Reminder! Middle School Parent and Guardian-Advisor Conferences

Dear Middle School Families,

I want to take a moment to share a little more about upcoming fall conferences.

Advisors play an important role in the Middle School experience for students and their families. They are often the adults who know students the best outside of the classroom. As you know, students begin each day with their advisory group for morning check ins. Through daily interactions, advisors get know each student in their advisory building trust and learning about their interests and challenges as the year progresses. For these reasons and more, this puts advisors in a good position to lead fall conferences. Advisors can help families look beyond grades and talk about how a student is doing overall. Just as important, advisors can listen to what families are seeing at home and bring that perspective back to school. The goal here is to build a shared understanding of each student so we can identify concerns early and provide support when it is needed. When advisors and families share what they know, we are better able to help each student feel connected, supported, and hopefully, ready to grow!

In the past, these conversations were focused more on academics. Families received formal progress reports twice a year, and we did not have Canvas, so conferences were often an important opportunity to talk about how a student was doing in their classes. Families now receive quarterly progress reports and have regular access to grades and academic progress through Canvas. Because of this, we see fall conference as an opportunity to talk about more than grades and learn as much as we are able about each student as people focusing on the whole student experience. Of course, academics are still part of the conversation. Advisors will review Canvas and should have a general sense of how their students are doing in their classes. And we also know that a student can be doing well academically and still be struggling socially or not feeling like they belong. These factors, if not addressed with intention and care, can impede growth and building confidence.

That is why approaching these conversations with curiosity from an advisor’s perspective matter. The better we know our students, the better we can support them as the school year progresses. We are hopeful fall conferences will strengthen the connection between our families and school. Looking forward to seeing our classrooms occupied with families connecting with their student’s advisor on October 29 and October 30.

Please note: school is not in session on Wednesday, October 28, as it is a Middle School Workday.  

 

To schedule your conference time, complete the following steps:

Please note: there can only be one appointment per student. If you need translation services, please reach out to Middle School Academic Dean Sarah Aguiar and Registrar Megan Peter.

If you have any questions about conferences, please contact your student’s advisor or reach out to me at Rob.Blackwell@bush.edu.