Tips for Back to School Nights

As we're all getting ready for Back-to-School Night time (sorry, I think BF's was already last night, oops), here's a link to a helpful article at GreatSchools.net, for getting the most out of Back to School Night. Rather than a chore, or simply a chance to socialize with other parents, Back to School Night really is a great opportunity for parents to learn important information about the school year to come. You can read the entire article here.

Some of the best tips:
1) Bring a pen and paper (duh, but it's a good reminder!)
2) Don't ask specific questions about your child. Save that for a one-on-one conversation with the teacher
3) Be ready to volunteer (bring your calendar!)
4) Find out how to contact the teacher, for future reference (email address, voicemail, find out what he/she prefers)
5) Find out the teacher's expectations re: homework, make-up work, extra credit, absences, behavior issues.
6) Find out how you can check your child's progress...will there be weekly progress reports, will the teacher send emails, etc.?

If your school has a new principal (Hawes, Orchard, Somerville), Back to School night is a chance to say hello or at the very least see what he/she looks like so you can chat later. Same thing if your family is new to middle school or the high school.