Conferences (Team Family)

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There are many ways for teachers to approach conferences.  It could be a time to focus on the academic strengths and weakness of a child.  The social and emotional skills of each student could be the star of the conversation.  We could spend our 20 minutes discussing the activities the children have been involved or their interests in over the past few months.  We could even discuss troubles the child has at home and school, seeing where they meet and work on solutions together.

In the past, I’ve prepared notes for each conference detailing strengths and areas for growth for each student.  I’ve spent the first 15 minutes talking to the parents and then, in the last five asked them if they have any concerns or questions.  I think it worked, but I think we can make our conferences more useful.

This year, I want to try something new. I want to know what you, the parent or caregiver, are most interested in discussing.  We’ve spent two months with your child and are getting to know them pretty well.  You are the members of our team that we don’t know well, yet.

Before you meet with us on Friday, please consider what you’d like to talk about most.  I want our time together to be productive for you, especially since you are taking time out of your busy day to visit with us.  For this reason, one of the first things I’ll ask you on conference day is:

What would you like to talk about today?

 

 

Scheduling: Oct. 25th Parent-Teacher Conferences

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Dear North Hills Campus Parents,

I am writing with important details about the Parent/Teacher Conference Day scheduled for Friday, October 25, 2013.

What to Expect
You will have the opportunity to meet with your student’s teacher to discuss his or her progress.

Please note the following before scheduling your appointment with your student’s teacher:

Appointments will be approximately 20 minutes long.
All appointments should be scheduled through our online appointment book, which will be available at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 26.
Appointments will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis; so schedule early.
How to Schedule Your Appointment
1. Register

Visit the online appointment book at: https://www.pickatime.com/client?ven=11602347
Enter your email address and a password (you can select your own password), then click “Login/Create Account.” Fill in the required fields to register.
If you have used Pick-a-time before, you will use your email address and password that you previously used. If you cannot remember your password enter your email address and click “Forgot My Password.” Your password will be emailed to you.
For each student, enter his or her student ID — all student IDs follow the formula: “FirstNameLastName” i.e. John Smith would be JohnSmith (no space or punctuation) — and his or her birthday — in the form MM/DD/YYYY i.e. March 7, 1993 would be 03/07/1993.
2. Schedule

Each colored square represents an available meeting time.
Click on a square to book that time.
Enter when you want the reminder email to be delivered, and be sure to click “Create Appointment.”
If you want to make changes to your schedule, you can log in at any time with your email address and password.

If you have any questions, please call Kim Rovnan at 412-486-8341.

Extended Day
Students in PK – grade 2 may attend Extended Day, held in the Science Room, during your conference time, free of charge. Students in grades 3 – 5 who come with their parents during conference time should bring a book to read or a quiet game to play while they wait for their parents in the corridor outside the classroom.

The full day Extended Day program will be available from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. for students in PK – grade 5. The charge of $65 will be added to your monthly eBill. A fun day of activities, crafts, and playtime has been planned. Time will be spent outside and children should dress appropriately in play clothes. Please pack a lunch and a beverage, a snack will be provided. To register, please contact Dionne Brelsford at [email protected].

What to Do on Conference Day
On October 25, please be sure that you arrive promptly for your appointment. Upon arrival, please meet your child’s teacher in his or her classroom. Finally, we ask that you adhere to the allotted time for each teacher so that the day flows smoothly for everyone.

We are excited to offer this opportunity to you. If you have any further questions about conference day, please contact me or Kim Rovnan at 412-486-8341.

Regards,

Laurie Vennes
Director of North Hills Campus

Conference Day

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Good Morning Everyone!

Parent conferences will be held throughout the day on Oct. 21st.  Class will not be in session on this day.  Mrs. Pless and I are scheduling conferences from 7:40 AM until 4:20 PM. If you need childcare for your school-age student during your conference it will be available beginning at 8:00 AM.

 

To facilitate the scheduling for our conferences, I’ve created a “poll”  using Doodle.com.  Click on the link below to find available time slots.  In the field that says, “Your Name”, please write your child’s initials.   Also, please choose two scheduled time slots that will fit your needs.

Thank you for your patience as we work together to schedule everyone at an acceptable time.

 

Parent Conferences and Other Notes

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Don’t forget that Parent Conferences are scheduled for this upcoming Friday.  I can’t wait to share all of  the stories and tidbits about your fabulous children.  We’ve had so many wonderful experiences so far.  Please come prepared with any questions or concerns.  Twenty minutes can buzz by quickly, so we want to make sure that we touch upon all of your queries and exciting things to share.  I will work very hard at being prompt as I know that many of you have other conferences to attend, as well as other obligations.

This week I will be sending home all of the extra clothing.  Please go through your set and make sure that it is still weather and size appropriate.  It is amazing how quickly the children grow out of one size and into another.  Also, a few of the children have rain boots at school to wear on muddy days.  You are welcome to send in a pair (old is fine) so that their “everyday” shoes don’t get too muddy.  When the weather gets even colder, we will all change into winter boots each time we go out to play.  We will have a special place for gloves and hats that can stay at school as well.  As you gather these for the coming winter, you might wish to grab an extra set for school use.  Once we hit colder days, it is much easier to simply keep them here rather than worry about whether or not they’ve been packed for school.