APS Back to School Nights

[Anonymous]

The value of in person is:

-See your child's classroom once school is underway. See their work on the wall. See where they are sitting and with who so you can ask better questions. Observe their day to day space in action. Yes, it already looks different than the open house if you went to it.
-Connect with the teacher in person. Get a better feel for how they interact and engage and their overall personality.
-Meet other parents. Oh, your Johnny's mom? Sally has been talking about him all week!
-Walk the halls and space of your child's school where they spend their day. If you're on your third kid and you've been everywhere a zillion times, excellent. Get out of the school faster.

The value of online is:

-You can wear your PJs,
-You can do it from your car.
-You can half listen and get up and get a bowl of ice cream or turn to your spouse and comment about how boring it is in your normal voice.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know what time the middle school back to school nights typically start and end? The website just says to check with your school but our school (Gunston) hasn't said anything. If these are going to be in person, parents need this kind of logistical info.

[Anonymous]

It would be nice to have middle and high school BTS night online rather than galloping from one room to another for full but short presentations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh wow. We have had no information on kids not being there. We’re just into second grade so it’s our first in person back to school night.

It’s really for the parents. So either one parent stays home, or you find a sitter. Or you can skip it too. It’s certainly not required.

We definitely both want to be there. May switch out turns and have kid at playground. For us it’s important. But it’s very last minute notice for our regular sitters.

last minute? it's 3 weeks away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh wow. We have had no information on kids not being there. We’re just into second grade so it’s our first in person back to school night.

It’s really for the parents. So either one parent stays home, or you find a sitter. Or you can skip it too. It’s certainly not required.

We definitely both want to be there. May switch out turns and have kid at playground. For us it’s important. But it’s very last minute notice for our regular sitters.

last minute? it's 3 weeks away

It is next week at our school. I thought it was same night district-wide?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what time the middle school back to school nights typically start and end? The website just says to check with your school but our school (Gunston) hasn't said anything. If these are going to be in person, parents need this kind of logistical info.

*1

So many after School activities And appointments to coordinate, most of us need to know if we need to arrange carpools, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The open houses before school starts are for children and parents to meet the teachers, see the classrooms and so on.

Back to School night in APS is for parents. There's often a prerecorded video from the principal, the teachers will walk through the curriculum, often there's separate time to do a quick meet and greet with the school counselor or RTG or specials teachers.

Some schools especially in lower SES areas have childcare available since they know parents might not be able to come otherwise. Every now and then you'll see a parent with a kid or two in tow but it is an event for adults.

What does SES have to do with whether or not people have childcare? There are high SES areas with two working parents that also could benefit from childcare - it isn’t always easy to find a babysitter and not everyone, independent of wealth, has a nanny on demand.

If two working parents are available to attend back to school night, one can stay home with the kids while the other attends and reports back. I mean really, back to school night is not so groundbreaking that everyone needs to hear every word first hand.

Some people have multiple kids at the same school and need both parents to hear both presentations.

This is how I feel too. I feel like it's more for show of, "Hey, look! I care about my child's education! I'm present!"

Virtual is 100% better because it solves the childcare issue and doesn't promote presenteeism for parents.

[Anonymous]

My kids’ school is doing both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids’ school is doing both.

Which one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh wow. We have had no information on kids not being there. We’re just into second grade so it’s our first in person back to school night.

It’s really for the parents. So either one parent stays home, or you find a sitter. Or you can skip it too. It’s certainly not required.

We definitely both want to be there. May switch out turns and have kid at playground. For us it’s important. But it’s very last minute notice for our regular sitters.

Wait a few years. DH and I were trying to decide which one had to go. We decided on neither but then our teen gave us a guilt lecture about us not wanting to go to school. It was in person and a different local district. DH took this year. Seriously, you aren’t missing anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh wow. We have had no information on kids not being there. We’re just into second grade so it’s our first in person back to school night.

It’s really for the parents. So either one parent stays home, or you find a sitter. Or you can skip it too. It’s certainly not required.

We definitely both want to be there. May switch out turns and have kid at playground. For us it’s important. But it’s very last minute notice for our regular sitters.

last minute? it's 3 weeks away

It is next week at our school. I thought it was same night district-wide?

Ours in on the 8th, but it’s been on our calendar since early August when the first emails went out about back to school and key dates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Does anyone know what time the middle school back to school nights typically start and end? The website just says to check with your school but our school (Gunston) hasn't said anything. If these are going to be in person, parents need this kind of logistical info.


*1

So many after School activities And appointments to coordinate, most of us need to know if we need to arrange carpools, etc.

Do you own a phone? Call and find out.

[Anonymous]

Our school sent flyers home with date and schedules. Thought that was common across schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Does anyone know what time the middle school back to school nights typically start and end? The website just says to check with your school but our school (Gunston) hasn't said anything. If these are going to be in person, parents need this kind of logistical info.


*1

So many after School activities And appointments to coordinate, most of us need to know if we need to arrange carpools, etc.

Do you own a phone? Call and find out.

I called and emailed and no one responded or knew or would tell mw

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school sent flyers home with date and schedules. Thought that was common across schools.

Yes. We received this Tuesday, for the upcoming Thursday. A list of important dates. But zero info on if kids were part of program or not.