CATEGORY A FAMILY AND COMMUNITY WORK SAMPLE

Joyce Flickinger work sample for Family and Community is our Community
Board outside of our classroom for parents and families to use for resources and
information on events in the community and at our center.

It fits this category because we have given the families a collective group of information that is
supportive and family-centered. We add local events from the Fitchburg Community Center
and events that we find on local websites like Hula Frog. Family events we provide from our
school and our individual classroom are posted such as playground play dates, gym time on
Saturdays and Sundays, movie nights in our gym, potluck playground dinners and lunches and
so many more we provide year round.
I chose it as the best example of my work because I wanted to show how we support all the
families and offer a lot of different resources for any questions or concerns the families may
have about their child or themselves without having to discuss with us if need for
confidentiality. This board provides support and the “nurturing” that a parent needs from us
and we promote a sense of partnership and support for them. The community board offers
events that the families may feel comfortable going to with other families with children of
similar ages an energy.
I learned that during the events at our school we create a sense of community and partnership
with each other and the parents form a village with their child’s classmates and their families.
The parents bring in extended family as well and we get to know the “Ga Ga’s” and the
“Nana’s” too. Communication is flowing at these events and we can talk about ourselves and
what is going on in the children’s world. Advice, hugs and laughs ensue and we create a big
happy family “toddler world.” The parents are involved in their child’s school and feel
connected to the teachers and the other families. Phone numbers and emails are exchanged
and a support network is built amongst the families. The family feels we are the “extended
family” they may need due to living away from their parents and relatives.
My work sample shows my cultural sensitivity, communication skills and knowledge of families
by including several resources for parents to discover that may aid in their parenting or their
child’s development that is respectful to all. We include lots of activities that support the whole
family being involved in the child’s care and our end goal with this board is for the family to
know we are here and are listening to their needs and we are their partner in this incredible
journey we are taking on with their unique child. What a wonderful way to get the families to
meet each other and form the bonds that have lasted for years after the children have left the
center.