On the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 29th, parents arrived at the West Ranch Campus, eager to discover what the 2023-2024 school year had in store for their students. Back-to-School Night provided parents ample time to become acquainted with each of their students’ teachers.
The evening commenced with ASB distributing pamphlets to parents, outlining the schedule for when they would visit their student’s courses. This schedule was based on West Ranch’s bell schedule, offering parents insight into their student’s daily school routine. Each class period was allocated 10 minutes, followed by a five-minute walking period to the next class. After entering their third period, parents had the opportunity to take a peek into West Ranch’s student-led television program: West Ranch TV, allowing parents to get a glimpse of what their student’s day looks like.
Johnathan Harrington, the father of West Ranch student Lauren Harringon, shared, “I want to get familiar with her surroundings and teachers so that when she talks about her school day, I can better understand her.”
During each class interval, parents were introduced to the teachers, their courses and how the teachers planned to support students throughout the year. Most teachers give out detailed course descriptions of what they intend to teach the students over the course of the year, accompanied by some personal details about themselves.
Mrs. Koskie, a sophomore English teacher, shared, “I look forward to conveying the classroom environment and what kind of teacher I am. Meeting the new students and parents is always exciting. I designed a station activity to showcase a collaborative experience, even including activities where parents can interact with the students. My classroom is typically collaborative, and I want to give parents a glimpse into the usual classroom environment and build connections with them.”
For parents of students with open periods, there were additional opportunities while they awaited the next class period. At the counseling office, parents had the opportunity to converse with their student’s counselor and gain insight into what to expect throughout their student’s high school experience. Meanwhile, in the library, parents were able to ask questions and offer their support to the West Ranch AP program.
All opportunities at Back-to-School Night catered to both new and returning families, giving new parents an opportunity to familiarize themselves with West Ranch’s campus and providing returning parents with a refresher on how West Ranch classes go.
“[I want to show them] How it all works. How sophomore year works,” Modern civilization and AP world history teacher Mr. Holland explained. ”I try my best to explain how Infinite Campus works and Google Classroom as well, and how communication through the platforms work. I explain what I expect of their kids, how the class works, and the best ways that I can help them.”
As Back-to-School Night came to an end, parents gained a better understanding of their students’ classes in order to better understand how they can help their students later throughout the school year.
“It’s nice to make sure she knows her parents love and support her.” concluded Zein Hajjar, mother of West Ranch senior Ritta Hajjar.
