Dear Acera Families,
The school year continues to build momentum and the ‘buzz’ in the building from the first week took on a new tone with a wonderful Back-to-School Night event last night! We love having our parents in the building … it’s our second favorite thing after having your children in the building! We hope all of you are able to join your child’s Core Classroom Teacher for Listening Conferences tomorrow.
The Listening Conference is intended to be a conversation with you and your child’s Core Classroom Teacher. Core teachers come to the conversation with information from previous Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for returning students—and information from the admissions process for new students—as well as past progress reports, assessments and observations in key academic areas. You can come knowing that you are invited to talk about your child’s strengths, opportunities for growth, and goals for the year. Teachers will be listening intently—hence the name of the event! This conversation allows you and your child’s Core Teacher to connect and establish a framework for our work with your child as we kick off the school year, and informs the creation of a new ILP for the year.
The ILP is an essential component of our approach to teaching and learning, and every student at Acera has one. The ILP is used as a touchstone throughout the year by your Acera Team—which includes Core teacher, Math teacher, Specialists teachers, counseling, admin—to inform, guide, and track progress for your child. And the ILP will also link to our narrative Progress Report and serve as a reference point and communication tool for you, your child, and your child’s teachers.
Over the course of this school year, there are three formal Parent-Teacher Conferences:
Listening Conference – September 15, 2023
Parent-Teacher Conference – December 11, 2023
Parent-Teacher Conference – March 12, 2024
These dates are by no means the only times you get to have meetings or conversations with your child’s Core Classroom Teacher—or any of your child’s teachers. If at any other point in the year you would like to schedule a meeting with them, or anyone else, just ask. We want to make sure that you feel you have an understanding of and access to what your child is experiencing and learning at school, and we want you to know that you are central members of your child’s Acera Team.
We hope this is helpful and welcome any additional questions or thoughts you would like to reach out to share. In the meantime, have a wonderful day and we look forward to speaking with you soon.
Sincerely yours,
Malcolm and George
Malcolm Campbell is Acera’s Director of Lower School.
George Papayannis is Acera’s Director of Upper School.
