Communicating With School Staff

Tips On How To Stay In Touch With Your Child’s Teachers

There are many ways that communication with school staff changes once you reach middle school. Your child no longer has just one or two teachers all day. Students now have six separate classes with six different teachers. The “Friday Folders” that may have come home each week in elementary school won’t come home anymore. Middle school teachers provide information for parents frequently, but the format and delivery will be different. Elementary school teachers do a great job of preparing students for the added responsibilities of middle school and we will expect students to serve as dependable liaisons between the school and you, the parent. In addition to this, below is a list of common forms of communication that middle school teachers use with parents:

  • Email
  • This is the easiest and fastest form of communication. Please be sure to provide your email address to ALL of your child’s teachers at the beginning of the year. Teachers are expected to check their email several times throughout the day.
  • Progress reports
  • Teachers are required to send home progress reports in the middle of each 9 weeks. Many teachers will do this more often. You should sign and return these as soon as you get them. A schedule of progress report dates is in the student handbook section of your child’s agenda. If your child does not bring home a progress report, you should ask them about it. Check their book bag for it! It is not uncommon for them to be lost in the black hole that exists in every book bag. If you still cannot find it, email or call the teacher.
  • Student Agendas
  • Each student will receive an agenda at the beginning of the school year. One very common way teachers communicate with parents is to write quick individual notes in these. It is a good idea to check these nightly.
  • Parent Portal
  • The Parent Portal is a new feature that we have through our student information system, Powerschools. The portal allows you to track your child’s daily and weekly progress for each class online. You are required to fill out a form and present your ID to office staff and be assigned an account with a password before you will be granted access. More information about the portal can be obtained at our front office.
  • Phone Calls
  • Teachers have a planning period each day in which they can make and receive phone calls. It is imperative that the front office has correct phone numbers on file for you so we can contact you if we need to. Teachers cannot receive phone calls during class. You can leave a voice mail and expect a return phone call within 24 hours.
  • Parent-Teacher Conferences
  • Conferences can be scheduled anytime throughout the year at your request, or the teacher’s request. This is a great way for you to meet and talk to each core teacher your child has. Typically, all core teachers attend conferences so do not be surprised if you schedule one with a math teacher for example, but when you get there, all the teachers are in attendance. We have found this to be extremely effective. Students can also be included in the conference.
  • Notes/Letters Home
  • Even with all the technology at our fingertips, we still send home notes and parent letters. It will be your child’s responsibility to give these to you. If you have a forgetful child, ask them every few days if they have gotten anything from school you need to see. If all else fails, go through their book bag yourself every now and then.
  • Web pages/School Website
  • Most teachers will have websites or web pages they use for instructional purposes. You are always encouraged to view these to see firsthand what your children are doing in the classroom. Most teachers send information on how to access these sites at the beginning of the school year.
  • Also, we have a school website that you can get to through the district website . It is a good idea to check this site periodically for announcements or news that may interest you.
  • ALERTNOW
  • This is a phone calling system that is widely used throughout our district. Whenever there is a school-wide or grade-level announcement to be made, you may receive a “robo-call”. Please listen to these calls so you can stay informed.

The list above is not an exhaustive list of ways the school or your child’s teacher may communicate with you. Many teachers will use additional forms of communication. Be sure to read the letters that each teacher sends home at the beginning of the year outlining their class. Most teachers provide contact information as well as preferred methods of communication.