Back to School Nite

[bittybomb]

My middle schooler already has his schedule and a list of supplies. We also have his locker location and lock combo. His back to school night is first week of school, Thursday evening, and I follow his schedule to meet his teachers and learn their general expectations. He’s my third and has all repeat teachers from his siblings with the exception of one new teacher so I don’t expect to learn anything new.

I also have two high schoolers. For the first year we were in the school with my son as a freshman, back to school night was through zoom. For his sophomore year teachers prerecorded their messages and you could log in whenever was convenient to view them. This year they’re returning to in person. My junior’s back to school night is a different night than my freshman’s. Will be interesting to see how it’s different.

[heygrey]

We pay a $35 per child for school supplies, cultural performances, and 1-2 ice skating field trips because #canada. Teachers have a budget and get to order exactly what they want for their classroom. The supplies arrive at the end of the previous year. Summer hires get a basic set and can order more in September.

Some elementary schools send out an email with the teacher name the day before (DS's school), some have students return to their previous year's classroom and then are placed in new classrooms within a day or two (my school). DS is in a language immersion program so we've always known who his teacher and classmates would be. At the end of last year his teacher switched grade levels so we still don't know who he'll have for grade 5. Fingers crossed we have a decent year.

ETA: We don't have a back to school night. At the end of September we have parent/teacher conferences. That is the first formal time when parents can come to the school. 

[stemmie]

Our district does an optional meet-the-teacher one afternoon a few days before school starts for elementary. Elementary kids get a teacher/bus/supply list by mail a couple weeks before school starts. BTSN is adults only 2-3 weeks into the year at 7pm.

Middle schoolers get an orientation day at the MS end of 6th grade, a letter with bus/"House" assignment/supplies about 3 weeks before school starts. They get their schedule day one. BTSN is adults only on a different night about 3 weeks in at 7pm.

High school is a shit show. Kids get a letter with a bus assignment and homeroom a week or so before school starts and don't get a supply list until class which means an afterschool scramble at the local Staples which is less than a 1/4 mile away. Freshmen start the day before the rest of the students. Fortunately, the school communicates with the store so that they have an idea about which supplies and calculators are required and are stocked and staffed to handle the onslaught of over 1000 kids. BTSN is about 3 weeks in on its own night starting at 7pm.

The parents in my district are very into these things so the BTSN is crazy busy-- probably exceeding the legal occupancy of the building at the HS and elementaries.

nicolewi , I would guess the break also allows the teachers to use the bathroom and get something to eat.

[pinkdutchtulips]

Our back to school night is 2wks into the school year. 

Schedules, etc are picked up before the first day. 

[karinothing]

OUr back to school event is at night a few weeks into the school year.

WE have a meet the teacher/orientation which is at like 745am for ES and 9am for Middle.

[dale]

Every school in the district has an Open House from 1-3 pm about a week before school starts. That's when the elementary kids go to meet their teachers and see their classroom and the MS and HS kids walk their schedules and meet teachers if they are in their rooms.
Back to School night is a couple of weeks into the school year and it's when the parents go to meet the teachers and find out the expectations for each class.

[liverandonions]

Our elementary school meet the teacher was 3-5 when it has always been 4-6 and they said it was to accommodate the high school orientation event.

The HS event was so poorly communicated my sister didn’t even know about it for her 11th grader.

I was pretty irritated they didn’t consider working parents for the elementary school. My husband couldn’t even go.

[186momx]

Back to school and meet the teachers are the same thing here. We actually got a parent square message today saying save the date for the 28th which is about a week earlier notification than normal. All of K-8 come between 4-6pm that day. Middle schoolers don't get their schedules until the first day but do find out their homeroom teacher on the 28th. Basically more middle school side you pop into all the middles school classrooms and listen to a 3 minute spiel from the teacher saying use parents square and what subjects they teach.

It is a crazy night and I really dislike going.