School-to-Home Communication

How families stay informed and connected to learning

At Spanish With Sarah, clear and consistent communication is a priority. We use a combination of school-wide updates, secure class websites, and targeted alerts when timely action is needed.

School-Wide Communication

• Weekly email for official announcements and upcoming important events

• Optional Facebook group for community updates and carpool arrangements

• Remind for time-sensitive alerts (weather, closures)

Class Websites

Each class at Spanish With Sarah maintains a private Google Site that serves as the primary hub for class-level communication and instructional materials. Rather than sending weekly newsletters, instructional information lives in one consistent, always-available place.

What families will find on class websites

Class websites are instructional in nature and include:

• Weekly educational objectives, with a new page published each week of the school year

• Embedded videos and songs are carefully selected instructional tools that support language development, comprehension, and repetition in age-appropriate ways.

• Stories and core texts, often embedded so families can revisit them together

• Supplemental materials and resources to extend learning for students whose interests have been sparked
  
  

These sites are designed to support both students and families in engaging more deeply with classroom learning.

Published in advance, updated weekly

Class websites are published before the start of each week, giving families and students advance access to the materials their class will be using.

This allows families to:

• Preview upcoming topics and themes

• Ask more specific, meaningful questions about the school day

• Reinforce learning at home using the same songs, stories, and vocabulary

Encouraging connection and shared expertise

Advance access also creates opportunities for collaboration between families and teachers.

For example, when a class begins a unit on Ancient China, a family member may recognize a personal or professional connection and reach out to share expertise, materials, or experiences that enrich classroom learning.

This type of partnership is welcomed and valued at SWS.

Privacy and access

To protect student privacy:

• Class websites are not publicly viewable

• Access is provided only to families with an enrolled child
  
  

While prospective families cannot view full class sites, we are happy to explain how they are used and what families can expect once enrolled.

Why we use class websites instead of weekly newsletters

This model reflects how students learn best—through repeated exposure, multimodal input, and shared language between school and home.

• Information is always available in one consistent place

• Families can access materials on their own schedule

• Learning resources are easy to revisit and reuse
  
  

This approach reduces missed information while supporting deeper engagement with classroom instruction.

We believe communication works best when families know where to look, what to expect, and how to meaningfully engage with their child’s learning—without needing to search through emails or wait for updates.

What a Class Website Looks Like 

(Sample screenshots below - content varies by grade)

Embedded videos, books, and instructional supports designed to reinforce classroom learning and guide families in supporting reading at home in both languages.