First off, let me start by saying that I am honored to be this year's PTO president. I hope I can make our previous presidents justice for all the hard work they did. Our new team will work just as hard to make this year as successful as it can be. 
A bit about myself; I have two beautiful girls who attend Aurora. I've been a part of the PTO for two school years now, and this year will be my third. I started by being on the Yearbook committee my first year, and by the second year, I was also the communication director.  I hope we can have an amazing school year with lots of fun things to look forward to! Trying to get back to normal this year will be a little tough but I know we can do it thanks to all the parents, teachers, and staff that help out! Please join us for our monthly meetings and find out more about what we do for our school! Remember that having a child at Aurora automatically makes you part of the PTO. We love to meet new people, hear new ideas, and bonus, you might even win your child's class a mini party!! So don't be shy and come on over the first Tuesday's of every month. 

I just want to take a minute to tell you why I participate in PTO. I first became involved in the PTO when my youngest started kindergarten at the kindergarten center. It was a huge eye opener to all that PTO is/does. I met other parents and got to know the staff at the school. These were a big bonus to a new school age mom. After that first year I decided to stay involved in PTO as I could see how important it was to the school, staff, and kids.
I am the current PTO president and have 4 kids under 8, 2 of which are enrolled at Aurora. Our PTO at Aurora funds so many things, field trips, school supplies, community events, and families in need at Aurora, just to name a few. Also, you get to be the first to know things happening at the school and you have a direct line to staff and Principle Borman as they attend the meetings as well. We need parent involvement to thrive and the more parents that get involved, the less work it is for everyone. If each parent helped out at the school 1 time, we would be turning help away…it’s really not that much work if we all pitch in. And, our kids love seeing us at school and sharing in the school activities with us. There are so many ways to help, you cant attend a meeting, sign up for a committee, volunteer to help at an event, sign up for a board position, etc… we have something that is a good fit for everyone. The more we network and the more we are involved the more successful PTO is.
Come check it out or contact us to see how you can help. We will take all that we can get. We try and keep the meetings to one hour long and we offer child care at our meetings so that way your kids can play while you attend.
I hope you will consider getting involved, even if it just means showing up.
Here’s to a great school year,
Jenn

“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” ~Helen Keller

Your PTO is excited to kick off the 2018-19 school year! We look forward to working together to help our children learn and grow!

Our 2018-19 PTO board members:
President: LaVon Johnson
Vice President: Jenn Landphere
Communications Director: LaVon Johnson
Treasurer: Jill Christopher
Secretary: Trish Sorenson

Did you know that any parent who has a child registered at Aurora is automatically a member of the PTO? There are no fees to join or registration forms to fill out!

One of our biggest missions is recruiting volunteers and encouraging parents to attend a meeting. We’re all busy and sometimes volunteering with a group of people we don’t know or for an event we’re unfamiliar with can be intimidating. We can assure you that you won't be alone and no one minds if you ask questions. We encourage you to grab a friend and come to a meeting or sign up together to volunteer at an event.

Looking forward to working together,
LaVon Johnson

Well, we are in the homestretch! We've almost made it! Another schoolyear in the history books! Can you believe it? It feels like we were just beginning this journey together a few weeks ago! With the close of the school year, new leadership will be on the sidelines waiting. Who are these new leaders, you may ask? Well, one of them could be YOU! 

We have our final PTO meeting on Tuesday and that means elections for next year. It's an exciting time! Maybe you've been considering stepping up into a position. Let me encourage you! 

I have thoroughly enjoyed being the PTO president this year. It is a year I will always look back on with extrememly fond memories! Was it work? Sure, but it was work that I found meaningful and rewarding.  I loved doing things for my kids' school and the teachers! I loved meeting other parents, both at meetings and working on various projects together! I loved getting to know the teachers and staff at Aurora, and let me just say, they truly are an All-Star staff!! We are so fortunate to have such caring professionals teaching our children! (That was lots of love, I know. I know.)

There are many opportunities that will be available and aside from the president position, they will all be open for current and new leaders to take on! Each position, besides the president-elect, is a one year commitment only. The president-elect is a two year commitment, one year as "vice president" and one year as president. Erica Johnson has been the president-elect this year and will be moving into the president position next year.

The other two positions on the board are secretary and treasurer. They've been filled by the same two awesome volunteers for the past two years. Although, we would love to continue having them serve in that capacity, they may want a break and a chance to do other things in PTO. 

