I still have my report cards, and I am sure many of you do too. When I did a quick check with colleagues about their own report cards they too had kept their reports and most were all able to recall a statement or two.
Interestingly, none recalled statements about what they had learnt but recalled how teachers had perceived them as students, describing their attributes and personalities.
Today you received your child’s report card for semester one. Unlike when many of us were in school, report cards are no longer the big reveal. Our Seesaw platform, remote learning, Zoom lessons and open communication between teachers and parents ensure this.
Classrooms are no longer these mysterious places where magic happens and parents only hear about it twice a year. Each week, each day our doors are open (metaphorically speaking during this time) so parents and other family members are able to see learning in action. Each week I am so impressed by the numbers generated by interactions that our Seesaw platform records.
So far, since the beginning of the school year:
- students have posted 211,328 examples of learning
- 124,683 comments have been made by family members
- 173,908 likes have been noted
- 168 027 visits by family members
With that in mind, the report card is a celebration of your child’s achievements and provides the opportunity to guide your child to the next step in their learning journey.
Please take some time to share the report card with your child, celebrate their achievements and support them with creating their plan for reaching the next step.
Along with report cards, the opportunity to talk with teachers about your child and their learning is vital. COVID restrictions and willing technology allowed us to embrace the ‘sprechtstunde’ model. This formalized those parent meetings that teachers have always had.
As we now look forward to the time we will be able to meet in person, we would like to gather parent perspectives on the approaches to conferencing. Therefore please expect an invitation to share your views, your reflections and/or to be part of a focus group discussing how best to share your child’s learning.
You all should be so proud of your children, especially for their resilience and ability to navigate and thrive during such a challenging time. The future is bright with such adults on the way.
Patricia Appel
Head of Primary
