Monday, October 20, 2008

Did you Know...

...quarter grades do not go on a student's transcript? Each student's transcript shows only semester and year grades. The quarter report cards function as a progress report for students at the mid-semester.

Friday, October 3, 2008

End of Quarter Information

The first marking period ends Friday, October 10th. A copy of the report card will be given to students on Monday, October 20th with the report card and teacher comments being mailed home on Tuesday, October 21.

Email addresses

We are planning to make more effective use of email to communicate important information with Upper School families. In order for us to do that successfully, we need to have up to date email address for each family. Should you change internet providers, change your email address, or wish communications sent to a different email account, please share that information with Cheryl Rogers at rogersc@thewalkerschool.org. So our communications do not get lost in techno-heaven, we ask that you have your filter set to accept emails from Cheryl Rogers.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Parent-Teacher Conferences Q&A

With conferences coming up at the end of this month, we thought it would be helpful to answer some commonly asked questions about the conferences:

1. When and where are the conferences held?
They are held in the Dining Hall on Monday, October 27th, and Tuesday, October 28th.

2. What do I need to do when I get there?
When you arrive, fill out a nametag at the desk by the door and have a seat (there will be coffee for those interested). When your timeslot comes up, the teachers will meet you in the waiting area and lead you to a table for conference.

3. How do I sign up for conferences?
There was a form mailed home to request teachers for conferences along with a time preference. You can also sign up for conferences online.

4. How long will the conference be?
The conferences are scheduled for 15 minutes. All of the teachers you requested to have a conference with will sit at a table with you together for those 15 minutes.

5. Is 15 minutes with all the teachers enough time?
By having all of the teachers at the same table, you can get a better sense of the academic "big picture," and also see if the academic performance is consistent across all classes. Used efficiently, we have found the 15 minutes to be ample time to get an overall update on how your child is doing and provide suggestions on how to better take advantage of the available opportunities. If you ever feel that you have questions that went unanswered or needed more time with particular teachers, after the conference you can personally schedule another time with them to revisit particular issues.

6. Can I have an administrator or counselor at the conference as well?
You can certainly request to have any of the administrators (Bob Murphy, Michael Arjona, Newton McCurdy), college counselors (Neil Clark or Peter Sullivan), or guidance counselors (Jessica Eaton or Anna Hairston) at the conference as well.

We are looking forward to the opportunities to discuss your child's academic performance with you, both by sharing good news and working on plans for improvement. If you have any questions about scheduling a conference with your child's teachers, contact Cheryl Rogers.