There are many committee chair positions available, if the board does not interest you. With any of the committees, you can be the solo chairperson or grab your friend and the two of you can co-chair it together! The various committees are: Book Fair, Teacher Appreciation & National Education Week, Conference Meals, School Supplies, Special Events, Box Tops & Labels, Parent Helpers, Yearbook, Fundraiser (graciously already filled by Tanya Thompson), Spirit Wear, and Flu Shot Clinic. 

I hope as you read those positions, one of them jumped out at you or at least tugged on your heart a little bit. You don't need to have any previous experience or special qualifications. If you care about your child's school, then you are qualified! (You probably do care, or you wouldn't be reading this in the first place! lol) The PTO can do as much or as little as the volunteers choose to do and each year brings new opportunites, new decisions and new volunteers! I hope to see you on Tuesday and I would LOVE to write your name beside one of these positions! 
-Lori

The 2014 school play is coming! Rehearsals start tomorrow, Tuesday, March 25th,  2:45-5:00 and the parent information meeting will be Wenesday, March 26th 7-8pm. Here is a brief synopsis and the cast list. We are so proud of all the children that auditioned!  Please mark your calendars and plan to attend on May 1st!

Based on old European and American folk tales,  Jack, a smart but simple country man, is about to marry a wealthy farmer’s only daughter, Buttons.  When he realizes just how silly Buttons and her parents are, he vows to leave and never return unless he meets three sillies “more silly than you three sillies”!  As he travels about the country, he meets an old woman trying to capture sunlight in boxes to brighten the inside of her windowless house; a family of milkmaids who have trouble counting to six; newlyweds with feuding in-laws; a man who spends hours each day trying to put on his pants; and numerous silly people who make Buttons and her family seem almost intelligent.  This delightfully silly play is popular with audiences of all ages! 


Jack: ..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Jaxon Migler

Jack’s Dog Roofus: ..……………………………………………………………………………………….Maddie McKinnon

Buttons: ..……………………………………………………………………………………………………..Michaela Anderson

Father: ..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Josh Lahlum

Mother: ..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Haley Staab

Old Woman: ..…………………………………………………………………………………………………Megan Thompson

Milkmaid #1: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..Kinsey Swenson

Milkmaid #2: ..……………………………………………………………………………………………………Elaine Bateman

Milkmaid #3: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………Evika Sellam

Milkmaid #4: ..………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Julia Steiner

Milkmaid #5: ..…………………………………………………………………………………………………..Lindsey Erickson

Milkmaid #6: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………Abby Misialek

Milkmaid #7: ..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Paris Zaun

Milkmaid #8: ..………………………………………………………………………………………………………Natalie Kliem

Innkeeper #1: …………………………………………………………………………………………………….Kaitlin Bitzegaio

Innkeeper #2: …………………………………………………………………………………………………Kenzie Richardson

Otto: ..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Alexander Seay

Hans: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Hudson Eckart

Fisherman: ..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Zac Schwab

Bride’s Father: …………………………………………………………………………………………………..Nate Demmons

Bride’s Mother: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………Erin Nowacki

Groom’s Father: …..…………………………………………………………………………………………………Payton Rude

Groom’s Mother: ………………………………………………………………………………………………….Tiffany Dissou

Villager #1: ..………………………………………………………………………………………………………Josie Hilkemann

Villager #2: ..………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Sydney Braun

Villager #3: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Brianna Stark

Villager #4: ..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………Andrea Duah

Villager #5: ..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Tiannah Gu

Villager #6: ..……………………………………………………………………………………………………..Elizabeth Nelson

Villager #7: ..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Allie Carlsrud

Villager #8: …..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Ellie Wendt

Old Man: ..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Devon Johnson

Old Hag: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Kyra Narum

Young Man: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………Hunter Gustafson

Young Woman: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………Hailey Jaeger

Silly Villagers: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..Brooke Johnson

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Emma Benson

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Morgan Nystrom

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….Rylie Gustafson

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Maya Metcalf

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” -Mother Theresa

The small things. It's human nature to think that the big things matter more…Christmas morning, vacations, birthday parties, etc…but the truth is the greatest love can be shown through the small things. I just read an article from www.powerofmoms.com that examined three small things that can make a HUGE impact in a child's life. 

Touch. 

Eye Contact. 

