William Kirby
Huber Heights superintendent
It is hard to believe, but March 19 marked the end of the third quarter of the 2009-10 school year.
Next week, our teachers will be hosting spring parent-teacher conferences in their classrooms. If you are a parent, you should soon be receiving information about the dates and times of these conferences. Spring parent-teachers conferences give both parents and teachers an opportunity to review the progress your child has made thus far this school year.
In our school district, we want all of our parents to come into our schools and meet with our teachers.
Because of the number of parents that may want conferences, your time with your child’s teacher may be limited. In order for you to get the most out of spring parent-teacher conference, here are a few suggestions that may help you:
• Look over some of your child’s recent assignments so you have an idea of how he/she has been doing in class. Take the time to write down any questions you might have for the teacher prior to the conference.
• Ask the teacher how your child has done thus far this year. Are there critical areas that your child still needs to address before the end of the school year?
• Ask the teacher what your child can work on over the summer months. Your child has worked very hard this year and you don’t want them to lose important skills over the summer.
• Ask the teacher what you can do at home to help your child feel more successful at school.
Following the conference, parents should sit down with their child and talk about what was discussed and then follow-up with the teacher if necessary.
Effective parent-teacher conferences take place in an atmosphere of trust, where confidentiality is guaranteed and parents and teachers treat each other with respect. When there are issues and concerns that need to be addressed, it is helpful to work with the teacher to formulate a plan of action. Children are more likely to successfully make needed changes if they can know their parents and teachers are working together cooperatively.
I know that if you have the opportunity to go into our classrooms and meet our teachers, you will be impressed with the many things your child has accomplished this school year. Please give us the opportunity to meet with you and to work with you by scheduling a spring parent-teacher conference.
William Kirby is superintendent of the Huber Heights City School District.
To contact Kirby, e-mail william.kirby@huberheightscity schools.org.
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