This week MCS will open its doors on Thursday evening, September 29th, for the Fall Open House.  At a recent weekly administrative team meeting, it was mentioned that many families appear confused about the difference between an open house and a parent/teacher conference. Fabulous!  That gave me an idea for this week’s Principal’s Corner!  

What's the difference between an open house at MCS and parent-teacher conferences? The short answer to the question is that school open house is a designed for the benefit of all parents as a group, and a conference is a time for individual parents. But each school event has its own purpose as well, so it's worth talking about what the aims of the open house and the parent-teacher conferences are.

The MCS School Back to School Night Open House

For parents with fond memories of school, the open house night can be a nostalgic evening. It's short and sweet and designed for parents and students to have a brief time to get acquainted with the teacher (or teachers), see the classroom and perhaps get a quick overview of class expectations and the year's curriculum. The school PTO will have an information table and will be presenting the  critical events on their calendar as well as reminding everyone of the importance of pitching in to help on a least one activity.  This evening is geared toward putting the school or grade in the best light, and giving parents a chance to connect faces to names of the administration and teaching staff. While it's not an appropriate time to speak to the teacher about your child's specific needs or your concerns, it is a good time to meet your child's teacher and express a desire to connect with him or her later to work together for your child's success at school.

The Parent Teacher Conference

The parent teacher conference is the time to speak to the teacher about your child. Conferences are typically held before or after school and typically only after school has been in session for at least a month. This gives teachers enough time to perform any routine screenings and to get to know your child and his/her strengths and weaknesses a little bit better. Conferences are designed to give you some one-on-one time with your child's teacher or team of teachers and are the perfect time to discuss concerns and/or develop and action plan to help your child do his/her best work during the school year. Families with students who may have a clinically documented learning challenge should plan to meet with his/ her teacher or teaching team before the new school year begins.

Parent-teacher communication plays a big role in helping your child to have a successful academic career. Since parents and teachers know different aspects of a child's personality, they must work together to solve problems or celebrate gains. Hopefully, you’ll find this Thursday night's’ Open House from 5:30pm to 7:30pm informative and useful in supporting your child’s program this year at The Home of the WAVES……MCS!

God Bless,

Dr. F