Thank you to the many parents who made time for appointments with our teachers in the first and second weeks of the term. It was a wonderful opportunity to speak online or in person about the progress and development of each student.
Parent-teacher nights are not the only way to stay in touch with your child's learning in the older years of schooling. It often seems a bit easier in the younger years when children are more inclined to talk about their day and their interests at school, but finding a way to be supportive and involved in the older years is still important. While the days of being hands-on when helping with projects might be fading into the background, children still value the encouragement of a parent who is interested in their progress.
A very effective means of keeping in touch is by regularly reading the written feedback comments that are emailed to you and your child when coursework is marked through Canvas. Parent access to Canvas, found via the Parent Portal on our website, also provides you with information on assignments, marks, syllabus, and weekly content for each subject. The Canvas parent app, available for both Android and iPhones, will give you access to marks in real-time, a record of overdue work, and a quick and easy way to contact teachers through the message feature.
You may have also noticed in the last few years the frequent Consent2Go notifications that fly into your inbox. Some of those notifications request permissions for camps or excursions, but others alert you to the many exciting incursions and special events that your child is attending on campus. While you might not need to give permission for your child to watch a visiting speaker or performing arts group, knowing what might be coming up at school gives you a chance to follow up on what sparked interest or ask curious questions that can lead to those conversations parents enjoy so much (when we actually get told what happened today!)
Finally, we know that it can be a long time between parent-teacher nights. If you have something you want to discuss with your child's teacher, please feel free to drop them an email and get in contact. Good communication between teachers and parents helps our students understand that parents and teachers are on the same team, supporting them to do their best.