Parent Teacher Conferences

NEST+m Fall 2020 Parent/Teacher Conferences:
Strengthening the Home/School Partnership
 

• This year is complex and we are all in this together! We have a lot to share with you, but we also want to spend time listening–you have insights into your child and their experience this year that we need to hear about!

• NEST+m Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday, November 9 from 1:30pm-3:30pm and 4:30pm-7:30pm.

• Things that we would love to hear about: your child’s experience learning at home, your experience of learning from home, supports that are working well, areas that you could use more support, and any special insights into your child–any strengths, struggles, interests, or passions that you want to share. We also know how much families are managing at home right now–if there is anything going on that may be having an impact on your child, please let us know.

• We hope that you leave conferences feeling supported, optimistic, and connected to our community, and that you have clear next steps to help your child further their growth. We also want you to leave conferences knowing that the lines of communication are always open, and we are here for you and your family.

 
Scheduling Alternate Conference Times

• Our conference lengths are as follows:

  • K-5 classroom teachers: 10 minutes

  • K-5 Specials Teachers: 5 minutes 

  • 6-12 Teachers 6-12: 5 minutes

  • Related Services Providers & Counselors: 10 minutes

• Longer conference time. If you anticipate needing a longer conference, please reach out to your child’s teacher(s) to arrange for a different day/time.

• Alternate conference times. If for any reason you are unable to meet during the conference window, please reach out to your child’s teacher to arrange for a conference during school hours.
   

Signing Up and Attending Conferences 

• Conference time slots. Sign Up sheets will "go live" on Wednesday, November 4 at 10:00am. When you sign up for conferences you will see that 5 minute conferences appear to be 6 minutes, and 10 minute conferences appear to be 11 minutes. All conferences will end promptly after 5/10 minutes. The additional minute allows teachers to admit guests from the Zoom waiting room for the next conference.

• Please space out the time slots you select for conferences. We’ll need to be firm with our start and end times, so make sure you give yourself enough time to close out one Zoom link, and open the next one. We recommend 5 or more minutes in between conference times.

• It is best to use your child’s DOE Zoom account to attend conferences. Or, in your personal Zoom account, make sure your Zoom name is your child’s name. For siblings, use the students’ last name. This will ensure that teachers admit guests from the waiting room in the correct order. 

• Technical challenges. We hope that there will be no technical difficulties, but recognizing that we are working on scheduling conferences for the families of 1800 students, it is likely that some parents may experience connectivity or other technical challenges. If that happens please don’t worry–we are happy to reschedule. Reach out to your child’s teacher by email to set up an alternate time for a Zoom conference or a phone call.

Report Cards

• Since we got a late start this year, report cards will not be available before conferences. We will still have a lot of feedback for you on how the year is going for your child, both from an academic and social-emotional perspective.

• Report cards will be available the week of November 23rd. 

Where do I find the Sign Up sheets and Zoom Links?

Sign up sheets will be “live” starting on Wednesday, November 4 at 10:00am.

See the webpages below to access the Sign Up sheets and Zoom links:

• Lower Grades

• Middle & Upper Grades

• School Based Support Team, ENL, & Counseling
  
  
  Questions? Please use the Tech Support Request to get help!