Since WHEN can't kids go to Open house at school?

[tchrrx]

We have Orientation day (before school starts) and Open House (mid-year) for the kids to attend with their parents. The first is an opportunity for the student and family to meet the teacher. The second is a chance for the children to show off some of their work.

We also have Parent-Teacher conferences. These are meant to involve only the parents & the teacher (hence the name ). However, some parents do bring their children with them. It makes it very difficult to discuss problems with the child sitting right there.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I guess I always assume no kids for open house, unless specifically told to bring them. I'm 40, and still remember waiting anxiously for mom and dad to come home from open house after having met my teachers (and what they had to say about me!).

That said, based on what the OP wrote, if it were me, I would have some overall reservations about the flexibility of the teacher to handle unexpected classroom situations.

 

[manning]

Simple solution...school choice.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

At my dd's school, children aren't allowed at Open House. They send a notice home ahead of time saying so.

 

[northcapemaymom]

We have Back to School night which is specifically for the parents, but ample childcare is provided for the many families with kids that do come. The kids do not go to the classroom at all because the "tone" of the meeting is geared towards parents. Topics and questions can be addressed without the students easedropping. Very young children are okay in the class, but the school age kids are all kept together in the cafeteria/gym. I think that system works well for our district.

 

[sha_lyn]

I've never heard of kids not going to open house. I'm thinking open house means different things in different parts of the country.

Here kids bring their parents to school to meet their teachers, see the classrooms, go through their lockers, yada yada. I've always gone to open house and none of my teachers have ever minded, a lot of my peers are there too. They even encourage it, they open the book fair so kids can get their books then rather than taking time out of class to do it.

Thats how it was when DS was in public school nd many eons ago when I was in school. Open house was for the kids to meet their teachers, find out where their classes are etc

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

We have three events at dds school.

First is the Ice Cream Social. At this event Kids and thier families are invited to the school a few days before school starts to meet thier teacher, see ther classroom, and have ice cream! We also sell uniforms, have signs ups forTA, the various afterschool programs, and the girls scouts.

Our second event is back to school night. This is for the parents to come and talk with the teacher and hear about the classroom rules. It is usually a few weeks after school starts so that the teachers have a chance to get to know the kids.

The third and final event is Open House. At this event everyone is invited and it is held towards the end of the year. THis gives the kids a chance to show thier family thier classroom and all the work they have been doing. It also gives people a chance to tour the grade level they will be going into in the fall.


This being said as a single parent I have always brought dd with me even on parent only nights. I always bring something to keep her occupied. We are often only in class for a few minutes as my PTA/Girl Scout duties keep me busy on those nights.

OP - I am sorry the teacher was rude!

 

[HeatherH]

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT is not the same as OPEN HOUSE, at least not here.

BTS NIGHT in elementary means NO KIDS. It's a night for the parents to hear what the teacher's plans for the year are, and for any questions to be answered, without the distraction of kids.

OPEN HOUSE is at the END of the school year, and most definitely includes kids. It's a night for kids and parents to see all the great stuff the kids have done all year.

That said, when they reach the middle school/junior high and high school level, kids DO come to BTS night here. Heck, by the time they reach high school, they're happy to have ANYONE attend, it's not nearly as well attended as events at the elementary level.

OP, I think you may have confused the two events (and God knows you're not the first person to do so).

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Need to VENT:
We were the rebel parents that "accidentally" brought our daughter to open house at school tonight.

When I read these quotation marks it made me think that it really wasn't an accident. I can understand the teacher being surprised that you would ignore the rule, but she certainly shouldn't have been rude to you. No excuse for that.


When I went to school, the kids never went to any open house/teacher conference. My DSs' school has a "meet the teacher" day which, of course if for the kids to meet their teacher. The only thing the kids are supposed to stay away from is teacher conference, and even as they get older they will be included in those. Some kids even end up at the PTA meetings!

 

[newbie2disney]

Here we have school orientation the week before school starts. For middle school it is on a designated night and parents AND students go to the school together. The principal goes over all of the handbook rules for everyone in the auditorium and then the students go their different classrooms and meet the different teachers. All parent-teacher conferences also include the student. If a parent wants to meet with a teacher without the student, a time is arranged other than conference time. During elementary years we had two conferences. One without the student and later in the year with the student. I'm just glad we have daily access to my kids grades or I would be really stressed out at conference time!

 

[diznygirl]

Sounds like every school district handles this differently.

MEANWHILE, sounds like Ms. Snarky Pants owes YOU a handwritten apology.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT is not the same as OPEN HOUSE, at least not here.

BTS NIGHT in elementary means NO KIDS. It's a night for the parents to hear what the teacher's plans for the year are, and for any questions to be answered, without the distraction of kids.

