‘Back to School’ Nights Inform Parents on Student Expectations

Mark your calendars for Back to School nights at South County public schools.

Each year, Anne Arundel County Public Schools elementary, middle and high schools open their doors to parents a few days after the start of a new school year.

These events, called Back to School (BTS) nights, are opportunities for parents to connect with teachers, and to learn what kinds of things their children will be doing in the classroom. Often at these events, teachers talk about their teaching philosophy, how to contact them (messages, email, telephone) and expectations for the year.

Most of the schools offer a fast-paced version of school on BTS night, with parents spending 5 or 10 minutes in each classroom and then changing classrooms at the sound of the bell.

This year there will be something new that parents/students can take home: a syllabus with a grading rubric. The hope is that there will no longer be any mystery surrounding how a grade is assigned to any given work. It will all be spelled out at the beginning of the year. Dr. George Arlotto, Associate Superintendent for School Performance, met with faculty in a committee to help come up with new grading policies that go into effect at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. The committee decided that at the beginning of the each school year, teachers must present a syllabus that outlines the following:

• the standards that students are expected to master/learn
• the specific weighting of work (homework, classwork, tests, quizzes, projects)
• the consequences for late work
• the processes for missed and late assignments
• the teachers’ availability for re-teaching
• the teacher contact information, and
• a process for obtaining make-up work

Students will likely have received their syllabus before Back to School night, but if not, BTS night would be a great opportunity to get your hands on it.

Back to School night is typically not a night for students to return to school. First off, most schools can’t accommodate their regular student population times two. Second, discussing concerns about your child might be tricky to do with “junior” standing within earshot.

Finally, did you know that parent involvement is the number one determining factor in the academic success of students? BTS Night is great opportunity to be involved and help your student to have a successful school year.

Here are the dates and times at each school, courtesy of Bob Mosier, spokesman for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.