Letter from the Principal
November, 2011
Student - Parent – Teacher Conference
This school year is going by so quickly. I can’t believe it’s almost Thanksgiving and already time for Student-Parent-Teacher conferences. Conferences are scheduled for November 15, 17-22. The conference, along with the report card, will provide a clear understanding of your child’s strengths and needs. Here are some important suggestions and ideas that will help make these events successful.
Report Cards
While most teachers concede that report cards don't tell the whole story about a student's abilities and achievements, you should view the report as a critical piece of information about your child's academic progress. Pay attention to all of the marks on the report card. Look closely at the marks that pertain to life skills and work habits. It's also important to find out how your child interacts with their peers, if they participate in class and if they are well behaved. These are the skills that transfer beyond grades and subjects. Ultimately, we want our children to possess a genuine interest in learning and an understanding that success in school lays the groundwork for success later on in life.
Talk to your child about their grades. It is essential that you let them know that their academic progress is important to you. Whether pleased or disappointed by it, you should use the report card as a point of discussion with your child. If your child earns high marks on their report card, be sure to let them know that you're proud of their accomplishments. If they don’t do as well as you expected, talk openly about it and reassure them that below average grades do not mean they are a failure. The students who understand their parent’s expectations are more likely to be successful.
Conferences
The first parent/teacher conference is a chance to get to know the teacher. If you're both on the same page from the start, your child will get more out of their year in this teacher's classroom. If you can make a connection early in the year, it will be easier to talk to the teacher in the future about any questions or concerns.
Remember, you know your child best. Let the teacher know of any changes at home. A new baby, a divorce, or a death in the family can all affect the way your child behaves in the classroom. You can give the teacher valuable information that may help your child.
Every parent wants to hear how wonderful his or her child is, but one of the main functions of these conferences is to point out areas where your child has room to develop.
Try not to get defensive.
Keep in mind that this is a part of all parent-teacher conferences.
Fight the urge to argue with the teacher or dismiss his or her comments. They are not blaming you or your child. The point of this meeting is to get an assessment of how your child is doing in school and to look for ways you can help him/her do even better. Remind yourself that the teacher is on your side and the two of you have the same goal: To help your child learn all that they can.
Ask questions to get a better understanding. You should know what is expected for your child to achieve academic success. This is one of the most important aspects of a successful conference. To get off on the right foot, first listen to what the teacher has to say, and then base your questions on what is said.
Here are some key questions to get you started:
How can I reinforce classroom lessons at home?
How can I stay connected so I am aware of his/her progress?
After the Conference
Start immediately on the action plan you and the teacher worked out together. Discuss the plan with your child. Make sure he or she knows that you and the teacher care. To see if the action plan is working, watch your child's behavior and check your child's class work and homework.
Stay in touch regularly with the teacher to discuss the progress your child is making Find out the best way to follow-up with the teacher. Can you call or email? You may think of other questions later so find out the best way to ask them. As you end the conference, review any decisions that you've made together. And if you feel it's necessary, request another meeting.
Respond promptly to teacher requests for information. Again, we understand that there is so much information to process these days that it sometimes feels difficult to keep up, but teachers really appreciate it when families respond in a timely manner to requests for papers to be signed, information to be provided, etc. It takes time to keep track of which student has or has not responded, and to send out multiple notices, and even a nice note telling a teacher that you are not able to (drive on a field trip or come to a conference, for example) is of great help to teachers.
Final Thoughts
Each teacher has to schedule 20 or more conferences. Make every effort to attend, be prepared and on time. If you do have to reschedule at the last minute, please call the office and notify the teacher.
Don’t forget that these are also minimum days, for all 1st - 5th graders, with a 12:20 early dismissal.
I will be available during conference time for parents to drop-in and discuss concerns or answer questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need additional support during conference time.
Sincerely,
Chris Marchetti
Principal, Fox Elementary School
