Parent-Teacher Conferences — last call!
Posted on November 5, 2014
Dear Parents,
Please sign up for your parent-teacher conference right away! We still have quite a few families who have not signed up. I am going to take the link off the school website at NOON on FRIDAY. After that time, you will have to call Mrs. Rubio (703-698-7171) to sign up for your conference. Teachers prepare for conferences, so they need to know when you will be coming. Conferences are mandatory in November, and optional throughout the rest of the year. Thank you for your cooperation. If you cannot access the SignupGenius, please call the office for assistance.
On Thursday (tomorrow) Mrs. Melissa Temme will be showing a slide show of her recent missionary trip to Tanzania. Our children sent care packages, original works of art, and words of encouragement and friendship to the children in an orphanage there. I know they will enjoy seeing their smiling faces and hearing their messages. My experience is that these mission trips touch the missionaries in a very special way. Seeing the joy on the faces of children who have so little in material goods is eye-opening. They have an inner joy that many of us would envy! We are very grateful to have this connection. In a time when people are afraid of an entire continent, it is helpful to put a face on the people — our brethren. You are welcome to join us for the 10:00am assembly on Thursday. Immediately after the presentation, Krista Gauthier will be showing the slide show from the Pumpkin Run and announcing the winner of the drawing.
I will be out of the office Thursday and Friday. I am making one last trip to finalize all my mother’s affairs. I am very grateful for all the words of condolence, the Mass cards, and the prayers that you have shared with me. I feel very blessed to be in such a warm and supportive community. Mother was a real believer in family and community. Our family is spread out geographically, but our bonds know no boundaries. When we are together, it is like we live across the street from each other. I appreciate having this time to be with them. As always, I will monitor email and be prepared to see you at conferences on Monday and Tuesday. If you need to meet with me, please send me an email with some time choices. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
At conferences, please give your teachers the benefit of the doubt when you question the stories your child has told about what happens in the classroom. You should always ask for clarification — but please know that our teachers have been selected because of their love for children, their dedication to teaching, and their belief that they make a positive difference in their lives every day. There is no job with more pressure — and there is a learning curve for teachers too! What works with one class will not always work with the next one. So teachers are “ramping up” their skills with each new year. Your input can be very helpful for the teacher when offered in the spirit of cooperation. I meet with the teachers regularly, and am always awed by the level of detail in their observations. They juggle 20-25 little hearts and souls, knowing their needs and their talents, trying to teach them the right way to live in addition to the ambitious curriculum!
The report card is an important tool for helping parents and teachers to work together for the child’s best interests. It is important for your child to know that we are working together. We all learn from our experience. Use your child’s conference and report card as a means of teaching lessons to your child. The most important lesson is that there are natural consequences for not turning in homework, not studying for a test, not doing assignments, staying up too late every night, not bringing the right books home, etc. Once you know how your child is performing, make a plan for improvement. Will your child blame their shortcomings on the teacher? Probably. They are children, and will believe that it is worth a try! Come up with concrete measures to see if they are improving, and encourage them. Many of our children struggle academically, but they can all do their best. Please don’t compare them to other children — compare what they are doing with what they CAN do. They need lots of positive reinforcement and guidance. Let’s continue to work together.
God bless,
Barbara Dalmut
