This is my 16th year at CAJ. During that time we have had a variety of schedules for Back to School Day/Night(BTSD) for our K-12 school. I remember a few years when Back to School Night was one Monday in September for the parents with students in secondary and then the following week for parents in elementary. If you had children in elementary and secondary that meant 2 weeks in a row you were at school from 7 – 9 p.m. If you taught in one division and had children in another division you were also there 2 weeks in a row and the next day was a full day with the students. It made for two very long weeks at the beginning of the year. Then it was decided to move BTSD to a national holiday so that most parents had off and could come during the day. I believe we tried various time schedules, sometimes giving the same presentation several times so parents could visit several classrooms to hear the teacher speak at warp speed. Finally we have arrived at a schedule that seems complicated, but allows parents to visit the various divisions without trying to split themselves in 2 or 3 and giving teachers about 45 minutes to share. The time is actually a bit shorter until the students leave, parents look around and settle down and the teacher begins, but it is much better than it use to be. We also just have the classroom teachers share and not all the “specialist” teachers; PE, art, music, library, Japanese, EAL.
Next Monday, September 16th is Back to School Day at CAJ. Here is the schedule for the day:
Elementary School:
- Students begin school at 8:30 a.m. and dismissed at 2:00 p.m. Students must leave campus at 2:00 p.m. unless they are in child care because their parents are at the high school meetings. See * below about child care.
- Back to School Day program for parents will begin at 12:30 p.m. and end by 2:00 p.m.
- 12:30-1:10- Parent/Student activity in the classroom
- 1:15-2:00- Teacher presentation to parents (K-5 students in the auditorium)
Middle School:
- School begins for students at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.
- Back to School Day program for parents:
- 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Parents in your child’s homeroom.
- 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Parents will have the opportunity to meet your child’s teachers
- 10:30 a.m.-12:12 p.m. (3rd and 4th period) Parents can observe their child’s classes in action! Please remember that the teachers are still conducting a class while you are visiting.
High School:
- Students begin school at 8:30 a.m. and dismissed after 4th period (12:12 p.m.)
- Back to School Day program for parents will begin at 2:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.
*Child care is provided from 8:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m by the PTA. Please pick up your child at lunch time as no lunch will be provided. Email Jean Hino jhino@caj.or.jp with the names and ages of any children that will be in the child care. There will be signs directing you where to take your child/children. If you have a child in elementary school and a child in high school please have your elementary school child either go to the gym after 2:00 pm or leave campus. There will not be supervision on the playground in the afternoon.
I know all of the teachers are looking forward to meeting the parents and sharing with them expectations for the coming year.
Thursday, September 11 will be the first Elementary Parent Cafe`. It will be held in Matsukawa Place from 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. I will be sharing about Daily Five and CAFE, the language arts structure that is used in elementary. We will model and practice ways you can support your child at home as they do their nightly reading, using some of the same strategies and vocabulary as the classroom. This is open for any parents with children in grades K-5.