Open House Without Kids

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Archive : 2004 : August : 15

Open House Without Kids
By Lynn

Last year was my first Open House with 3rd grade and we don't have the children come either. I had a booklet on each child's desk for the parent highlighting all that I briefly mentioned verbally. The curriculum, topics covered
in all subject areas, state testing, class room procedures and discipline policy, grading system, a schedule of our weekly specials, a list of recommended school supplies, a list of supplies I'd like to collect throughout the year for projects and donations are welcome (shoe boxes, paper towel rolls, toilet tissue roles, scraps of wrapping paper, etc), info about our class pet, info

about scholastic books and how we'll be using Lucky, and lastly, I encourage them to contact me at the school should any problems or concerns arise and I provide my email address and the school telephone number. This booklet worked out well so I was able to send it home with any student the following day if their parent didn't attend and they'd have all the necessary information.

Before open house I had my class make an Apple Glyph about themselves. Color eyes, hair, right handed or left handed, fav subject. etc. And hung them in the hall. I used the lesson as an intro to reading a Key for map skills. I then provided a Key for the Parents for Open house and it was "Things I liked When I was in Third Grade" and I had the parents make a Face Glyph on a photocopied oval on a piece of white paper. The features on the face depicted the facts about them when they were in 3rd grade. (fav. color, fav subj, fav. special, how they got to school, brought lunch or hot lunch, etc) On the back I encouraged the parents to write a note to their son/daughter.

The next morning the class had to use the Key, look at the Face Glyph their parents made and interpret in their journals what their parent had to say about themselves when they were in 3rd grade. If some student's parents didn't come, I asked another teacher and the principal to fill one out for the child to interpret. It was a hit! Those who had the principal's felt really special to learn more about them! ha ha ha.

I love the apple idea posted above. I think I will cut out leaf shapes from construction paper and paste the saying on one side and on the other put Welcome to the 2004-2005 school year! The with a string, tie the "leaf" to a real apple. Looking forward to reading what other teachers have done for back to school night.