Parents as Partners in Learning

K-7 Reporting in School District No. 42

What Can You Expect?

Teachers are required to communicate with you on student progress 5 times during the school year.

One student inclusive conference at the end of Nov or the beginning of Dec. This will be based on a collection of student work. Teachers and students will comment on individual learning in a conference format rather than a formal written report. At the conference, a future learning goal will be determined by the student, parent and teacher. Notes of each conference will be kept on a conferencing summary template and will be kept in the student’s file. Parents will receive a copy of the report from the conference.
A second student inclusive conference will be completed around Spring Break. This process will be identical to that in the first term.
A summative written report will be given at the end of the school year that details learning in the third term and summarizes learning through the year. This report will be made available through the parent portal or a paper copy will be sent home with your child.
Two informal communications will also be done throughout the year. These can take many different forms (e.g. sending work samples home for you to review, phone calls, informal or formal meetings, shorter progress checklists throughout the year).

What to Expect at a K-7 Conference

What will the conference look like?

How conferences are organized will vary between classrooms and schools across the district however the following commonalities provide a focus for the conference. The conference is student-inclusive which means that the student, the parent(s) and the teacher will all participate in the dialogue. There will be time dedicated to discuss the children’s work – samples, photos, portfolios and so forth, and to talk about areas of strength and areas of growth. The focus is on the core competencies and all curricular areas taught that term. During the conference, parent(s), child and teacher will develop a goal for future learning and will identify how to support that goal.

Student Inclusive Conferences / Discussion Prompts for Parents

Parent/Guardians, this is an opportunity for you to ask your child questions about their year so far. Below are some discussion prompts you may have questions about; some of these may have already been covered within the conference.

What do you enjoy most about their class?
What accomplishments are you most proud?
What do you think is/are the most important thing(s) you have learned this year?
Are you able to stay up to date throughout the term? Why or why not?
Do you produce your best work with a group or independently? Why do you think this works for you?
What do you feel you need to improve on at school?
If you could change something about your school/classes to make them better, what would you do?
What contributions do you think you have made to the school?
How have your teachers helped you learn?
What school activities have you enjoyed most this year?

Questions and Answers for Parents:

For more information please click on the BC Ministry of Education links below:

K-12 Student Reporting Policy Information for Families

Communicating Student Learning (Information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package)

French-communicating-student-learning-information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package

Chinese-traditional-communicating-student-learning-information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package

Chinese-simplified-communicating-student-learning-information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package

Farsi-communicating-student-learning-information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package

Punjabi-gurmukhi-communicating-student-learning-information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package

Tgalog-communicating-student-learning-information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package

Urdu-communicating-student-learning-information-for-parents-and-caregivers-package

How will I know whether or not my child is learning and developing at an age or grade appropriate level?
Evaluation of student learning is based on the learning standards set out in the B.C. curriculum. Learning standards are explicit statements of what students are expected to be able to do (Curricular Competencies) and define what students should know (Content) in each area of learning at a particular grade level. In British Columbia, learning standards outline what schools are required to teach and what students are expected to learn. Based on learning standards, teachers, and when possible students, set strengths-based, observable, and developmentally appropriate criteria with which to evaluate students learning. These criteria form the basis for evaluating and communicating student learning.

Why do I need to attend the conference if my child is doing well in school?
Research indicates that one of the reasons your child will continue to do well is the interest you take in their learning. The dialogue that you enter into with the student and the teacher at this conference and the relationships that are built through this process.

Will I see all of my child’s teachers?
You will see your child’s teacher. You may not see all of your child’s teachers at the same conference, but you can email, make an appointment, etc., with any teacher at any time.

I cannot attend on that day. What do I do?
Contact the teacher and discuss an alternate time or date.

How long will it take for me to prepare for student-led conferences?
Your child and the teacher will do much of the preparation in class time as part of their learning/teaching experience. You may want to look over work/ assignments that have been brought home over the term, as you would anyway.

Parent Information