On Thursday, Sept. 20, parents flocked to Carlmont for this year’s Back to School Night function, aimed at linking parents, teachers, and students for a great start to the 2012-13 school year.
Parents shuffled from room to room between 7:00pm and 9:30pm, meeting with each of their students’ teachers to discuss lesson plans and progress.
“Back to School Night lets us understand how awesome our public school teachers are and opens up means of communication, ” commented Associated Student Body member Kayla Tabari between directing parents. “It gives a feel for what kids are learning and lets parents know who their kids are taught by.”
“As a parent, I remember my kids’ syllabuses ending up in the recycling bin,” said history teacher Linda Garvey, who feels that the function helps create a comfortable learning environment for students. Back to School Night offers a chance for parents to understand the coursework their children will be undertaking as well as the progress they’ve made so far.
However, a night so informative was not one without some stress and confusion. ASB worked to alleviate some of the challenges that would arise, they were in full attendance, operating under new guidelines that had them direct lost parents to the proper classrooms on a more personal level than in previous years. Crowds of ASB members manned posts and made for a successful night, despite timing challenges presented by late parents, full classrooms, or the daunting task of giving directions from F hall to U hall.
Parents were escorted upon request, and met by ASB members, who kept an upbeat attitude even late into the event. “I’ve walked at least a mile tonight,” said ASB member Kaela Ismael. “But we still give parents our full attention; the lost parents on campus are just as confused as a new freshman would be, and we want to give them a positive experience they can share with their kids.”
For teachers, there is stress in conducting these meetings with parents after a long school day. After all the preparation, there is still one-on-one interaction to be made with parents about their students.
“No matter how many years you’ve taught, it’s still a little stressful,” said history teacher David Gomez, who has participated in 25 Back to School Nights across his career. “But it is definitely worthwhile, it’s important to keep lines of communication open between students, parents, and teachers.”
This year’s Back to School Night was no different in the challenges it presented, but combating the obstacles, ASB and staff together managed to create an informative night that should help both parents and students alike. When asked what they learned in school, a student may answer ‘nothing,’ but with the open communication fostered by events like Back to School Night, perhaps a parent can have a better insight as to what ‘nothing’ really means.
