A timeless tradition at nearly all schools in the nation is the beloved back-to-school night. Parents get to sit in child-size chairs, peek inside cubbies and lockers, and hear firsthand from teachers about all that is in store for the coming school year. Our Peck administrators have collectively experienced more than 100 back-to-school nights—so, they know a thing or two about how to host, and attend, a successful event. They offered these six tips to parents:
- Talk to your child ahead of time. Let them know you'll be meeting their teacher and seeing their classroom. Ask your children what they want you to look for in the space. Maybe it's an art project or photos or simply their desk. This will make for great conversation the next day.
- Go into the night with the right expectations. This is the opportunity to take in your child's overall school experience and to appreciate the depth and breadth of what their year will be like across all subjects. The time to develop one-on-one relationships with the teacher will come later.
- Divide and conquer: If you have multiple children in the same school, it’s best to divide and conquer. If you are attending alone, feel free to bounce between your children’s schedules. You won’t be breaking any rules! But don’t worry, if you can’t get to them all, or you find that stressful, all teachers will share their presentations and materials with parents following Back-to-School night.
- Give yourself time to really explore. Look around the rooms and hallways. Explore the artifacts. There is much you can learn from what's on display!
- Don’t hesitate to follow up with questions. Teachers share a lot of useful information at back-to-school nights. While there isn’t time to answer every question that night, don’t hesitate to follow up with teachers after the event.
- Don’t overthink it. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the night!