By Avery Harrison

A few weeks ago, while Winsor students enjoyed a two day break from their busy school days as well as an extended weekend, Winsor teachers’ days were fully occupied with Parent-Teacher Conferences. A Winsor student, Ariana Rowe ’24, when speaking of the conferences mentioned that, “Having a two-day break from our regular class schedule is a great time to get ahead on work and enjoy the final weeks of fall weather.”

Parent-Teacher Conferences at Winsor serve as an opportunity for parents to get to know their child’s teachers, and also for teachers to learn a little more about their students from the people that know them best: their parents or guardians. Teachers offer insight into the curriculum covered in the course and also a general overview of what to expect to be covered throughout the year. Conferences are a great chance for teachers to develop an authentic relationship with their students’ parents. 

Parents have the ability to schedule their conferences in person at Winsor or online over Zoom. The option for online conferences offers flexibility for parents who may be inconvenienced by driving into Winsor and would otherwise have had to miss their conferences. Additionally, the in-person option for conferences is a great opportunity for parents to see their child’s classrooms. Furthermore, for many parents whose child is new to Winsor, conferences serve as an opportunity to see the school and meet lots of teachers and parents. 

A few years ago, Winsor held Parent-Teacher Conferences in the fall, and Student-led conferences with the student’s advisor and parent in the spring. However, back in the 2019–20 school year, Winsor switched to solely Student-led Conferences that took place at the end of each semester, and in doing so, got rid of Parent-Teacher Conferences. Last fall was the first time that Parent-Teacher Conferences returned to Winsor since 2019, with Student-led Conferences still taking place at the end of the first semester. Audrey Copeman ’24 says that “Parent-Teacher conferences are a nice check-in to get feedback before we receive our mid-semester comments.”