Back to School Night

I just got home. SO LATE. I walked in the door, kissed my kids, got a glass of water and got into bed. What a long day! I left the house around 7:00 am. It's 9:30 pm now.

But I've gotta say... it was worth it. I love the opportunity to talk to parents!

I live far enough from my school that it didn't make sense to come home in between dismissal and Back to School Night. So I stayed and worked. First I made sure that everything was ready for my presentation--- handouts, Powerpoint, a strategically-placed bottle of water, and teeny tiny first grade chairs moved to the right area of the room! Haha! Then, I got down to work organizing things!

I managed to unpack another box (I still have about 20 boxes in my little bathroom hallway area. It's driving me nuts to have them there, but I'm waiting for delivery of some bookshelves!) and I did a little filing. I gathered small jobs that parent volunteers can do, and placed them in a special box. I made piles of things that need to be copied, laminated, and shredded. I sorted some papers, laid out some materials for tomorrow, made a couple of charts, and neatened my teaching easel. Whew! BLISS!

Then, I was getting ready to go pick up a Jamba or a salad at Chipotle, because those are the healthiest nearby options. But then I realized that if I left school at that point, I might not get a parking place when I came back because all the families would be arriving for Back to School Night. Yikes. And I wasn't in the mood to park a block or two away.

Thank goodness for the fridge in my room. Not nearly as good as a smoothie or salad, but I survived. As my husband sometimes told the kids when they were little, "Sometimes you live to eat, but today you can eat to live."



I always keep a jar of tiny cornichons in my fridge. Weird? Maybe... but I love them. And I had a fruit bar and handful of nuts.  I lived.

The families who came for Back to School Night were great. I love hearing their questions, even though some this year were rather critical -- not everyone is completely comfortable with the combination class, just yet. But several families thanked me for a great start to the year and mentioned how happy their children are this year, which I love to hear! My principal and vice principal both came by to offer support, and now I can cross the whole night off of my list!

I did forget to talk about a couple of things. Most importantly, that I don't teach using lots of dittoes or copied pages. We do word work in composition books, math work in math journals, and my students store their writing in folders. I wish I had remembered to let the parents know that "no papers coming home" doesn't mean "no work being done."

What's on your list of things that you always discuss with parents at Back to School Night?