Whiteman Primary is a great place for kids…and it’s a great place for adults, as well. It is refreshing to see the parent-child, parent-faculty, and parent-parent interactions taking place throughout the school and throughout the day. In a society where “helicopter parent” is a common derogatory phrase, it remains a term not heard within the walls of LWPS. In fact, parental involvement in every aspect of our school is a big part of our mission.
You might question why a school intent on educating children finds parent participation to be so integral to its day-to-day life. Children everywhere learn more from observing the adults around them than they learn from what the adults tell them. The fact that their parents play a key role at Whiteman Primary teaches our students that education is something their parents value. The civility and kindness with which parents interact with each other and with the children of the school teaches those children how to be a part of a respectful community. The close collaboration between parents and faculty teaches our students the value of teamwork.
Parents play many roles at LWPS, and the importance that is placed upon all of those roles teaches the children to appreciate diversity. We all contribute to the school in different ways, but all of our contributions are important. For the students, this translates into an understanding that while some students bring a strong facility with language to the classroom, others bring great mathematical skills, and still others bring a social-emotional awareness that makes the classroom sing with accomplishment.
Having parents deeply involved in their children’s learning in the school enhances the students’ learning in ways that are both obvious and subtle. This connection between all of the members of the school community, both young and older, is one of the things that resonates throughout the halls and classrooms of our school and transform it into a home away from home. It is one of the ways in which being a part of the LWPS community is very special. It is something that I appreciate every minute of every day, and that I hope all of you have a chance to experience. The fact that our children are immersed in this cooperative environment daily deeply enriches their education.
