Can't figure out why schools do this

[always quiet]

I'm sure anyone out there who has kids knows what Back to School nights are. It's when you go into school for an hour, early on in the school year, and meet your child's teacher(s). If you have one child, or your kids are many years apart, this is never a problem BUT if you have more than 1 kid in a specific school, you are more than likely going to miss one child's Back to School night!! I can not figure out why they just can't have each grade on a different night. Next week, I have both Kirk and Jeana's..............one in 9th and one in 8th (in our district, the 9th graders are still housed in the middle school due to size restrictions on the high school ). I always feel like I am cheating one of my kids. With all the 'new' things that Kirk is doing in 9th (and have already been through 8th with him last year), I have to go to his.

You would of hoped that the school's would take into consideration parents with more than 1 child in their school.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

That is a tough one. Sometimes we just have to split up with the children. That's impossible for a single parent.

Lori

 

[mom2grace]

Have you made this suggestion to the principal or guidance counselor?

 

[poohandwendy]

I can not figure out why they just can't have each grade on a different night.

Because it would take 13 nights to satisfy everyone, which is extremely difficult to plan and execute.

Even then, there would be those who think it is unfair that 6th grade was done on a monday because that night they have to work...and so on and so on. If I were you, I would call the teacher who you will miss meeting and see if you can arrange a few minutes before or after school to introduce yourself.

 

[HollyJoy]

Ours are on different nights, thank goodness! Our elementary school even does it in time shifts, so that if you have more than one child in the same school, you don't miss one.

 

[always quiet]

That would be very doable in elementary school but seeing how it is middle school, my DD has 8 different teachers!!!

 

[poohandwendy]

That would be very doable in elementary school but seeing how it is middle school, my DD has 8 different teachers!!!

I hear you, maybe you could have someone go in your place?

 

[skiwee1]

Our elementary school divides back to school night into 3 times period. Everyone goes to one childs class and meets and listens to child 1's teacher. When the bell sounds, if you have a second child, you proceed to child 2's class. Again, when the bell sounds, you proceed to child 3's class. We are in the class for 30 minutes each period. If you only have one child then you leave after the first period. If you have 4 or more children then they have a breviated session for them at the end. For middle and high schools we take a schedule of our childs classes. We go around to all the teachers, again switching when the bell sounds. This meet time only lasts about 10 minutes each. All of our back school nights are set up to listen to the teachers and answer some questions. They are not for talking specifically about your own child.

 

[poohlover]

I understand your fustration level. I also have had to "split" myself to get to see some of each child's teachers.

In our town elementary level 1-3 have open house 1 night ...I had 2 kids in this age group & my DH was traveling...so I went to the 1st graders class as I do not know that teacher, left a little early to go to 3rd grade...we have had a child have that teacher so I do know her well

Tonight is open house for 4 - 6...lucky as DH is once again traveling I only have a 6th grader

Middle school 7th is one night 8th is another...next week I will attend 8th grd open house

HS was last week, I only have 1 at the HS level this year so it was easy...other years I have picked which teachers I see out of both schedules by picking harder or different teachers for each child...i.e. MAth for 1 as it is more challenging Latin for another then an AP class for the 1st then math for the second...trying to get as much as I can in of each schedule.

For ANY parent of more than 1 child this can be difficult...but I can see the dificulty in scheduling the schools have.

Next month is college "family weekend" for our oldest...1st time for us! But with what I see scheduled I am not sure how to handle our large family...taking the kids to a football game is one thing...a dinner dance at night is another. And all this is while our 2nd one is with the HS marching band at a competition all day!

The headaches of having 6 kids never ends!

 

[ThAnswr]

Originally posted by always quiet
I'm sure anyone out there who has kids knows what Back to School nights are. It's when you go into school for an hour, early on in the school year, and meet your child's teacher(s). If you have one child, or your kids are many years apart, this is never a problem BUT if you have more than 1 kid in a specific school, you are more than likely going to miss one child's Back to School night!! I can not figure out why they just can't have each grade on a different night. Next week, I have both Kirk and Jeana's..............one in 9th and one in 8th (in our district, the 9th graders are still housed in the middle school due to size restrictions on the high school ). I always feel like I am cheating one of my kids. With all the 'new' things that Kirk is doing in 9th (and have already been through 8th with him last year), I have to go to his.

You would of hoped that the school's would take into consideration parents with more than 1 child in their school.