9 Minutes. 

How simple is that?? I'll quickly sum it up for you.

1. Children need a minimum of 8 touches each day to feel connected to a parent. The younger the child, the easier that is. The opposite is also true. The older the child, the more challenging that can become. A touch doesn't necessarily mean snuggle time (although it could, if your child wants to snuggle!). A touch can be a hand on the shoulder, a high five, a pat on the back, playing with their hair, or a simple hug. If a child is going through a challenging time, then that number needs to be increased to at least 12 touches! This will give them  connection to you. 


2. Every day, children need to have eye-to-eye contact with their parent. As parents, we have conversations with our children all day long, but let's take an honest look at those conversations. How many take place while we are looking at our phones? Or computers? Or while we are doing the dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning, or any other multitude of tasks we do throughout our busy days? I can't even tell you how many conversations I've had with my 3 kids in the last 10 minutes while typing this!  Obviously, we can't stop in our tracks every time our children speak. We would never get anything accomplished, but it is important to make sure that at some point in the day…everyday…we give our children our undivided attention and look at them, I mean really look at them, while they talk to us. This will give them self worth.


3. There are 9 minutes in every day that can have the biggest impact on a child. They are broken down into 3 specific times: The 3 minutes when a child first wakes up, the 3 minutes when a child first comes home from school, and the 3 minutes before a child goes to sleep. Ironically, these 9 minutes can be the most difficult minutes sometimes! I know dragging my children out of bed in the morning is not an easy task and getting them back in there at night can be just as painful sometimes! The key is to plan those extra minutes into the morning and nighttime routines so you're not feeling the time crunch pressure. After school, if possible, take 3 minutes to help your child decompress, have a healthy snack ready for them, ask them specific questions about their day, just be open to whatever they feel like talking about. 9 minutes may not seem like much, but those 9 minutes will give them security. 


Connection, self worth, and security will not only help our children feel more loved, it will help fill their buckets! Imagine, if all of the kids started their day with a full bucket, they would never feel the need to dip into someone else's bucket! Those 3 small things may take time to implement on a regular basis, but once you build them into your daily routines, you and your child will both reap the benefits! 
-Lori

Has your child ever come home talking about buckets? If not, then ask them about it! At Aurora, we are bucket fillers (not dippers!)! What does that even mean, you may ask?? Well, let me tell you about it! 

In short, everyone has an invisible bucket that they carry around. 

When you are feeling good and helping others, your bucket is full. If something bad or frustrating happens, some drops drip out of your bucket. With any accumulation of bad things, a bucket becomes pretty empty. You can usually tell if someone has an empty bucket by their actions or facial expressions. Often when people have empty buckets, they try to fill theirs by dipping into someone else's bucket. Trouble is, that never works.

It turns out that the best way to fill your own bucket is to try to fill someone else's. Then, both buckets get drops. Your family can make a list together of ideas for filling other people's buckets. To get you started, you can check out the list that is on the brand new tab ("Buckets") right here on the PTO website! The best part about bucket filling is that anyone can do it, anywhere, anytime! It's just as easy to put into practice at home as it is at school! 

The more I think about bucket filling, the more I realize that we, as parents, can fill our children's buckets, (or sadly, dip in them, if we're not careful!). As we are still in the first month of 2014, let's challenge ourselves to fill as many buckets as we can each day! If we set that example for our kids, then maybe, just maybe, they will be inspired to fill others' buckets as well!

I will leave you with this thought…If you look for a way to dip in someone's bucket, you can always find a way. However, if you look for a way to fill someone's bucket, you'll always be able to find that too! 
-Lori

Well, I have to say that the title of this blog post has changed as many times as the tone and subject matter of what I thought I would blog about! However, I landed on "Randomness" and I think you'll understand why… (haha).

We had our PTO meeting last night and to be honest, I was feeling a little disappointed afterward that we didn't have a bigger attendance (Please know that I am beyond grateful to all those who braved the temps to be with us last night!). I wasn't disappointed that you didn't want to hang out with us or listen to me talk, but that you didn't get to have your voice heard and your vote counted. We did vote on some pretty important things, and those that were there last night had a chance to make a pretty significant change for our 4th graders!

In other big news, we have the climbing wall!!!!! (Well, sort of…) We just don't have it installed yet. We're hoping that will happen in the very near future! The YMCA's grant was approved and all the PTO needs to pay for is the installation, as soon as we have someone to install it! 

