50+ SAMPLE Parent Contact Logs

What Are Parent Contact Logs?

A parent contact log is an official tool used by teachers to communicate with the students’ parents and have them updated about the daily classroom activities, student behavior, school progress, and so much more. The log enlists the names of the students, their corresponding parents’ names, and contact information. So when a teacher has a whole contact list of the students’ parents, it gets easier to report about student performance and ensure that parents stay engaged with their children’s performance in school.

Based on a 2015–2016 research survey, merely 42% of parents received school-driven phone calls and only 62% received school-initiated emails about students.

Why Is a Parent Contact Log Important?

Parent contact or call logs are essential so teachers have easy access to the contact details of the students’ parents. That way, it gets simpler to report to parents if their children are failing or struggling in school and having behavioral problems. Failing to inform the parents about such matters might have the students really fail in the end considering they need parental support as well. On another note, the contact log is also helpful in informing the parents about the students’ progress and achievements in class. Hence, teachers will not only report about the bad news but also on the positive side that parents can feel proud of about their kids.

With quick access to the parents’ contact info, any teacher can report to the parents daily, weekly, or monthly. That is if reporting is actually needed. Also, parent contact logs are applicable to all school levels may the students come from kindergarten, middle school, high school, or college. The same goes for students under special education which parents should be really concerned about. Most importantly, parent contact logs are important as an emergency action plan. If something happens to a student’s health or any emergency, at least the parents will be aware of it pronto.

The Main Elements of a Parent Contact Log

Yes, parent contact logs are helpful in terms of responding to emergencies and reporting about student performance. But what exactly is inside a parent contact log? In this section, you will be introduced to the important elements that make up a complete parent contact log.

Title: First of all, the document used as the parent contact log must have the title ‘Parent Contact Log.’ That title serves as the clear introductory statement of what the document’s purpose is. So when any person sees the title, the message is given automatically that it is a contact log of the students’ parents.Name of School: Don’t forget to identify the name of the school. This part clarifies to which school the parent contact log belongs. Besides the school name, you can add more data from the school address, school website, and school contact number. So when random people find the log, they would know where to return it to.Students’ Names: Just like a traditional class roster, the parent contact log has a whole list of students in class. This element is still needed to identify whose parents are the details enlisted in the log. If a teacher only listed the names and contact numbers of the parents, then a teacher could be confused afterward as to which parent belongs to per student.Names of the Parents or Guardians: It only makes sense to include the names of the parents or guardians in the parent call log. It is their contact details that you will need to add in the contact log in the first place. Be sure to write their complete legal names for identification purposes and so that you can address them appropriately.Relationship of the Parent/Guardian to the Student: Defining the relationship between the parent or guardian and the student is crucial. Whether the guardian is a relative, a parent’s best friend, or to whom it may concern, it is helpful to define the relationship so teachers would know the boundaries of what to share with such people. For example, it wouldn’t be right to share sensitive details of a student with a stranger since parents are more trustworthy.Contact Details: The parent contact log should have the parent’s important contact details. It could be from the physical address, phone number, email address, and other data. Having a spare option is good too so that if one contact is busy, at least another option is available to reach the parent if needed.Contact Method: Some contact logs include the contact method. This part is where teachers specify if they contacted the parents via email, phone call, letter, or personal meeting. You just might need to clarify that for documentation purposes, particularly if you need to trace back details of how you communicated with the parents.Area of Concern: Another category is the concern. This concern refers to what the subject matter is in contacting the parent. Did you call a parent to report about a student’s academic performance, behavior, or any other concern? Specify it to document the subject thoroughly.Notes: Lastly, leave a couple of blanks for the notes section. This extra section is where you write down additional data. Maybe you can note down that a student needs school counseling, a pupil needs to see the school nurse, or that a teacher should have a follow-up meeting another time. You can jot down whatever you want that is relevant for the parent contact log in this last section.

