The start of the 2023-2024 school year is coming up fast! Make sure you know how to effectively understand and communicate with your child's school and their teachers.
School Websites
Most schools have a website you can use to find important information, such as school calendars, teacher contact information, and bus schedules.
Here are the websites of a few local Indiana schools you can explore to get a better understanding of how school websites work. Note: these are links to the entire school districts, so make sure you select your child's individual school (i.e., Cherry Tree Elementary School, Westfield High School) on the website to get the correct information for your child:
Tips for Navigating School Websites
- A lot of information on school websites is put under different tabs and/or dropdown menus. Take your time and explore all the features of your child's school's website.
- Be sure to find the correct website for your child's school. There are websites for entire school districts, so make sure you choose your child's individual elementary, middle/junior high, or high school from your school district's website.
- Many school websites have a translation feature that can translate everything on the website to a different language. Feel free to use the website's translation feature if you are confused to get a better understanding of your child's school.
School Registration
Make sure you register your child at the appropriate school in your district before the school year begins. Go to the website for your child's school and browse or search for information about registration and enrollment.
Note: Most (if not all) schools need proper documentation for your child in order to enroll/register them as a student. For example, Carmel Clay Schools in Carmel, Indiana require at least four different documents when enrolling/registering new students. These documents include (1) the child's official birth certificate or passport; (2) immunization (vaccine) records; (3) proof of residency (proof of where you and the child live); and (4) government issued photo ID of one of the child's parents or legal guardians.
Here is a link to the registration and enrollment information for Carmel Clay Schools.
Here is Carmel Clay Schools' 2023 Back-to-School Guide for more information about starting school.
Interacting with School Personnel
It is very likely that you will have to meet and/or talk with your child's teachers, administrators (principles, vice principles, etc.), and school nurses at some point during the school year. Make sure you know what to expect when talking with school employees.
Talking and Emailing with Teachers
During the school year, your children spend more time at school with their teachers than they do at home with their families. Building respectful and positive relationships with your childen’s teachers is very important.
Here are some things to remember when talking or emailing with a teacher:
- Teachers are working to help your child, not to hinder them.
- Do your best to understand the situation from the teacher's point of view. If you need a translator or interpreter, don't be afraid to ask for one.
- Understand that the teacher does not know everything about your child's personal life. You can supply the teacher with information about your child's life if you think it would help the teacher better understand your child.
- Listen carefully to what the teacher has to say. The teacher has information about how your child acts at school that you do not have.
- Do not assume that all communications from a teacher will be negative. Many teachers send emails or call home when your child does something good or gets a very good grade.
- Try to stay calm. It can be difficult not to get emotional when your child is having a problem at school, but you and the teacher can solve the problem if you stay calm.
- Your child's teachers are there to help! Their focus is to help your child succeed. If your child is struggling or having problems, don't hesitate to reach out to their teachers for help.
Teacher Conferences and Open Houses
Some teachers require the parents/guardians of their students to meet with them at least once during the school year. These meetings are called teacher conferences or parent-teacher conferences. During these conferences, you will meet with your child's teacher(s) to discuss your child and how your child is doing at school. These conferences may seem intimidating, but they are designed to help your child's teachers better understand how to successfully teach your child.
- Check out this short article for some tips on what to do to have a successful parent-teacher conference.
Most schools have an open house at the beginning of the school year. An open house is an evening event held at the school that allows parents to learn more about the school, the school's district, the school's teachers, and the school's facilities. Open houses can be very useful for parents, especially if they are new to the district.
Talking with the Front Desk, School Administrators, and School Nurses
The front desk may call you with questions about or issues with your child's enrollment paperwork, registration information, or attendance record. Your school's front desk is where you leave items your child may need. In some schools you call to let them know if your child will not be at school that day (due to illness, vacations, family reasons, etc.).
School administrators (principals, vice principals, etc.) may call you if your child has been having any behavioral or disciplinary issues.
The school nurse may call you if your child is ill or injured and needs to go home. They will also call you if your child has an allergic reaction at school. Schools in the United States require every student to be immunized (vaccinated) against certain diseases. When you send your child's immunization records to your school, the school nurses keep them on file. Also, if your child needs to take any medications during the school day, their medications must be administered by the school nurse. You need to let your child's school know if your child needs to take medication during the school day. Then, once the school year begins, your child will go to the school nurse's office each school day to take their medication.
A school counselor may call you if your student is struggling academically, mentally, or emotionally. A school counselor may also call you if your student wants to change their class schedule.
The conversations you have with school administrators, school nurses, school counselors, or the school's front desk will almost always involve very important information about your child, your child's health, and/or your child's academic performance. Make sure you listen carefully when talking with these school employees, and if you need help understanding them, ask for a translator or interpreter.
School Safety and Security
Your child's school has protocols in place to keep students safe in the event of a fire, severe weather (tornado, blizzard, earthquake, etc.), and active shooters. Several times throughout the school year, your child's school will do drills in which all students and staff practice what to do in the event of an emergency (fire, severe weather, etc.). Your child will take part in these drills at school. Your child's teachers and administrators will tell your child exactly what to do and where to go for these drills. Read this article for more information about what schools, teachers, and administrators do to keep your child safe at school during an emergency.
If there is an emergency at school, or if your child feels unsafe at school, most schools have special police officers known as School Resource Officers or SROs. These police officers have special training in keeping students and schools safe during emergencies. If your child sees something unsafe happening at school, they can report it to their school's SROs.
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