Parent teacher conferences

"Childhood should be a journey, not a race" Here is some information about Fall conferences I thought you might find helpful. Hopefully after reading this you will know what to expect from your child's first Kindergarten conference. Please make every effort to be prompt. I will try my best to stay on schedule. I may be using a timer when you enter at your scheduled conference time. I am sorry if this seems rude or rigid, but the intent is to keep me focused on the conference and the time limit. It further allows me to stay on schedule, which I feel is a courtesy to you. There are many wonderful stories to share with you about Kindergartner but the time limits don't allow me to share them all at this time.
Question: "What will the teacher share during conferences?"
Answer: I will share samples of your child's work. I will also share with you the one on one testing that we do with your child at the end of each quarter. We will look at your child's Progress Report. I will make recommendations for how to help your child continue to grow and progress.
Question: "What kind of grades does a Kindergartner receive?
Answer: The report card that your child receives at the end of each quarter of school reflects skills your child is working on during that nine week period. Expectations change from one quarter to the next as your child's skill level increases and work becomes increasingly more challenging as new materials are introduced. Example: during 1st quarter your child may receive a satisfactory grade because they are able to write all the letters in their name. By 4th quarter, your child will be expected to write their name correctly with the first letter capitalized and the remaining letters in lower case to receive a satisfactory grade.
Kindergarten grades should be viewed as tracking your child's progress during the school year. Grades earned by students let you, the parent or caregiver, know if the child needs help in a given area or is on target and progressing as they should. "Grades" should not be translated into A,B,C, grades. Grades will read:
M meets expectations(a child's skills meet grade level expectations during this quarter.)
P progressing (a child shows signs of progressing towards a skill and working towards mastery)
C area of concern (a child has not shown significant progress in learning a skill and can benefit from extra support)
Conferences are an exciting time and you need not be anxious. I will try my best to share helpful information with you about your child's progress. Together, we can plot strategies for how best to help your child continue to grow and learn. Children come to Kindergarten with a variety of skill levels and progress at their own pace. I look forward to helping your child along their journey!"