The Lost and Found black hole is still swallowing lots of children's clothing/winter gear. Some people like to use re-usable shopping bags for their kids to transport their winter gear. Then your child can keep everything together when they are not wearing it. The very best way to ensure your kids' do not lose their things is to label, label, label!!! If you don't want to write on the tags of your child's clothing, then a little piece of masking tape will do the trick! Just write their name on that, put it on the inside collar of their coat, sweatshirt, mittens, snowpants, boots, or basically anything they can take off at school,  then it can always be removed if you want to sell or give away their clothes when they've outgrown them. (One of the staff members personally volunteered to hand deliver it to your child if they lose it and it's labeled!)

 Don't forget the Box Tops contest is this month! The class with the most will get a party! Box Tops bring in money for our school!!! We just received a check for over $1,200 to be spent on the students/school! Also, we will be having some committee meetings this month and/or next month (both yearbook and Night of the Arts), so if you are a part of those, watch for emails. If you want to be part of those, please contact me! 

Speaking of Night of the Arts, I'm so excited to announce that we have a director for the play!!!! Ryan Soukup (who directed last year's play and did a fabulous job!) wants to direct this year's as well!!! This will be such a special night for our 3rd and 4th graders and their families. We will be nailing down a  specific date very soon, but right now we know it will be in April and there will be an art gallery, special music activities, food, and the play. Ryan will be coming to our February PTO meeting (2/4/14, 7 pm in the library). He'll be bringing his ideas, budget proposal, and answers to any questions you may have for him! You will want to come (trust me on this!), so mark your calendar now!

We are only one "like" away on Facebook until the prize is given! You know what, let's go crazy and give 2 prizes! One will go to a random parent and one to a random staff member! 

Ok, I think I'm offically done with my randomness now, but I really, really, REALLY would love to see lots more of you wonderful parents at our next meeting  (2/4/14, 7 pm in the library). We will have some important topics to discuss because there's so much coming up in the Spring!! I'm already excited just thinking about it!!
-Lori

Hats, gloves, snow pants, scarves, mittens, earmuffs, boots, sweatshirts, sweaters…you name it and we've got it, in the Lost and Found, that is. Well, parents, it's that time of the year (and will be for what will feel like the rest of the school year!). You know the time of year, you send your kids to school all bundled and your kids come home to you missing some items. 

It's only December and the Lost and Found is overflowing with winter gear. We have a table full of snow pants, 3 bins full of hats, gloves, and scarves, and a hallway lined with sweatshirts and sweaters. We would love to reunite your child with their belongings, but unfortunately nothing is labeled, so we don't know who it belongs to! 

If possible, this weekend (or over winter break), please write your child's name on the tags of all of their winter gear. In fact, if there is a possibility they can remove that item of clothing at school, it should probably be labeled (sweatshirts, sweaters, etc…). We want your child to stay toasty warm all winter and that's not possible if part of their winter gear is sitting on a table instead of on them! Mrs. Hanson (who does a fabulous job of organizing the Lost and Found), said she is willing to deliver found items to their owners if they are labeled! 

Well, I know it would appear as I've been living in Slackerville lately based on my lack of blog posts. I just vacationed there, I didn't actually move…lol. Truthfully, it's been kinda the opposite at the Bateman house. We are definitely in the busy season now. Two of my kids had birthdays in November, then Thanksgiving, and now Christmas is almost upon us! Sometimes I find myself getting caught up in the hustle and bustle that this time of the year seems to bring.  Then I make myself stop.

I'm actually glad that the weather slows me down sometimes, because something needs to! I decided that I would allow this snow to keep me inside today. I am going to do something that I've been thinking about doing for awhile, gather up winter gear that my kids have outgrown (and yes, I do mean gather, because it is scattered in every closet, in every room).

While we are fortunate enough to keep ourselves warm during winter, I never want to live in a bubble (or allow my kids to) and think everyone can. There are people all over the world that need help and while we always try to participate in making a global impact whenever we can, there are ways right here in our community that we can give back too…and that's why I am gathering winter gear. This first little winter storm is a good reminder to donate that. 

While there are many local options to donate winter gear, why not go with the most local and give to Aurora? There are students right here in our community that could benefit from those donations and as the winter progresses, students forget things at home or they get lost. If your child has winter gear that they have outgrown, will you join me and give back to the students in our community and donate those to the school? The biggest needs are winter boots and warm, waterproof winter gloves. 

