The halls were packed with scores of confused parents who rushed to get across the school as their kids had done every day for the past few months. Yes, this was the night: Back to School Night.
“In recent years Carlmont has attempted to make it more of a community event,” Vice Principal Jennifer Cho said. “We have club stands and food trucks and I hope that parents will learn a little more about the culture of Carlmont through this.”
Back to School Night gives teachers the often rare opportunity to interact with parents.
“It’s overall a great experience for both parties involved,” Physics teacher David Talcott said. “I actually wish that it could be longer so we could get more time to talk to the parents because at the end of the day it should be more of an exchange than a lecture.”
In recent years Carlmont has attempted to add elements of Carlmont’s culture into Back to School Night, setting up club tables beforehand,
ASB students also helped parents out, further adding to the sense of community provided by Back to School Night.
“Back to School Night is a great way for parents to get a taste of what school is like for their kids,” said senior ASB student Timothy Krassiev, a senior. “It’s nice meeting up with parents and helping people out.”
Overall, the night went fairly smoothly. The only major source of contention for many parents and teachers was the lack of food at the event.
“It is a bit frustrating that there was only one food truck that showed up,” parent Howie Shohet said. “However I think it was a great community event. I got to meet up with a lot of other parents and a lot of my kid’s teachers.”
Back to School Night continues to be a link between parents and teachers.
“Interpersonal communications between parents and teachers are important to a healthy learning environment,” Waller said. “I’m happy that Back to School Night provides an opportunity for that.”
