Curriculum Night is returning to the physical school building for the first time since 2019. As one of the most direct ways for parents to get a taste of what student life is like, Curriculum night is important.  A study done with 10,000 adolescents saw that those with parent involvement had an improvement in grades. The study, done by Karen Bogenschneider, a Rothermel-Bascom Professor of Human Ecology and Human Development and Family Studies, showed that parent involvement is looked at as a vital component of student success and heightened graduation rates. 

On Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m., Curriculum Night will begin. The event gives an opportunity to parents and guardians to follow their students’ schedules, letting them get to know the teachers and classroom expectations of their students’ classes. It is important that parents and guardians attend Curriculum Night because it allows both parents and teachers to get to know each other and be on the same page when it comes to their child’s education. 

High schoolers are often seen as independent because they can drive, work, and have other responsibilities associated with adulthood. Still, the importance of parents attending Curriculum Night is crucial to the overall success of a student. Opportunities like these for parent involvement come only a few times a year. Teachers encourage parents to reach out if they have any questions or concerns even if they are not able to attend Curriculum Night and want more information on the class. 

Ian Rowe, Spanish 1 and 2 teacher, is new to the school this year and will be taking the opportunity to meet with parents this year at Curriculum Night.

 “I love it when parents come to Curriculum Night just so that I can just put a face with their kid’s name,” Rowe said. “And to take any quick questions that parents might have, so they feel more confident about what’s going on in the classroom, or at home doing homework, so that they have a sense of what’s going on and have a connection with the teacher.”

Curriculum Night is an important opportunity for parents to get to know the school because this is the first year since 2019 that the school has been able to invite parents in to see the school and meet teachers and administrators. Parents have the rare opportunity to fully submerge themselves into a few hours of their student’s education. Curriculum Night is made for every student’s parent no matter the grade level, or student’s academic achievements. It is important to encourage parent participation so that parents get to know the faculty, staff, and teachers at.