I missed having our December PTO meeting (I didn't get to use my new decorations I bought…bummer!), but that will just give us more things to talk about in January! I would like to say that I will blog again before then, but I can't make any promises…haha…after all, this is the busy season! I hope everyone has a very Happy Christmas…or Hanukkah, or Kwanza, or whatever it may be that your family celebrates, but in the midst of celebration, don't forget to take time to give to others, whether it be gifts, winter gear, your time, or just a friendly smile! 
-Lori

Well, it's been a week since we had our Family Science Night for the 1st and 2nd graders and their families (We won't even discuss how long it's been since my last blog post! Yikes! Ha!) It was such a HUGE success!! I thought I'd do a little recap of some of the awesomeness from that night! 

First and foremost, a big shout out to Susan Duffy (the committee chairperson and science guru), Wendy Halverson, Brandy Peterson, and Erica Johnson for all of the behind the scenes planning! None of it would have been possible if it weren't for them! We also appreciate all the help from parents  organizing the stations after the PTO meeting, that made the set up so much easier!   

Mrs. Boyer, along with Brandy's babysitter, did a nice job overseeing the Nature Station in the library. We had some tents, a campfire (thank you, Mrs. Chaney!), and leaf and animal print rubs in there. It was a nice, tranquil escape from all the excitement in the gym! (Thank you to all who contributed to the decor...and of course I got to use my fall leaves one more time! haha!)

Mrs. Hamm (another science enthusiast) and her sidekick oversaw the Color Chromatography Station. Children discovered that the color black is not really black, but a multitude of many colors! (Way cool!)

Mrs. Chaney, along with some of West Fargo High's finest science students, helped children determine the PH level of 7 different liquids. (There was even some graphing being done...nice job incorporating some math in there too!)

Susan Duffy, Anne Keller, and more of those enthusiastic high schoolers led the most popular (and probably the messiest...lol) station....DINOSAURS! I mean, what 1st and 2nd grader doesn't LOVE dinosaurs!!! There was a fossil dig and so many cool things to see and do, I can't even remember them all! I think my son spent the majority of the night at that station! 

Mrs. Buerkley (the former Miss Linn) helped out at the Pumpkin Station. Students used many forms of measurement to record the sizes of various pumpkins. 

Mrs. Storman and Mrs. Christensen had one of the more challenging stations, the Sink or Float Station. The children made boats out of aluminum foil and then, after placing their boats in the water, they began adding pennies to see how many pennies it would take to sink their boat. Once that was determined, they recorded  the results on a chart and could view how many pennies it had taken other children as well.

Mrs. Hanson helped children use senses other than sight to make discoveries at the Senses Station. The children used their hands to feel what was in the socks (that were in the cups). They made their predictions and then checked to see if they were correct. 

Wow, October has been crazy busy!! We've had the ending of the fundraiser, conference meals, and the Book Fair...all within a couple of weeks! I just wanted to give "a little shout out" to the committees and their chairpersons on a job well done!

I'll start with the fundraiser. Tanya Thompson really did an awesome job organizing and communicating to parents and teachers about deadlines (and ducks!). We'll give exact numbers at the November PTO meeting, but I will just say that we have less students this year and we made more money than ever! Thank you to all of the parents and their kids that got out there and sold! We are really excited to buy the climbing wall and we know the students are even more pumped than we are! Don't forget that this Wednesday (10/23) is the day for product pick up from 2-6pm at the school. We do need some more volunteers to help with that. Please consider signing up for a shift on our Doodle Poll! (See below.)

Next, I want to pat Erica Johnson on the back. She did a fabulous job organizing and setting up the conference meals. (I still think the fall leaves gave it that extra touch! lol) I don't have the names of everyone that contributed, but I do want to say a HUGE thanks to all that made soups and bars for our teachers! I heard more than one person say that they thought it was the best conference meals ever! Way to go!!!

Last, but certainly not least, are the Book fair chairs and their committee. They really knocked it out of the park! Kriste Briest and Laura Hjelseth went all out as the committee co-chairs. They decorated the library and wore costumes and transformed our Book Fair into the Reading Oasis! Their passion for reading was contagious because we had record breaking sales, with over $4,200 on the first day! We get a percentage of those sales in scholastic dollars, which we then use to stock our school library and individual classroom libraries! We had lots of volunteers that ran the registers and restocked shelves and we couldn't have done it with out you!!! Once again, thank you, parents, for not only supporting our Book Fair, but for supporting and encouraging your children's love for reading! 

