How To Make Connections At Back to School Night

As a parent of a child with an IEP or a 504 plan, you might wonder if attending back-to-school night is necessary. You might feel like your child’s teacher already knows you because you’ve attended many 504 plan or IEP meetings. As a former special education teacher, a former district administrator, and now a parent of a child with a disability, I am here to tell you that attending back-to-school night is important. In fact, back-to-school night is a way to make meaningful connections.

Learn about the rules, policies, and schedules

Back-to-school night serves as both the school’s and classroom teacher’s chance to let you know about key rules and policies to follow for a productive school year.  Even if you’ve had children attend the school in previous years, each new back-to-school night may offer insight into school and class updates. If Back-to-school night is held before the first day of school, it might also offer you the chance to learn who your child’s teacher will be and/or allow you to pick up your child’s school schedule if they have multiple teachers. 

Meet & greet your child’s teachers 

Consider the times you’ve hosted a party and how happy you were to see guests attend. Back-to-school night is essentially the school’s party to welcome families. Teachers, including special education teachers, look forward to seeing their students outside of classroom instructional time and during back-to-school night. Attending back-to-school night is a prime time for you and your child to meet your child’s new teacher(s) and to help build a positive relationship.

Learn how to get involved In Your Child’s School

Another reason to attend back-to-school night is that this is usually the night that the school highlights its programs and activities. It becomes a good opportunity for you to learn about potential activities available for your child. This can also be an opportunity to learn how you are able to get involved in volunteer programs for your child’s school. 

Connect with your community 

Back-to-school night also creates opportunities for you to connect with other parents on campus, including parents with special needs. Connecting with other parents might help you learn of additional supports and resources available to your child that you didn’t know about previously.  Think of it like building your tribe and strengthening your community.  

Is Back-To-School Night necessary after elementary School? 

For this question, I’ll present you with the idea of the family dinner and its benefits.  Having frequent dinners together as a family helps to bring your family closer together as you share in recipes and meals. It also helps keep lines of communication open and helps your children know that you are there to support them. Put simply, it fosters connections.  It’s a great bonding time that deepens your family connections.  The benefits of family dinners have a lasting effect during childhood and well into adulthood, if not always.

Now, applying the family dinner scenario to back-to-school night, you have the chance to connect with your child’s school and classroom teacher, as well as show your child that their schooling is important to you. And demonstrating that doesn’t end at elementary school.  It’s just as necessary in middle school and high school. How you participate as a parent at elementary, middle school, and high school will be at varying degrees as you help build your child’s independence and self-advocacy. 

Tips for attending back-to-school night

Arrive early. This can sometimes be the slower part of the back-to-school night and might allow you a few moments of more individualized time to chat with school staff and teachers.

Ask questions and take notes. Carefully observe and consider what the school offers and how it can support you and your child for success. Be sure to listen to the discussions provided by the school staff to help you become more aware of ways to help your child. Lastly, if you feel something is of concern, make a plan to schedule a meeting to discuss your concerns in private with the appropriate staff and/or during a parent-requested IEP or 504 plan meeting.