Niles West will host the annual Open House event Thursday, Sept. 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Parents will be able to experience their child’s schedule, meet with their teachers, and learn about their curriculum for the year.
Open House gives parents insight into their child’s daily life, and they get the chance to converse with teachers in person, something that both parties find very beneficial.
“Open House brings the parents into the school and gives them an idea of what their student’s day at school is like,” English teacher Michelle Hettinger said. “As a teacher, I appreciate having a face-to-face with the parents and sharing general information about the class. Since teenagers don’t always share a lot of information with their parents, Open House provides conversation starters for the parents.”
The annual event also forges the way for relationships between parents and teachers.
“In order for schools to work,” Hettinger said, “it’s important to have a partnership between parents and teachers, and Open House is a formal way through which to open that initial door. Sure, parents can check Infinite Campus and read Course Procedures, but Open House adds a more personalized touch — and puts faces to the names.”
Some students have parents who are planning on attending Open House because they believe it is important to get a sense of what their child is doing at school from day to day.
“My parents are going to Open House because they want to gain valuable information about Niles West,” freshman Hannah Paul said. “I’m hoping to have them walk my schedule, so they know what I go through on a daily basis.”
Other students are not quite as excited about Open House; students with several older siblings often have parents who don’t feel the need to walk through the procedure again.
“My parents aren’t going to Open House because I have three older sisters who all went to Niles West, so they don’t really feel the need to go and learn about it all over again,” junior Jacque Karp said. “Also, when I was younger, they would always go to my middle school’s open house to meet my teachers, but now that I’m older they don’t think it’s as necessary. They just don’t see the point of going when they’ve already been countless times.”
A lot of teachers believe Open House is a great time for parents to learn about the expectations for their child’s classes are.
“Parents are extremely important to helping ensure academic success for students at Niles West High School, and having the opportunity to talk with them is an honor,” science teacher John Metzler said. “Open House is also an excellent opportunity for parents to get into the classrooms that their children go into every day, and to learn about expectations that are put into place by each class.”
