In most math problems, 1 + 1 + 1 adds up neatly to 3. But in the Early Learning Center at NIS, we know something different to be true: When students, teachers, and parents learn together, the result is far greater than the sum of its parts.
This idea came to life during our first ELC Parent Workshop of the year, held on the morning of November 18 in the Kawanabe Room. Warm, lively, and filled with curiosity, the workshop brought ELC parents together not just to hear about learning, but to participate in it.
The workshop grew out of a simple goal: to continue to nurture the connection between home and school during Parent Involvement Month, when parents spent time in classrooms sharing stories, skills, and experiences alongside their early learners. In the workshop, parents got the opportunity to reflect on those moments in a Think-Pair-Share activity that explored:
The reflection celebrated the many contributions from Parent Involvement Month—cultural experiences, family traditions, play activities, and the sheer joy that filled the classrooms as children worked alongside their loved ones. A short video showcased these moments, reminding us how deeply children benefit when parents are present in their learning spaces.
Parents then joined small discussion groups based on topics that had emerged from recent student–parent–teacher conferences. These included:
The conversations highlighted what families often wonder about most in early childhood:
How do friendships form? How do we support language at home? Are children getting the sleep they need to thrive?
The discussions were open, warm, and grounded in real family experiences—offering both perspectives and practical strategies.
Inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy that guides our Early Learning Center, the workshop then shifted from talking about learning to experiencing it firsthand.
Parents were invited to participate in their own atelier experience, working with watercolor and paper lanterns, connecting them to the lessons their students were learning about the Diwali celebration, which is now an annual and much-anticipated cultural celebration at NIS. During this creative moment, adults stepped into their children’s world. They experimented. They made choices. They let color and the joy of creating guide them.
As ELC Coordinator and Atelierista Colleen Yasonia artfully reflects, “When families and educators join hands, a child’s world opens wider than either could imagine alone… The Reggio Emilia approach reminds us that parents are not guests on this journey, but cherished co-creators; voices that help shape learning, meaning, and joy.”
Sharing time creating—simple, playful, and deeply human—reminded us that learning is not a product, but a collaboration. A collaboration that will be on full display during the upcoming visual arts showcase in February, when the parents’ and their students’ lamps will be hanging side-by-side!
This workshop was more than a morning of conversation and creativity—it was a reminder of our belief at NIS: When parents, teachers, and children collaborate, learning doesn’t just add up—it multiplies.
Our ELC thrives because families are engaged partners and because together we create a powerful sense of belonging. As Ms. Colleen shared, “Belonging emerges when we walk this path together, each offering our light to a child’s becoming.”
We are deeply grateful to the parents, caregivers who joined us, and we look forward to continuing this shared journey at our next workshops on February 25 and April 21.
Thank you for being in community with us!