Engaging Families with CERCA

Including families and caregivers in what students are learning using ThinkCERCA can be an important step in building a strong CERCA culture at your school. Helping students see the connections between their work in school and their lives outside of the classroom is a key part of building these life-long skills. 

To introduce families to CERCA, our Family & Caregiver letter, available in English and Spanish can be sent home at the beginning of the school year. This helps families understand what CERCA is, what their children are learning using ThinkCERCA, and ideas for extending learning at home.

English Family and Caregiver Letter	Spanish Family and Caregiver Letter

Additional Ideas for Engaging Families with ThinkCERCA

1. Report Card Night/Open House: Consider setting up a ThinkCERCA table at your next Open House or Report Card night. Get a few student volunteers to explain what CERCA is and demonstrate their CERCA skills using CERCA Circle or another icebreaker! 

2. Social Media: Share stories from classrooms using ThinkCERCA on your school or district’s social media pages. ThinkCERCA’s Remote Learning Resource Center could also be linked on social media pages (or websites).        

3. CERCA at Home: Include families the next time students need to complete a CERCA. Consider sending students home with a prompt to debate with their family! Encourage families to come up with their own debatable questions (i.e. Whose music is better: adults’ or children? What’s the best dessert?) 

4. Parent/Teacher Conferences: Use ThinkCERCA data in parent/teacher conferences. You can also send families regular updates (scores, writing samples etc.) via apps like the Remind App.