Parent & Community Engagement

Speaker: Dr. Emily King, Child Psychologist

Collaborating effectively with parents is one of the most powerful tools a school administrator has to promote student success. Parents are the expert on their child in the home, and community and educators are the experts in the classroom. Bridging parent and teacher expertise of student strengths and needs is paramount to designing the optimal environment for neurodivergent learners.

In this session, administrators will come to a better
understanding of the student behaviors related to a child’s diagnosis of ADHD, autism, and/or
learning differences and how to effectively engage in collaborative conversations with parents
that balance high expectations while also honoring the individual needs and strengths of students.

Speaker: Marra Smith, Miami Country Day School

This session will showcase how implementing collaborative communication structures in a PK3-12 school setting can significantly improve the flow of information and keep the entire community well-informed day-to-day and year-to-year. We will start with a case study of the creation of the Center for Academic Success and Well-Being (CASW), which serves to facilitate these effective communication frameworks across the school. Following this, you
will have the chance to engage in an interactive workshop alongside peers to identify and
reimagine communication and support systems in your own school, regardless of its size or
existing structure. Together, in this shared environment, we will explore and exchange
strategies for enhancing school-wide support by improving communication and documentation practices.

Speakers: Kathleen Bukowski and Sophie Daniels, The Westminster Schools

Learn about our committee-based model for determining student accommodations and strategies.

This session will cover how we

• Use data to inform decisions about student needs.
• Create a cross-divisional team of educators and clinicians.
• Implement a collaborative system for strategy recommendations
• Establish an equitable, objective holistic review process.
• Balance evaluations with teacher feedback, parent feedback and academic history

Discover how to develop a dynamic, inclusive approach to supporting diverse student needs.

Speaker: MaryBeth Spencer, Woodlynde School

The Science of Reading has become a topic not only of teacher training, but also far-reaching research, investigative journalism, and even legislation, but how does it affect the teachers of subjects other than reading? This presentation provides teachers of content areas a background in the Science of Reading, but also real strategies and practices to support evidence-based reading instruction outside of the reading classroom. 

Speaker: Meg Goddard, The Galloway School

This session is critical for independent school leaders as they aim to foster collaborative relationships with families to support the whole child. Executive functioning challenges can significantly impact academic achievement, and the home-school partnership is key to creating consistent and effective support.

School leaders will gain insights into building lasting family partnerships that support not just academic performance, but also student well-being and independence, aligning with broader goals of holistic education and parent engagement. Through meaningful partnerships, schools can help families understand the importance of EF skills—such as organization, time management, and self-advocacy—and how to reinforce these skills at home.

Participants will explore strategies for building strong communication channels between families and school support teams, ensuring that EF interventions are tailored to each student’s needs. The session will also address common challenges in these partnerships, offering practical solutions for maintaining family engagement. Attendees will leave with actionable plans for fostering collaboration and co-creating a supportive environment that empowers students to succeed academically.