As the new school year approaches, you’re likely getting ready to welcome new children and their families to your childcare center or preschool. Planning a preschool or pre-k orientation can be a fun and informative way to introduce new families to school staff and the classroom.
Since your center will be some preschoolers’ first time away from home, a well-planned orientation can help you establish strong relationships with children and even reduce their anxieties about starting the school year.
In this article, we'll share eight ways to plan a preschool or pre-k orientation to help your families confidently start the school year.
A preschool orientation sets the scene for a successful school year. It's an opportunity for families to learn more about their child's school, meet teachers, and understand the center's philosophy and curriculum. For educators, it's a chance to lay the foundation for a positive relationship with families and ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to expectations and goals for the school year.
Before hosting your orientation for new families, simplify your entire enrollment process with brightwheel. This preschool enrollment software saves you time and makes it easy for families to apply to your program online and set up their child's profile. With this tool, you'll be able to collect digital signatures, request documents from families, and track enrollment details—all from the same software that you use to manage your childcare billing and communication.
The following are some ideas you can use to plan an engaging and productive preschool orientation.
Before you begin planning, decide whether your preschool orientation will be for parents and guardians only or if it will be a family orientation. A “parents only” orientation may not involve as many children’s activities, so you may be able to share more information. If you decide to go this route, consider setting up another orientation day to allow children to meet you, their teachers, and a few other classmates before the first day.
Alternatively, you may decide to hold concurrent orientations for adults and children in separate spaces with an opportunity to come together at the end for a joint activity led by their teacher. To engage with the children in your classroom, you may want to play the name game , decorate a file folder, or create an "All About Me" book or worksheet for their first day. For family orientations, you may consider setting up sensory tables or activity centers around your school or classroom to keep the children engaged while you speak to the parents.
Be sure to indicate the event's intended audience on the invitation and relevant information such as planned activities, items or objects needed for those activities, childcare options (if parent-only), and things to bring to the event. Including this type of information makes the event more welcoming and engaging.
Before your orientation, ask at least one of your staff members to greet families at the front entrance. Your greeter can also inform guests of any COVID-19 safety protocols you may have for the event, such as wearing a mask or using hand sanitizer before entering the building. Don’t be afraid to get creative with how you greet families.
Prepare your greeters for questions they may get asked frequently, such as how long the orientation will be or its schedule. This information will help your greeters feel more confident and ensure that your new families get the information they need right when they walk through your doors!
You can also set up a welcome table near the entrance with a sign-in sheet, name tags, and other materials to help families feel comfortable and prepared for the orientation. Make sure to include the child’s name on each parent’s name tag as this will make it easier for you, your staff, and other new parents to get to know each family.
Orientations are an excellent opportunity for families to meet each other too. The sooner new parents connect, the sooner they’ll feel a sense of community in your program.
Start your orientation with a fun activity, so parents have a chance to talk before the main portion of your agenda. Icebreakers can help your guests warm up to each other, feel more engaged, and help set the tone for the rest of the orientation.
Some examples of icebreaker activities are:
Your activity could be as simple as setting up a refreshment table and letting families eat and mingle for the first 15-20 minutes of the orientation. You don’t need to plan anything fancy, as long as you make space for families to connect!
Many programs find it helpful to give a short presentation on what parents should know before the school year begins. Use a presentation format you’re comfortable with, whether it’s a speech, a slideshow, or a video. Y our presentation can highlight your program’s unique offerings and benefits.
Your presentation might include:
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Finding different ways to present information will help keep families engaged throughout your preschool orientation program. You'll want to ensure that you print all materials beforehand. Along with the school handbook, you may consider publishing a sheet of important notes for families to help them retain the information shared.
New families will be eager to get to know your facilities so they can better understand what their children’s daily activities will look like. A simple tour of your center can also help ease separation anxiety as both children and families will be familiar with the physical space when the first day of school arrives.
Guide your guests throughout your center and explain their children's activities in each designated area. As you lead the tour, remind parents how different parts of your classrooms facilitate different learning benefits, such as fine and gross motor development or creative expression.
If you run a larger center, you can ask your teachers to show parents around their classrooms or help lead other parts of the tour. Don’t forget to show families important outdoor spaces, such as your playground or drop-off and pick-up areas.
Even if you include a teacher introduction during your presentation, it’s best to set up a time for families to meet your staff more personally. Connecting with teachers will help new families trust your program more and further engage with their children’s education.
Here are a few ideas for teacher meet-and-greets:
You’ll present a lot of information during orientation, so remember to allow plenty of time for Q&A at the end of your presentation or preschool orientation program.
To help you prepare, here is a list of common questions and their answers that parents may ask:
During your orientation, families will be busy taking in a lot of new information and may not remember everything they learned. Help them by sending a follow-up message reiterating the most important details they need to know before the first day of school.
If you took photos at your orientation, you can include them in your message and tell families how excited you are to start a new year with them. Don’t forget to remind them that you’re available for any questions they have in the meantime!
When school starts, continue engaging with families and providing important updates on their child's progress. With a tool like brightwheel's communication feature, you can share learning milestones like an activity they completed on their first day of preschool or an update on meal or nap time.
These preschool orientation tips can help you create an engaging, welcoming event for children and families. By offering a detailed tour, helpful handouts, and opportunities for parents to ask questions and connect with other families, you can help ease their transition into this exciting new phase of their lives.
A well-planned orientation can set the tone for positive and lasting relationships between your center, families, and children, creating a sense of community and collaboration.
Brightwheel is the complete solution for early education providers, enabling you to streamline your center’s operations and build a stand-out reputation. Brightwheel connects the most critical aspects of running your center—including sign in and out, parent communications, tuition billing, and licensing and compliance—in one easy-to-use tool, along with providing best-in-class customer support and coaching. Brightwheel is trusted by thousands of early education centers and millions of parents. Learn more at mybrightwheel.com
