Teachers involve parents in the learning process
Students, adults meet outside the classroom for addt'l support
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK — To improve student-parent-teacher relationships, to celebrate cultural diversity and to foster communication between parents and educators, Parsons Elementary School teachers, Debbie Druker and Gerry Agyeman are volunteering their time in an after-school program that takes their kindergartners into the community for extracurricular activities.

Agyeman said their purpose is to "bridge the gap" between parents and teachers, and to build relationships since children spend most of their day at school. He said it is important for parents to realize how important schoolwork is and for them to have an "excitement for education."

"Many times, we don't see the parents, so this is an opportunity to sit down with parents … and hopefully that will carry over to their child's achievement in school," Druker said.

This month, the teachers will take the children to Babbage Park, weather permitting, for storybook reading, games and snacks. Next month, they would like to introduce the children to the township library to complement the "Tools of the Mind" curriculum they are using at the school, by having students take out books related to the subject matter being studied in class.

The idea of supplementing classwork with outside activities is nothing new to Druker. She previously has volunteered two hours on Sundays throughout the school year to help her students learn letters, sounds and reading.

She said as both a parent and a teacher, she understands the importance of getting to know teachers on a personal level and to helping children outside of the classroom because of the more individualized setting that is available.

"I am thrilled to get to know the parents and families, and to know a little more about their background, and to get to know them more personally," Druker said.

"If you know a parent's background, then you get to know what the parents value … and you can hit the children in their spectrum of understanding," Agyeman added.

The first-year teacher also added how having a male, adult role model is important to the children.

He also mentioned how since he is a black male and Druker is a Jewish woman, the children get to see their interracial friendship and learn about tolerance.

"They see from us that it's OK to be friends, and our cultural differences make us better," Druker said, with Agyeman immediately adding, "and how our cultures are similar."

Overall, the teachers said they feel this program is best suited to their kindergartners, and hope to continue having the parents join in throughout the year.

"If we have teachers who care so much about meeting [parents], … then [the students] should have the same thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm at home as at school," Agyeman said.

Contact Jennifer Amato at

jamato@gmnews.com.