OPEN HOUSE is at the END of the school year, and most definitely includes kids. It's a night for kids and parents to see all the great stuff the kids have done all year.

That said, when they reach the middle school/junior high and high school level, kids DO come to BTS night here. Heck, by the time they reach high school, they're happy to have ANYONE attend, it's not nearly as well attended as events at the elementary level.

OP, I think you may have confused the two events (and God knows you're not the first person to do so).

I would be confused to. I have never been to an elementary school that had a "parents only thing". And this is going to school in Missouri and Texas.

And cripes...they never had squat at the end of school.

Our high school was parent's night. So there you go.

 

[goofypooh]

I am a teacher. At our school, it is not necessary for the children to come to back to school night, but it is certainly not stated that they are not allowed! It really is mostly a time for the teacher to go over classroom rules & expectations, schedules, etc. with the parents. Some people bring their kids & some don't and it is really no big deal either way. Some teachers actually encourage the kids to attend....sometimes they plan for the kids to sing a little song for the parents or something. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just move forward from here & hopefully your daughter will have a great school year!

 

[livie1205]

I have never ever heard about Not bringing kids to open house....they let the kids show the parents around the class and then the teachers speak with everyone and if a teacher ever treated us like that I would be walking right to the principal! that was RUDE! some people can not pay a sitter just to go to a open house....it is silly.If the teachers need to speak with the parents without kids around they can schedule a conference.

 

[aprilgail2]

I have never heard of taking kids to open school night- that was always a parents only event here. If you do bring a child they will stop you as you enter the building and there are 2 parents they will ask one of you to wait outside with the child- if there is only one parent they will ask the child to go sit by themselves in the hallway. There is really only room for one parent in the classroom anyway since you go in and sit at your childs desk and there is only one seat.

 

[zalansky]

We had our sons open house last night and it was stated no children via newsletters and emails before hand. Open house is different than the meet and greet that takes place before school starts. Open house is an adult only event and really, I don't appreciate other parents bringing their kids when I get a sitter for mine. Schools usually lay out the rules before these things and I am not so sure about this alleged accident. Sorry OP, just my opinion.

 

[Anne34]

our schools have 2 different nights
1) open house -before school starts -meet the teacher, pay for lunches, meet bus drivers ect....
2) parent orientation a couple of weeks into school. Just parents -talk about homework , class expectations, grading ect..

This is how our school does it too. The second night is to let the parents know the ciricculum for the year, etc..... in fact, our 4th & 5th grade meeting was tonight. So much fun.

 

[wilderness01]

This is how our school does it too. The second night is to let the parents know the ciricculum for the year, etc..... in fact, our 4th & 5th grade meeting was tonight. So much fun.

This is how our school does it too. No kids and they make that very clear. Sorry you made a mistake and then felt uncomfortable. I wouldn't make any deal out of it and just let it go.

 

[Cinders]

We had our sons open house last night and it was stated no children via newsletters and emails before hand. Open house is different than the meet and greet that takes place before school starts. Open house is an adult only event and really, I don't appreciate other parents bringing their kids when I get a sitter for mine. Schools usually lay out the rules before these things and I am not so sure about this alleged accident. Sorry OP, just my opinion.

I won't apologize for taking my kids to the open house. I was a SAHM and I didn't have a babysitter. It's a school, a public building, no one can tell me my child is not allowed in the building. I stopped going to those bogus nights after the first 2. The teachers try to explain the schedule, rules and other stuff in 1-2 minutes times however many students they have. A simple letter home would have done the trick!! Or even an email!! People constantly were in and out of the classrooms as many have more than 1 child in the school so it's not possible to have all the parents there at the same time to explain things....not to mention the problem of having say 20 students....that could mean 15-60 parents when you take divorced parents and step-parents into consideration. What a waste after the first year! There's no time for quality one on one time with the teacher anyway.

Same goes for parent teacher conferences. Did those twice also. You're told to be there at say 1:00 p.m., you actually get in to meet with the teacher at 1:15 and the person that was scheduled after you is scheduled for 1:10. It's like going to a busy Dr's office.....not a waste when you need medical treatment. It is a waste to hear that lil Johny is such a joy to have in class (and so was Lil Susie whose parents were before you and Lil Tommy whose parents were after you....) and then they hand over the report card and ask; any questions? If you have any they say how about you write them down and I'll send you an answer next week or if you say no they rush you out the door because Lil Susie's parents put them behind schedule and they want to go home by 3!

I learned the best way to learn how things work and how to get to know the teachers was to volunteer in the school. Then you see what actually goes on in the classrooms. Makes choosing the next years teachers easier too.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Since EVER. At least around here. Even when I was a kid it was a Parents Only kind of thing.