Parent Teacher Conferences

A parent/guardian-teacher conference day is scheduled at the elementary level in November of each year. In addition, parents/guardians are welcome to schedule conferences with teachers at any time throughout the year, but are reminded to please call in advance to arrange a conference time. Without a scheduled appointment, we cannot guarantee that parents/guardians will be able to speak or meet with desired staff members during school hours.

At Penn Hills Elementary, we strongly believe in the importance of home/school communication and collaboration. If questions or concerns arise at any time throughout the year, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or principal. Kristin Brown, Principal

Seven Ways to assure success at Parent/Guardian-teacher conferences

The National Education Association suggest these tips for better Parent/Guardian-Teacher conferences:

• Write yourself notes, before the conference, about important topics to cover. You might want the teacher to know about your child's home life, personality, problems, habits or hobbies.
• Ask your children what they would like you to talk about with their teachers. Also, ask your children what they think are their best and worst subjects, and have them explain why.
• Stay calm during the conference.
• Ask for an explanation if the teacher uses an unfamiliar term or talks about something that you don't understand.
• Ask important questions first in case you run out of time.
• Try to ask such questions as; is my child in different groups for different subjects? Why? What are his/her best and worst subjects? Is my child working up to his/her ability? Does my child participate in class discussions and activities? Has my child missed any classes other than the ones I contacted the school about? What kinds of tests are being done? What do they tell about my child's progress? How well does my child handle taking tests?
• Find out specific ways that you can help your child perform better in school. At home, discuss these strategies with your child and let him/her know that you and the teacher care about what happens. Then, start working on your plan immediately. Finally, remember to follow-up with the teacher to discuss your child's progress.