The High-Tech Way to Stay Looped in on Your Child’s Progress at School

In today’s hyper-connected society, it’s easy to access loads of information in seconds. From current events on other continents to who your high school sweetheart is currently dating, most of us can find out — with a few taps on a smart phone, no less — all of that and more. Wouldn’t it be nice to learn about your child’s education with the same ease? The Tadpoles Communication System at The Malvern School is an example of how you can do just that. 

The Malvern School has partnered with software company Tadpoles to implement a system that is changing the game for parent-teacher communication. This system gives parents a daily report on their child’s progress from the time they are in the infant program to the school-age program. The reports include explanations about what lessons the children have been taught, how the children are engaging with them, as well as specific notes about the child’s experience—particularly related to their developmental growth and positive interactions with peers.

“Now with the Tadpoles system, we send all of that valuable information and it goes right to the parents’ smart phones and email boxes,” said Christle Seal, Program Operations Manager at the Malvern School.

The Malvern School has long been using daily reports to communicate with parents, but prior to Tadpoles implementation, it was all done on paper. Of course, this didn’t possess the same near-instant convenience and it also did not provide the unique opportunity to send pictures—a novel feat in the realm of educational communication. Included with the daily reports, teachers can share photos through the system so parents can see what their children are doing in the classroom.

“It just gives that visual that we couldn’t provide all the time before,” Seal said.

Pictured: Tadpoles Communication System

The Tadpoles Communication System tracks each child’s progress for the entire time they are enrolled in The Malvern School, so reports can be generated from as young as six weeks all the way through eight years old. This means that parents can track their progress more effectively, since it is consolidated in one place. They can look back and see what their children were learning last week, last month, or even last year, and compare, encouraging their children along the way. Also, since many parents will have all of the photos and progress tracked on their smart phones, they can access it wherever they go and even pull it up to share with relatives.

The system transcends the physical classroom, too. Through the system, parents can now access the learning links provided by the teachers on their smart phones and have something fun (and informative!) to do with their child wherever they go.

Not only can teachers comment on the individual progress of children and engage with the parent, but also the parents can send messages to the teacher to let them know if their child will be late or not attending school that day. Similarly, any important news or announcements from the school will go right to the parent’s cell phone.

While the Tadpoles Communication System demonstrably improves parent-teacher communication, making it increasingly convenient, its success is also a testament to the teachers behind the iPhone. Working in tandem, parents and teachers can ensure the child’s success and happiness—a goal always championed in The Malvern Way.

To learn more about the Malvern School, click here to schedule a tour and receive more information.