By Christopher Sykes
It’s no big secret that a father’s role in the home has changed significantly over the last few decades. With fewer stay-at-home-moms, today’s fathers are taking on more caregiving responsibilities and are often sharing a more hands-on role in the educational process of their children. Whether it’s dropping off or picking up from school, checking homework, or stopping by school for a meeting with a teacher, seeing dads at school is a decidedly positive consequence of this transformation.
Glades Christian Academy understands just how important a father’s role is in the life of his son or daughter. As one Proverb says: “The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise.” (Proverbs 23:24, NLT) Fathers provide moral guidance, financial security, “tough love,” and an example of how a man should treat others. While those roles and many others have been filled by fathers for generations, today’s fathers must complete those tasks and compete for their children’s attention in an always-connected, always-on culture immersed in social media. In short, being an outstanding, effective dad today is tough. As a result, there are three important ways that GCA attempts to help fathers connect with their kids’ education.
First, GCA provides online access for busy dads on the go. From a simple app on a smartphone or from a website on almost any web-enabled device, dads can check their children’s homework assignments, upcoming tests and quizzes, attendance, and even grades. GCA believes that even the busiest parents are still the most significant factor in a child’s education. Keeping parents, especially dads, connected to what’s going on in their child’s classroom is vitally important.
The second way GCA tries to connect with dads is by having a healthy, but flexible, communication policy for teachers. While teachers are required to communicate with parents daily, weekly, and quarterly depending on the situation and grade level, the method in which they communicate is up to the teachers and their relationships with parents. GCA understands that some parents communicate best by text, others by email, and still others using social media. As a result, dads now have an abundance of communication choices with which to contact teachers…because sometimes pen and paper just aren’t enough.
Finally, probably GCA’s favorite and most fun way to connect with dads is through the hearts of their little girls. While GCA understands that not all dads have daughters, those that do certainly have something special. Each year in February, GCA hosts an annual Father-Daughter Dance, open to all female students and their fathers or father figures, complete with a DJ, great food, and a fun theme. This year had a frozen theme, and the smiles on both daughters’ and their daddy’s faces were priceless!
Whether it’s through traditional pen and paper, technology, or just plain fun, GCA wants to communicate to dads that it supports the important role they play in the lives of their children. From all the staff and teachers at GCA, Happy Fathers’ Day, dads!
For more information call Preschool: 954-840-0599 • Elementary/Middle School: 954-755-6405
www.GladesChristianAcademy.com
