How often have you thought, “Gosh, I would love to know what my teen is doing.” Or, “If I could just walk in my kid’s shoes for a day to see what it is like…” It is a struggle we as parents face as our children enter the world outside of our homes. And, as they move into their teen years, getting a glimpse into their world becomes even more of a challenge. Thankfully, there are Open Houses.
If you have never been to one or have not been in a while, you are encouraged to go each year. Believe it or not, that child who wants and needs to take on the world by themselves still wants to share parts of it with you. When you attend Open House, not only will you have an opportunity to walk through their schedule and meet their teachers, you even get a sense of how quickly they need to move.
For those that have not experienced it, Open House is a pressure-free opportunity for you to meet your child’s teachers and get a taste of what their day is like. For us, it always formed a connection. Both of my children wanted to sit down and talk about my impressions of their teachers and share theirs. Having that understanding allowed them to feel more comfortable coming home and sharing pieces of their day because they knew I could relate. In fact, both of my children are out of college and we still talk about some of their teachers from elementary through high school as if they were family that we both knew.
Working to get messages to parents in partnership with both Unit 5 High Schools, Bloomington High School, Central Catholic, and University High School, I can tell you we are lucky to have such wonderful administrators and teachers. They watch out for our children, guide their learning, and truly serve as a family in many ways. Here is what some of our high school principals have to say about the value of attending Open House:
“Open house is an excellent opportunity for parents to connect with the educators who spend all day with their children. It’s about putting a face with a name when conversations about school come up at home. Our hope is that students share their experiences from school with their parents and that parents have a good idea about who helped shape those experiences.”
Trevor Chapman – Principal of Normal Community High School
“As a parent, it is important for you to know who your child spends time with. This not only includes their friends, but also the teachers they work with each day. Teachers work each day with students to help them grow in their skills and knowledge and parents are a great support for this growth. Teachers and parents do not have the opportunity to work together on a daily basis, so it is crucial to take advantage of the events such as Open House to meet the people working with your child every day.”
Dave Johnson – Principal Normal Community West High School
“Open House is a great opportunity for parents to come to our school and not only meet our staff, but also get a sense of what the culture and climate is like. We do our open house early in the fall so that parents can meet their student(s) teachers and learn about what will take place in each of their classes. Parents can also be exposed to all the other things we offer our students at BHS and the many ways we can support both the student and the parent. One key factor for students to be successful in high school is having a parent that is involved. Attending open house is a great way to show your student how much you value their high school experience.”
Tim Moore – Principal of Bloomington High School
“We look forward to our open house as a chance to grow our partnership with families. Parents are given the opportunity to walk through their students’ schedules, meet all of their students’ teachers and learn what a day at UHigh is like for their students. Attending open house helps parents, teachers and students form a relationship that is beneficial for everyone throughout the school year.”
Andrea Markert – Principal of University High School
The Open Houses begin taking place next week. Check your school’s website or give them a call to find out when Open House is taking place.
We hope you can take part in experiencing what a school day is like for your child!