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Schools

The ABCs of Back-to-School Night

What you should know and what you can expect to learn from this very important school event.

Your kids are back in school and are beginning to adjust to their new routines. Now you are invited to meet the teachers. Believe it or not, this evening is almost always stressful for your child's teacher whether she's brand new to teaching or a 20-year veteran. It may even be stressful for parents if school was not always a positive environment. 

Aside from the nervous reactions it may cause, Back-To-School Night is one of the most important events on the school calendar. Be sure to mark it on yours and make yourself available to attend. You will walk away from the night with a good sense of how your child spends a typical school day as well as the opportunity to view the classroom from your child's perspective. I hope these basics will help to make the evening a winning one.


Find out if it's okay to bring the kids. Some schools may have a no-children policy for Back-to-School Night while others may make allowances for parents' child-care issues. Remember to check with the teacher.

Be on time. Teachers have a short amount of time to speak and will be touching on many important topics. You don't want to miss a thing.

Bring paper and a pen. Take notes so that you can refer back to anything that you feel needs further clarification.

Figure out in advance how to divide your time between classrooms of multiples. If two parents attend, it is easier to split up rather than to divide your time. 

Look around. Try to take in as much of the classroom as possible. Be aware of what is hanging on the walls and bulletin boards. Remember to discuss the things you noticed with your child in the morning at breakfast (or when you return home in the evening).

Introduce yourself to the teacher.  Even if you have met before, remind her of your name and your child.  Remember she probably has at least 20 (or more) students and she'll be grateful for your helpful cue.

Questions are good.
If there is time at the end, you may ask questions related to the presentation. Definitely ask about the curriculum, any homework policies, or field trips.  Do not ask questions specifically about your child that will not be helpful to other parents. Discussions that relate to your own child will be held at parent-teacher conferences.

Volunteer.
You may have time or a specific skill that will benefit your child's classroom.  Be sure to sign up if asked. Also, if the teacher has a "wish list" of items she needs, donate something.

Tell your child how wonderful the evening was. Younger children are so excited for you to meet their teachers and see their classrooms. Many of them cannot sleep until you get home to tell them all about what you saw and heard.

This year, many Back-to-School nights across the Half Hollow Hills district are scheduled for the early part of September, when teachers are just beginning to get to know their students.

Find out what's happening in Half Hollow Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"How is my son or daughter doing?" is best answered in a one-to-one conference. So be sure to contact the teacher to schedule time to talk after Back-to-School night.

Most importantly, enjoy this event as a kickoff to the year's journey in the school lives of your children.

Find out what's happening in Half Hollow Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Rissa Zimmerman will host her own Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, September 14 at Vanderbilt Elementary School.

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