We are welcoming our new family to our child care facility from the Cote d'Ivoire.
I have learned that the background of the Cote d'Ivoire is French and Portuguese. They are referred to as Ivorians. Ivorians wash their hands in basins before their meals. The climate is very warm all year long. Many of the families participate in agriculture where the children tend not to complete school to work on the farm. They are experiencing war and conflict which makes it tough to enjoy the beauty of the country.
These preparations will help me understand my new family for who they are on the inside and the outside. The Cote d'Ivoire is know for tropical fruit, coffee beans and cocoa. I could find decorations of tropical fruit and ask them to bring in items which would represent their family. The information I gathered will help me establish a common educational goal with the family. I would be able to use French to communicate with he family or providing some words in their country's language. I would also put words in Portuguese around the classroom.
I believe this will help develop a positive relationship with the family. I would hope that the family would be able to identity with the items in the classroom. The main goal is to reach a common ground in what is best for their child educationally. Parents need to feel their child's identity will not be compromised. I am hoping when the family identifies their culture being represented in the classroom that they will feel more comfortable sharing the part of their culture which cannot be seen.
"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb-
Great information and research to welcome your new student. I love with the access of the internet we can search information in seconds and use images to help families feel welcomed. Thanks for sharing :)
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