Last week, the parents of Kramer Middle School braved traffic and 90 degree temperatures to attend the school’s Back-to-School night.

A welcoming party of City Year AmeriCorps members directed parents through the doors their children enter daily, where they were greeted by an array of community partners, ranging from Communities in Schools of the Nation’s Capital to the Girl Scouts. After accepting a free muffin and perusing the countless brochures on display, they proceeded into the auditorium for a faculty presentation to kick off the night.

What exactly is Back-to-School night? It is an event put on by schools, usually within the first few weeks of the school year. At a Back-to-School night you can meet with your child’s teachers, speak with the principal and other school faculty, and tour the school and the classrooms. It is an opportunity to see where your children spend their days and to better understand what the school has to offer.

Why should you attend your child’s Back-to-School night? There are a number of reasons:

• It is a chance for you to become a central figure in your child’s education. It allows you to demonstrate to your child that you are invested in their education and you are willing to spend time and effort engaging with their school.
• It is a chance to form a relationship with your child’s teacher and the CIS site coordinator. These professionals are the primary advocates for your child within the school, and a strong relationship with them will help you navigate educational and social challenges that may arise during the school year.
• You can better understand the resources available to your student. Having trouble affording all of your school supplies? The school might have resources available to address this to make sure your child has what they need to succeed.
• Community partners are present to advise you on other services available to you and your children.

Here are a few tips for making the most out of Back-to-School night:

• Introduce Yourself: Make sure your child’s teacher and the site coordinator know who you are and how to best contact you if needed. If the teacher knows you are involved in your child’s education, they will be more comfortable reaching out to you with concerns.
• Ask Questions: If you have a question, ask it! Teachers like seeing parental involvement, and knowing what is expected of you and your child (and what is expected from teachers and faculty) can make sure your child gets the most out of the school year.
• Identify Opportunities: Your engagement with the school doesn’t end after Back-to-School night! Schools usually have a number of ways for parents to remain involved, ranging from community events to Parent-Teacher Associations. Ask faculty for ways to stay up to date on opportunities and how to get further involved with the school.

Back at Kramer, the remainder of the night was structured to imitate an average school day, with parents switching classrooms in between meetings with teachers. The event ended on an inspiring note, with parents, students, and staff writing out their dreams for Kramer and themselves in the upcoming school year.

To achieve these dreams, faculty hope that parental engagement will remain high, because they cannot do it alone. As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.”