Family Involvement

At Garden Grove we place heavy emphasis on family involvement and communication (including frequent communication about children’s basic needs AND socio-emotional state).  This comes from our founder’s work with children who have been abused and neglected and is central to our philosophy. We are excited to regularly share your child’s progress with you via our parent/guardian communication tool in our school management software app, as well as during conferences. We send pictures, videos, and messages on what the children are doing almost every day! Active communication between teachers and families allows for collaboration. Our staff go out of their way to form relationships with children’s families, and we invite families to our campus to participate in special events and volunteer opportunities throughout the year, including, but not limited to the activities below:

  • A display of painted pumpkins and decorated gourds on a checkered tablecloth, with a sign behind them that reads "No Carve Pumpkin Contest" and instructions to place votes in a basket, celebrating Halloween at Garden Grove Preschool in Sparta NJ

    Family Projects

    From seasonal projects like pumpkin decorating and gingerbread house contests and turkeys in disguise, to our school family tree and tradition quilt, our school-wide projects help bring families together outside of school. The children love seeing their family’s work on display, and showing their friends what they did!

  • Children wearing colorful paper Thanksgiving hats sit at a table with food, including fried chicken, French fries, bread rolls, and orange slices. An adult woman distributes food to the children, and the table is decorated with Thanksgiving-themed coloring pages and place mats.

    Volunteering

    There are many opportunities for families to come in to volunteer in their children’s classroom, including helping with class parties, reading to the class, and sharing their career.

  • Group of children dressed in Halloween costumes standing in a line outdoors on a fall day, with a woman nearby. In the background, there is a white gazebo decorated with Halloween decorations, surrounded by trees with colorful autumn leaves on the ground.

    Events to Attend

    There is always something going on at Garden Grove! We love inviting families to campus to participate in special events, including our annual Halloween parade, Mother’s Day Tea, Father’s Day picnic, and pre-K graduation ceremony. The children always have something prepared to share, whether it is singing songs, reciting poems, or sharing their artwork!