How to Make a Parent Contact Log

From asking about a student’s failure to submit homework, reporting about a pupil’s misbehavior in class, down to sharing about a student’s habitual absenteeism—there are just a lot of examples to talk about with the students’ parents that will concern the parents themselves. And you might not be able to communicate with them regularly without a well-crafted parent contact log. So without further ado, learn about the steps on how to create a parent contact log efficiently.

Step 1: Check the Official Class Roster and Ask Favor from the Students

Teachers should take time to refer to the official class roster first until they can come up with a whole list of the students’ names. The last names are expected to be arranged in alphabetical order to keep them organized. Next, ask favor from the pupils themselves to provide their parents’ contact information to you. During the first day of class with the parents around or during parent-teacher meetings, you can ask the parents personally for their contacts there. And those details will be what you will write in the contact log.

Step 2: Download a Sample Parent Contact Log

Now that you have the information needed for the parent contact log, start selecting a sample template from the samples listed above this article. Your preferred sample parent contact log is where you jot down the students’ names, their parents’ names, and their full contact information. At least samples save you the hassle of creating contact logs from scratch. Premade samples already have the crucial elements that make up a contact log, meaning you only need to provide the names, contact information, and finishing touches.

Step 3: Divide the Details According to Its Elements

The last thing you want to make is a very informative parent contact log but the data are jumbled. Arranged accordingly too. A tip is to divide the information according to its elements. From what you learned about the main elements of a parent contact log earlier, you can simply divide the details according to the title, school name, and down to the notes. You may insert more elements that fit your purpose too. The point is that grouping the data into elements helps create a more comprehensive message.

Step 4: Follow an Easy-to-Use Format

The sample parent contact logs are editable so be sure to alter the format however you want it. You can add visuals, print the document, or just save a digital copy. But as much as possible, you should keep the document easy to use. That means you won’t have a hard time navigating with the data inside the log. A tip is to use brief words, use the right labels, and input extra instructions if necessary. Also, come up with a final evaluation if everything is correct to ensure an error-free result.

Step 5: Update the Parent Contact Log Regularly

After you are through with fine-tuning, streamlining, and finalizing the parent contact log, your job isn’t done yet. You need to continue updating the details inside the parent contact log regularly. You never know some parents might have changed their contact numbers for different reasons. So be sure to ask for the updated details to ensure that the numbers or details you use to communicate with the parents still work.

FAQs

Should parents trust teachers in sharing contact information?

Yes, parents should trust teachers in sharing contact details. If parents trusted the teachers to educate their children, then it only makes sense that teachers want to contact the parents about how they are working with the students. In fact, a parent contact log isn’t there to violate privacy. It is simply a responsibility that the school staff knows who to contact in case subjects about the students arise.

What are some tips for teachers to contact parents effectively?

Teachers can effectively contact the parents by applying these tips:

  • Inquire about what contact method the parents prefer, may it be via phone call, email, or whatsoever.
  • If you are about to deliver bad news about a student, don’t forget to open about the positive side of the student; this is to prevent parents from overreacting.
  • Act on the subject matter quickly; parents don’t want to hear about old news.
  • Always end the communication on a positive note where problems get solved or that improvements will be expected.

What are some benefits of parent-teacher communication?

Parent-teacher communication welcomes various advantages. One example is to address issues about students which both teachers and parents must aim to fix. Since both the teacher and the parent’s sides will be considered, it prevents bias in talking about a student. Most importantly, parent-teacher communication implements awareness about how a student acts at home compared to being in school. At the end of the day, the benefits all lead down to ensure a positive outcome for the students.

With a parent contact log, teachers now have a reliable tool to not only improve the welfare of students but also to strengthen the teachers’ relationship with the students’ parents. In fact, constant teacher-parent communication eventually paves the way to a bright future for the pupils. More so, teachers and parents that work as a team to benefit the children is just one advantage brought by a parent contact log. Explore the rest of the benefits by creating your own parent contact log now!