"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
There are many blessings that can result from Parent/Teacher conferences. Many years ago, a dear friend of ours was slightly anxious as he traveled to his first high school Parent/Teacher conferences for his freshman daughter. As he entered the gym and became acclimated to the new procedure, he decided that he should speak to her math teacher first, since that was the class that seemed to be most challenging for his daughter. After waiting for a significant period of time for the parents that were ahead of him in line, the teacher finally motioned for him to approach his table.
After exchanging pleasantries, the teacher quickly cut to the chase and informed the dad that his daughter was failing freshman math. "WHAT?" exclaimed the shocked and exasperated father. Automatically, the follow-up question, "How did her grade drop so quickly to an F?" blurted from the dad's lips. Realizing that he was about to deliver some very difficult news, the teacher gave a heavy sigh. Opening up his grade book, he responded, "Well, she has a significant amount of missing assignments, and despite my numerous requests, your daughter still has not turned them in." Again, the father stared at the teacher in disbelief and reiterated the same words back to the teacher, but in the form of a question. "She has missing assignments?" The teacher then proceeded, "And in addition to the numerous times that she is selecting to skip class, it makes it nearly impossible for her to pass this class." By the conclusion of the "skipping class" statement, this dad could no longer contain his emotions.
Feeling his blood pressure escalate to incredible heights, he stated, "I'm going home right now and having a serious talk with Sally, and I promise you that things are going to quickly change!" To which the teacher replied, "Wait, what did you say your daughter's name is?" After the dad repeated his daughter's name, the teacher sheepishly replied, "Oh I'm terribly sorry, I've made a horrible mistake. I thought your daughter was someone else. Sally is doing just fine in math!"
Parent/Teacher conferences can be such a blessing, especially when you are discussing the right child with the correct parents! Next week, St. Matthew Lutheran School will host Parent/Teacher conferences for students in grades Kindergarten through Grade 8, where our staff will have the opportunity to share a wealth of information and insights regarding your child's unique and God-given talents.
This year, due to the pandemic, conferences will be held virtually on Wednesday, November 3rd, from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and Thursday, November 4th, from 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Parents need to sign up online for a conference time and can do so by clicking HERE. Please sign up for your conference time by Friday, October 29th, so that teachers can issue you a Google Meet code. Upper Grade parents are asked to only sign up for their child's homeroom teacher, unless you feel there is an issue that needs to be discussed.
We pray that the Lord will bless each of these conferences and allow them to be an effective avenue of communication in which valuable insights will be gained.
In Jesus' Love,
Mrs. Palka