The Liaison card. A tool for communication and collaboration with families for the school follow-up of students.

Mar 27, 2025 | Accompaniment, Actuality, Coedupia 2025, Family integration, Focus on children and young people

THE LIAISON CARD. A tool for communication and collaboration with families for the school follow-up of students.

Padre Cyrille Mbarga Sch.P. CALASANZ SCHOOL, LIBREVILLE (GABON)

Relations between the family and the school do not occur naturally. They must develop within a codified framework accepted by the various members of the educational community. At Collège Calasanz de Libreville, we believe in partnership, which is reflected in the increased participation of parents in the life of the school and in educational activities. This favors a better follow-up of the students and their school success. We believe that the tool that guarantees the relationship between families and the school is the liaison notebook.

OBJECTIVES OF THE LIAISON BOOK:

– To serve as a link between the school and families: it helps teachers to communicate to parents the student’s progress, behavior and evolution within the school, as well as important school events.

– Track the progress of each student in order to better monitor them in the classroom and at home, and indicate difficult behaviors and efforts made.

– Responsibility and autonomy of children: To help students become aware of their own responsibility for learning and behavior.

– Facilitate communication between school and families and encourage parents to become more involved in their children’s school life.

– Enable teachers to reflect on pedagogical practices and classroom dynamics.

PHASES OF USE

  1. Review of the liaison notebook by the different agents: At the end of each academic year, the educational community as a whole revises the liaison notebook taking into account new educational realities, suggestions from parents and teachers, and complaints from students.
  2. Commissioning and production of the liaison notebook: This is the production phase at the printing house. This year we have 1,037 students. The first cycle students sometimes use two notebooks during the year, so we order around 2,000 notebooks to be delivered before the beginning of the school year.
  3. Distribution of the notebooks and signing of the notebook by each child and parent: Censors and supervisors distribute the notebooks at the beginning of the year. All rubrics are read with the students in each class. Students and their parents sign their names, and the actual use of the notebook is adopted.
  4. Daily use of the notebook at home and at school: Every day, students come to school with their liaison notebook in which late arrivals and other school activities are recorded.
  5. In class, the notebook is used on a daily basis. Teachers can: write observations and comments; have parents sign copies of homework; send reminders (to families); supervisors; student discipline; members of the administration to get information about what is going on in the school.

In conclusion, the liaison card can be a very beneficial tool if used systematically and thoughtfully. Better use of the liaison card will enable families to collaborate for the well-being and academic success of their students. What remains to be done is to train teachers and parents in its effective use.