Ready for the spring date
On March 22 and 23, parents of students across all primary school grades at SUIS Qingpu participated in Parent Teacher Conferences. It was a very special occasion, where parents began the afternoon by enjoying a sophisticated tea gathering where they greeted each other and shared ideas for and achievements on raising children. Soon after the tea, Grade 1 parents attended a presentation given by Assistant Principal Ms Helen Liu on the topic of “Wisdom and Growing Together”. Ms Helen emphasized that it is of utmost importance for school and family to work together. Ms Helen encouraged our parents and teachers to join hands to facilitate children’s educational progress. In addition to the inspiring lecture, homeroom teachers, expat teachers and bilingual teachers were also able to present their courses creatively.
Parents from Grades 2, 3 and 4 enjoyed their parent-teacher conferences in the classrooms. They sat on the same seats as their children and listened to the homeroom teacher and subject teachers sharing expectations and achievements. Through pictures and presentations, parents gained an understanding of the expectations and routines of the school.
Enpower literacy and embrace versatility
Starting with Global Perspectives and English Language Arts, our foreign teachers explained the expectations and guidelines for improving students’ comprehension of English. Critical and creative thinking are important attributes to possess when discussing global issues and concerns – helping the students become sensitive to differing global perspectives will help them become tolerant and respectful citizens.
Music teachers have set the goal of exposing our students to the beauty and spirit of music by introducing them to different kinds of instruments.
Teachers of art inspire our students to become skyline collectors, using dots, lines and surfaces to create the most wonderful skylines imaginable. Meanwhile, students also learn about spatial relationships through the making of simple origami. By doing and practicing in the above activities, students will gradually discover how artists show their art and how they can better present their own creations.
Becoming better and smarter with teaching methods
Chinese teachers first walked through Chinese learning materials with the parents. By doing this, parents obtained a systematic understanding of how learning is occurring and consolidated in the school. Teachers also communicated about the importance of daily routines, e.g. reading aloud, writing neatly and improving reading comprehension. Teachers called for the joint effort of parents and teachers in boosting students’ Chinese language learning during their golden age.
Teachers of mathematics have created a strong link between the school and parents according to issues raised by some parents. During the meeting, teachers shared the mathematical thinking behind the exercises in students’ textbooks. All math teachers look forward to fostering students’ mathematical interests and facilitating the forming of good habits.
Longman teachers welcomed parents to a Q&A session during the parent-teacher conference time. Through the Q&A, parents gained an understanding of the reasons behind students’ performance and obtained some good ideas to further support the English learning of their children. Teachers and parents embraced their partnership for developing students’ English ability through consistent reading and immersive learning, through which students will experience more enjoyment both in their learning and in cultural differences.
Innovation facilitates better communication
During the conference teachers provided many examples for helping to build understanding in students. When the guidance was provided, parents absorbed it immediately. Some teachers designed experiential activities to allow discussions on the hottest educational issues, and parents expressed their own opinions freely. Some teachers even fancifully created an activity where the parents became students writing in journals and replying to themselves. With these varied activities, parents gained a deeper understanding of students’ learning. We believe that the communication between teachers and parents will be more effective and smoother as a result of this conference.
Teachers worked hard on the preparations for this conference as did the parents. Parents gave their best performances and support, listened to the presentations attentively, and made notes carefully. They nodded on the points that they agreed with and smiled when a puzzle was solved. This was all valuable feedback for our work, and the many benefits gained through this conference are the reasons why this event is held every semester.
Every pearl comes from a grain of sand. Every child is a pearl that requires us to protect and guard them carefully and kindly. This beautiful spring season has seen our teachers and parents successfully enhance the communication, understanding and cooperation between school and parents. Immediately after the conference, we could not help but notice that some parents had shared about the harvest in their WeChat Moments. Thanks to this interactive event, our children will surely grow stronger with our better support!