Kroka Expeditions SEMESTER Programs Dear parents,
As your son/daughter decides to participate in the Kroka Semester
Program, s/he is also making an important decision for the whole family.
As we welcome you to our Kroka community we would also like to communicate
to you some of the aspects of parent involvement in this program.
Parents will form their own community during the semester program.
The harmonious working together of the parent body will have an impact
on the students’ experience. Following are some of the tasks
we will need the parents to take on: communicating information between
parents, organizing semester related events, fundraising, coordinating
and preparing parent weekends, coordinating and preparing graduation,
and other tasks that will arise.
Pre-program meeting:
Once the group of students is formed there is a short pre trip for
the students followed by a parent weekend for all families. Attendance
is required of all students as well as families, unless the travel
distance is too great. We will try to set the dates far enough in
advance to allow for adequate planning.
Community work day
The day following the pre program meeting teachers, students and families
will work together at Kroka base camp, building, splitting fire wood,
gardening, preparing program food and most importantly, getting to
know each other.
Community jobs:
Every family will choose a specific responsibility to the community.
Some of the responsibilities may be:
- Inter family communications coordinator
- Fundraising coordinator
- Parent events coordinator
- Graduation coordinator
- Creating the diploma
- Responsibilities will be determined and divided at the pre-program
meeting.
Fundraising:
In order to support students of all socioeconomic levels we are asking
the semester families to come together in an effort to raise monies
for scholarships. Each family will be asked to take on certain fundraising
responsibilities, which are decided by the whole parent community.
Communication during the program:
Your child will be away from home for an extended period of time with
limited opportunities for contact. The Vermont Semester will have
three parent weekends, and the Vermont Ecuador Semester will have
two parent weekends. Throughout both programs there are weekly group
updates via e-mail. Students are encouraged to write letters and cards
home approximately every two weeks. Opportunities for students to
call home are limited, especially on the Ecuador Semester. There is
a possibility for parents e-mailing students but all other communication
with students is reserved for emergencies.
For many families the parent community can become an important and
rewarding support and networking venue before, during and after the
program. We trust that the Kroka Semester program will present challenging
and meaningful opportunities for your whole family.
Please do not hesitate to communicate to us any questions and concerns,
so we can address them immediately. We always appreciate to hearing
from you.
With respect,
Lisl Hofer
Semester Coordinator
Kroka Expeditions
(603) 835-9087
semester@kroka.org
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