In this district, there's a "find your classroom/meet the teacher" scheduled about 1 week before classes start. It's just a quick hello, the children get to look around, and then everyone goes home.

A real "meet the teacher" meeting is then scheduled for each grade and it usually takes place about 2 weeks after school starts. We meet in the child's classroom and even sit in their seat! Just as an aside, that's getting tougher and tougher each year.

It works great for us. We get a chance to really meet with the teacher and the teacher has a chance to explain the coming year and we get to ask questions.

Maybe you could suggest something like this to your school board?

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I don't know either. Especially in Middle School, where the adjustment can be hard. I see parents who have 6 & 8th graders are torn. My daughter is in the 8th grade and the attendence was small. The parents felt they should see their child's 6th grade teachers as the older has been there few years already.

 

[Twinkles6892]

My high does something kind of cool, the parents go in at 6:30 and they listen to the principal talk for a half hour, and then they follow my schedule and have to listen to the teacher and make it to class on time just like I have to. Maybe now they'll believe me about my evil french teacher

 

[Nancy]

I never had that problem with parent/teacher nights but I ran into it with the extras last year. DD#1 had a concert and DD#2 was in an academic contest. My DH works 2 jobs so he had no choice but to sleep for 2 hours before going to job #2. I spent my night driving between 2 schools (15 minutes apart) and missing both of them! If I was smart i would have had one of the Grandmas go to one of the shows and I would have done the other..then we could have switched schools half way through. I went back and forth about 3 times!

 

[phamton]

In middle school they had different grades on different days but I had twins who were never in the same classes. My husband went to one and I went to the other.

 

[Keli]

Oh my, I'd really be in trouble if I had one than more kid. I used to have trouble seeing all of Ashli's teachers when she was in hs, and that was just one kid. We'd get to a classroom and the teacher would be talking to another parent with a long line of people waiting to see her. We'd get in line and wait and it could easily take us 20 min or so just to say a quick "Hi, we're Ashli's parents..." by the time we worked our way around to all the teachers Ashli had plus her coaches, asst. principals, and everyone else she wanted us to meet we were the last ones out the door! Honestly, we would have had to break up and dh and I meet 1/2 the teachers if we had more than one child in hs at the same time.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I hear your frustration! My dd's are 5 years apart so thankfully I don't have to deal with that.

 

[isyne4u]

From the middle school teacher's perspective...some teachers teach only one grade level so they would only need to be present one night. However, if you teach multi grade levels (ie. electives or special education) that could leave you having to be there all 3 or 4 nights that it was done. As a special education teacher that was me a few years ago when we did each one on a different night. And let me tell you after staying late 3 nights I was not the nicest or happiest teacher around. Not to mention we don't get paid for the extra nights.

While I truly understand your frustration, I don't think there is a good solution for everyone.

Good luck to you!
tara

 

[CheshireVal]

Originally posted by isyne4u
From the middle school teacher's perspective...some teachers teach only one grade level so they would only need to be present one night. However, if you teach multi grade levels (ie. electives or special education) that could leave you having to be there all 3 or 4 nights that it was done. As a special education teacher that was me a few years ago when we did each one on a different night. And let me tell you after staying late 3 nights I was not the nicest or happiest teacher around. Not to mention we don't get paid for the extra nights.

While I truly understand your frustration, I don't think there is a good solution for everyone.

Good luck to you!
tara

AMEN to that! Another middle school teacher here. Luckily, I only teach one grade (8th) but I'd say over half my co-workers teach 2 or more grades. Staying til 9pm is hard enough for one night-- I couldn't do it for 3.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I don't mean to sound harsh, but working 3 nights once a year is manageble. Alot of us do it in our jobs. Isn't working 3 nights a year little to give up in return for the parents and their kids to get to know the classes? I have deep respect for teachers, working with the parents is way we can all have a good school year.
I don't get paid either when I work nights.

 

[CheshireVal]

Well, if you factor in all the hours on the evenings and weekends we devote to coaching and sponsoring clubs/sports, not to mention all the "homework" (grading) we take home every night, I'd say that 3 parent nights in a row WOULD be kind of rough. Try working 7:30am-9pm dealing with KIDS all day and then parents at night (and, sorry to say it, but parents can be stressful), I definitely think it's too much.

I think if the parents nights were spread out, maybe one per week, that might be doable. Just not all on the same week!