School open houses

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Thanks everyone for the responses

 

[mom2rtk]

We always attended in the past. I'm a little off of the entire thing after last year's debacle though. They had open house the night of the first day of school. Everyone's kind of tired from just starting that day, but we were troopers and went to meet all my daughter's middle school teachers. Then 2 weeks later she comes home saying they had issues with the school schedule and were starting over. 3 or 4 of her core teachers changed. We had wasted that evening meeting a bunch of teachers she didn't even have any more. I no longer feel obligated to give up our family time to participate.

 

[usd2bmd]

We always went. It was the least we could do as parents. It's along the lines of you never get a second chance to make first impression. This is the first impression that you can make on your children's teacher(s).

It lets them know that you value their education and the time the teacher puts into helping your children reach their potential.

 

[cabanafrau]

1 is out of the house, 1 is in college and living at home. So my last high school open house was 4 years ago. But, full disclosure, my kids were in private school, so no sales pitch. As one of the teachers who had jumped back and forth from private to public and back to private school put it, parents who are giving up vacations and fancy new cars to pay tuition tend to be much more involved in their children's schooling. And other than their foreign language teacher, they never had a teacher for more than 1 class over 4 years. I did have some teacher repeats between my oldest and youngest who are 4 years apart. Actually, my oldest graduated in 2005 and my youngest in 2009, and just the technology changes in the school over those 4 years are amazing. Internet sources were not acceptable for any school work for my oldest, they were for my youngest. For my oldest, each teacher had a voicemail box and no email for parents to leave messages, for my youngest, they had email. In both cases they were required to respond before 8 am the next day.

???? I was discussing school open houses, not public v. private school.

As a parent who attended one type of school whose children attend the other variety I am well versed in the educational opportunities both provide. I'm quite comfortable with our level of school participation, our vacation destinations and "fancy" cars and have a strong comprehension of how each of those factors correlates, if at all, to parental involvement in their children's educations. Among other things, vacations are an excellent opportunity to expose children to other ways of life and how different people can approach a situation differently, with varying yet successful results. That's been a great way to open up their minds to different ideas, thinking for themselves fully from all perspectives and out of the box -- not just operating as mindless drones, assuming the way it's always been done in our family is the best and only.

 

[NewRVLady]

I don't need any motivation, I chose to have children, and back to school night is one of many things you are agreeing to do when you decide to have kids.

REALLY??? That is such a bizarre statement

I went for grammar school- meet 2 teachers
But for HS went one year for oldest...( 5 teachers) 2nd year did youngest and I doubt I went after that
You really DID not meet HS teacher- you had 15 min - the teacher spoke the entire time- then had to hoof it to the next class
THEY were responsible for their HS work-not I

 

[Hrhpd]

I always go but often my dh stays home with the kids (more recently he has been coming as the girls have gotten older). I think a room with teens watching kids could help more parents be able to come.

For the past 5 years I've had 2 kids in the same school. There is always two sessions. However parents who only have one child tend to linger so there is less time for second session parents. This year I'll have two schools so hopefully different days/times.

Our school does this. Several HS Girl Scout troops do it as a fundraiser. They set up the cafeteria with stations using the after school materials and toys. Then they charge a reasonable amount for you to drop your child off for an hour or two.

You do have to sign up for it in advance (forms go home in the weekly info folders) so the GS know how many teens they need and that they don't get overwhelmed the day of back to school.

None of the schools in our district have an open houses before school starts, just the Back To School. The teachers go back to school a week before the students do and they set up hours during the school day for a meet and greet with the teacher and to drop off supplies if your child really wants to meet the teacher before they start school. But no formal open house.

Middle school and high school has registration before school starts. This is where you get your schedules, turn in all necessary paperwork, get your locker number, etc.

High school also includes pictures and things like parking passes and off-campus passes if you qualify. This typically happens a couple of weeks before school starts and is during school hours with specific hours dedicated to last name initials. For instance, ours this year was from 11-12:30 on day 1 of registration.

 

[tvguy]

???? I was discussing school open houses, not public v. private school.

.

As I posted, my son't teacher, who had taught in public, private, back to public and back to private school made the comment that he saw greater parent participation in students lives in the private setting.