This shout out wouldn't be complete if I didn't include the Family Science Night planning committee! Even though the Family Science Night isn't until November (Nov. 7th 5:30-7:30), they have been hard at work this month with all of the behind the scenes stuff that will make this night ROCK! Susan Duffy, along with her incredible team, are planning a really exciting evening for 1st and 2nd graders and their families. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend this free event!


Thank you guys for truly being an All Star PTO!!! I am honored to serve along side each of you!
-Lori

Imagine, if you will, a dry desert, with lots of empty bookcases. You're searching, seeking, just looking everywhere for a new book to read. Feeling hopeless, feeling desperate. Then... up ahead...in the distance... you see it...those beautiful, shiny, sliver cases. They're open and, even from afar, you can see the rows and columns of brand new books! There are picture books for the pre-reader, easy to read books for the beginning reader, chapter books for the intermediate reader, more challenging chapter books for the advanced reader, reference books, cookbooks, books about science, or celebrities, or sports, books for all ages, even for Mom and Dad! 

Ahhhhhh...Now, that's refreshing. Welcome to the oasis, the Reading Oasis. Are you ready?

Reading for pleasure is so important for children! It opens the door to an exciting world of adventure, where kids can become anybody and go anywhere! It's a proven fact that students that read for fun tend to be stronger in all subjects in school! They have a bigger vocabulary, they are better spellers, they can focus longer, and they have more vivid imaginations! 

It is recommended for students to read 20 minutes per day. A great way to get that in is to make it a family affair! Everybody in the house can grab a book, set the timer, and get lost in the pages for 20 minutes. You'd be surprised how quickly that time will pass and chances are, everybody will want to read just a "few more pages" after the buzzer sounds! 

 So back to my earlier question...Are you ready for the Reading Oasis? Well, there will be 3 opportunities, this week, to visit the Reading Oasis Book Fair! You can come by on Monday (10/14) or Tuesday (10/15) during Parent/Teacher Conferences. We will be running it from 4:oo-7:30pm. (You may even see Cleopatra there!) If you want to browse on a less crowded day, then Thursday (10/17), during the Flu Shot Clinic, might be more ideal for you! We will be open from 3-6pm that day. We also have an online Book Fair that will be open all next week (you can click below to go to the online store).

Sometimes, all it takes is one new book that ignites a lifelong passion for reading! That one new book just might be sitting on a shelf, in one of those beautiful, shiny, silver cases in the Reading Oasis Book Fair. Hope to see you there!
-Lori

It's almost here! I can hardly wait! Truly, it really is one of my favorite times of the year! Am I talking about Halloween? (No) Am I talking about the weekend? (No) Am I talking about my last couple of  weeks to eat candy corn until next year? (No) What then, you may ask, could I possibly be referring to? Well, if my clip-art hasn't given it away yet, then I will tell you...It's the 1st set of Parent/Teacher conferences!

I like to think of it as my first glimpse into how my children are doing in the school year. True, I check Parent Portal almost daily, but those 15 minutes of one-on-one time with my kids' teachers are so very valuable to me! I always get new insights into my own children during that time! Not only do I find out which subjects they are excelling in or needing a little extra practice in, I find out about their school personality.

I think most of us know what I mean. There's the home personality and the school personality. Sometimes, as parents, we only get to know certain sides of our children. Sure, we get to see our sons and daughters doing many different things, besides being our sons and daughters, but we never get to see them being a student. Most of the time, we never really know what our children are like when they are not with us. During those precious 15 minutes, we get to hear from the one adult that spends almost as much time with them as we do. 

I will admit, it's not always easy hearing my child isn't perfect in every way (lol), but I always appreciate honesty and I know that my child's teacher only wants to push my child to be the best that they can be (which, oddly enough, is my exact goal, too!).

So, as conferences begin next Monday and Tuesday, I encourage you to really make the most of those 15 minutes with your child's teacher. Think about any questions you have about your child's academic progress and social interactions. Discuss any concerns you have about those things, as well. Most importantly, remember that you and your child's teacher are on the same side...the side that wants your child to succeed this school year, and in life! 
-Lori