Waiting for first quarter grades can be a dread, because disappointed parents are never on the top of anyone’s Christmas list.

Thank goodness at the end of the quarter every student’s parents have a chance to meet with their child’s teachers to discuss upcoming challenges, preexisting problems or just stop in to say “hi.”

Theology teacher Mr. Ed Freije ’99, English teacher Mrs. Elizabeth Browning and science teacher Mrs. Dawn Gilmore provided their insight on the conferences, which will take place Oct. 18.

“Parents usually come in to say ‘hi’ and be visible and to see what they could be doing for their kids,” Freije said. These parent teacher conferences take place in the Welch Activity Center and in the cafeteria, and both of these spaces are usually packed with loud lines of parents waiting to converse with the adults that are working to shape their children. The meetings are usually started with introductions and then the discussion is rapidly refocused onto struggles, grades or what the student should be expecting come next quarter.

With a lenient time constraint of about five minutes, Browning said that “most parents are trying to see all their teachers, so they only talk for a couple minutes, and if it goes on too long I suggest that we meet another time.”

Gilmore also said, “If parents can’t make the conferences and they really want to talk, they can come any other time.”

These short conversations not only benefit the parents but they also benefit the teacher. Browning said the part that she values the most is getting to tell parents how great their kids are.

Gilmore said, “Sometimes parents will share stories about the kids that makes me understand them a little bit better.”

Parents should come in ready to talk about their kids, because the teachers sure are ready to help.