 

[tvguy]

REALLY??? That is such a bizarre statement

I went for grammar school- meet 2 teachers
But for HS went one year for oldest...( 5 teachers) 2nd year did youngest and I doubt I went after that
You really DID not meet HS teacher- you had 15 min - the teacher spoke the entire time- then had to hoof it to the next class
THEY were responsible for their HS work-not I

Guess we just have to agree to disagree. I see nothing bizarre in a statement that the time commitment was something my wife and I considered before we started a family.
I think you would have a hard time finding anyone involved in the juvenile justice system or education system that doesn't point to uninvolved parenting as a huge problem in our society.

 

[sukhakuli]

Guess we just have to agree to disagree. I see nothing bizarre in a statement that the time commitment was something my wife and I considered before we started a family.
I think you would have a hard time finding anyone involved in the juvenile justice system or education system that doesn't point to uninvolved parenting as a huge problem in our society.

As my 9 year old would say: "For seriously?" (It's my favorite sarcastic phrase of his) We are very involved in our kids and (gasp) they go to public school! I guess I might as well contact the local probation officers and let them know to expect them. LOL.

TBH, I think that OVER parenting is more of a problem than under parenting. I do think that being a presence in your kids' school is important, but I also know that there are a lot of parents who are both working 60+hours a week in order to provide a good living, in a good school district for their kids, and they can't just show up to every school event. But they're still good parents. Why is it that you think that it is fancy cars vs kids' education in most families? Maybe for a lot of families it is 60 hour work weeks, vs food on the table.

 

[Topper]

What would encourage you to go as a parent

Free beer and pizza.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Free beer and pizza.

Not a bad idea

 

[NewRVLady]

Guess we just have to agree to disagree. I see nothing bizarre in a statement that the time commitment was something my wife and I considered before we started a family.
.

I am just picturing the Doctor-as he hands my precious newborn to me asking "Now you MUST promise to attend every Teacher_parent open house for Baby".
(I am JOKING-ok)

I didn't even KNOW what a Teacher-Parent open house WAS , until oldest hit Kindergarten-so there was NO discussion about this when we talked about having kids!
(BTW-I was the semi Stay At Home-who WAS the Room Mother and the after school Sports Chauffer...totally involved......BUT in High school after the first two rounds-one with each kid, the open house was pointless, IMO)

 

[lizabu]

Why do these threads always turn into a competition for who is the superior parent? Our open houses are a night where the teacher waits in his or her classroom and every parent swarms in and all tries to get the teachers attention at once. They all want the teacher to know how precious their special snowflake is. There are always parents who want to discuss their child in depth in this atmosphere. I guess I just don't get it. I think if the teacher some how manages to meet you and actually remember you and be able to link you with the right child it must be a miracle in that chaos. Not counting the parents who try to monopolize the teachers time the whole evening. I'll bet the teacher remembers them..but probably not for the right reasons. If I want to discuss my child with the teacher I will make an appointment and speak to him or her one on one.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Why do these threads always turn into a competition for who is the superior parent? Our open houses are a night where the teacher waits in his or her classroom and every parent swarms in and all tries to get the teachers attention at once. They all want the teacher to know how precious their special snowflake is. There are always parents who want to discuss their child in depth in this atmosphere. I guess I just don't get it. I think if the teacher some how manages to meet you and actually remember you and be able to link you with the right child it must be a miracle in that chaos. Not counting the parents who try to monopolize the teachers time the whole evening. I'll bet the teacher remembers them..but probably not for the right reasons. If I want to discuss my child with the teacher I will make an appointment and speak to him or her one on one.

Not what I was trying to do I was just trying to help the teacher by getting more parents to show up

 

[phorsenuf]

Not what I was trying to do I was just trying to help the teacher by getting more parents to show up

I don't think that's anything you need to concern yourself with, unless it's part of your job description. If not, let those in charge handle it.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I don't think that's anything you need to concern yourself with, unless it's part of your job description. If not, let those in charge handle it.

I just try to help out any way I can

 

[phorsenuf]

I just try to help out any way I can

That's fine and dandy but you also need to know your boundaries as you don't want to step on any toes.
Besides, if parents show up, they show up. There is not a single thing you can do to change that.

 

[Laura66]

I just try to help out any way I can

I think you know you're supposed to take direction from your advisor/supervisor and that this is absolutely not your concern - unless you've been told to do so.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

That's fine and dandy but you also need to know your boundaries as you don't want to step on any toes.
Besides, if parents show up, they show up. There is not a single thing you can do to change that.

Your right or next time I will remember google is my best friend

 

[Laura66]

Your right or next time I will remember google is my best friend

Just stop with the "game" already