Due to unforeseen circumstances, just my husband attended back to school night. He felt it was extremely informative. Per my request, he took notes. The five pages of notes came in handy when we talked about his evening!
First and foremost, he felt all parents should make an effort to attend their Back to School Night. This is a great opportunity for parents to meet the children’s teachers. In addition, they discuss pertinent school information as well as expectations.
Some of the discussion was school specific; focusing on school assessments and the results. Our school would like kindergarteners to be at an advanced reading level of 6 by the end of the fourth quarter. This benchmark, advanced reading in early elementary grades, has been identified by the county as one of the seven keys to college readiness. I will expand more on this topic in another post but a level 4 is the reading target for kindergarteners at the end of fourth quarter.
They discussed a broad array of topics ranging from conflict resolution to tardiness to the dreaded lice. Of the many topics discussed that evening, two definitely warranted additional discussions.
My husband notified me of the county ordnance that does not permit homemade food; only store-bought, pre-packaged food can be brought into the classroom for parties, snacks etc. When I first heard this policy, I was saddened that I could not make cupcakes or cookies just like my Mom did for me on my birthday. Reality set in quickly and I realized the importance of this policy. Bringing in store bought products allows teachers to view the ingredients. This information prevents children with food allergies to have an allergic reaction while celebrating a classmate’s birthday.
In addition, birthday invitations are not allowed to be passed out in school. They should be mailed home to avoid hurt feelings. What a great policy! My daughter’s birthday is mid-September and I struggled to obtain her new friend’s addresses. Our school directory isn’t published until October. I contacted her teacher, who was extremely prompt in responding to my requests. I realize this may create additional work and money (e.g. stamp) but it is worth it if a child doesn’t get upset.
If your school currently does not have either of the two policies I would recommend implementing them. Both serve an important purpose – they protect our children.
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