On August 30th and 31st, LTHS hosted its annual Curriculum Night at Central and East campuses, respectively. Curriculum Night was not exclusive to just parents; students also attended and acted as a guide to their parent or guardian as they followed their bell schedule to go from one classroom to another.

Parents were highly encouraged to attend this night so parents could meet their child’s teachers and familiarize themselves with the school environment and class curriculum.

Mrs. Quintanar, a Spanish teacher who teaches at both campuses, shares some of her thoughts regarding this night: “Students and their parents or guardians are given a clear message of the expectations each teacher has and the supports that are available.”

According to Mrs. Quintanar, some of the tools that the attendants are introduced to are “the programs that the teachers use such as PowerSchool Learning (PSL) and Infinite Campus.”

If parents can’t attend for whatever reason, they can always contact their child’s teachers with questions or concerns. Mr. Bedore and Mr. West, both English teachers at East campus, shared their perspectives on Curriculum Night. Mr. Bedore points out that in AP classes one or two more parents or guardians will show up, but not an amount significantly higher than in regular classes.

Overall, Mr. Bedore says the attendance of parents who do not typically participate in their child’s academic career would be a great improvement to Curriculum Night, as the parents who are usually absent are the parents that teachers want to see the most.

For parents who cannot make it, Mr. West suggests that a video could be recorded by each teacher and posted on their respective PSL pages for parents to review as an opportunity to learn what was missed in their absence.

While watching a recorded video would give a person an overview of the class, Mr. Bedore and Mr. West state that parents or guardians missing out on Curriculum Night, may also miss out on the fantastic aspect of being able to develop an impression of their child’s teachers in person, which can make communication easier later on between the parent and the teacher.

Regardless if the student is starting his or her freshman or senior year, Curriculum Night is a wonderful opportunity for parents or guardians to be able to develop an initial impression with teachers and for teachers to inform parents the classroom expectations and extensive educational resources LTHS provides for its students.