teacher Andrea Katzman has been conducting home visits before the school year begins since she started teaching at JCDSRI seven years ago. She says that these visits are one of the most effective ways to strengthen home-school connections and allow us to welcome and engage the entire family. “The visits give both children and their parents the opportunity to share what’s on their minds with their new te4acher,” Katzman says. “It’s something wonderful for kids to show their teacher their home and space. When they walk into the classroom, they already feel like they know us, and they feel safe and connected. Our students know that we can be trusted because their parents have invited us into their homes.” 

Home visits aren’t only for JCDSRI’s youngest children. Fifth grade students also receive visits from their teacher, Jamie Faith Woods. Woods began conducting home visits five years ago after her daughter was entering Pre-K at JCDSRI and had her own visit. Woods says she was curious, and that prompted her to read about the practice. She says that what she found supported her teaching philosophy, which is, “the better you understand the whole child, the more meaningful the learning experiences can be.” Woods intuitively thought it was a good thing and was eager to try it herself. 

Woods feels the benefits of her home visits in many ways. “Usually during the first six weeks of school, a teacher is trying to establish a classroom community and a culture of learning. Home visits accelerate that culture. During my home visits,” Woods continues, “I ask my students to tell me something about themselves that will help me teach them and thus help themselves as learners. Since we’ve had these conversations before school starts, it doesn’t take me months to uncover my students’ individualized learning styles.  My parent-teacher conferences in October are a follow-up conversation — not a getting-to-know-you conversation.”

While all teachers at JCDSRI reach out to their incoming students through letters and phone calls, only Pre-K and fifth grade teachers conduct these 45- to 60-minute visits. As a teacher of the school’s oldest children, Woods explains, “For some, the visit alleviates their fear of being the oldest students at school. The visit helps prepare them for the additional responsibilities they hold within our school community as well as prepares them for the academic challenges of fifth grade.” Additionally, parents get information about what should be on their radar screen as their child begins applying to middle school and graduates from JCDSRI.

Home visits reflect the values of JCDSRI, where teachers relate to every student as a whole child. The school also focuses on building a strong and supportive community, and these intimate visits strengthen the school’s mission. While parents and teachers clearly see the benefit of these visits, the children may be the most excited. Woods remembers when one of her students had welcomed her with something she had baked using ingredients from JCDSRI’s school garden (which Woods coordinates). Katzman also sees her students’ excitement. “First of all,” she says, “they can’t believe that their teacher has actually left the school!” The visit is very special to them. Throughout the year, Katzman’s young students will mention to her, “Remember when you came to my house and saw my room?”

NAOMI STEIN is admissions director at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island. She can be reached at 401-751-2470.