While not technically an open house, we have our ice cream social the day or two before school starts. The students can drop off their supplies in their classroom and spend just a few minutes meeting their teacher. It is during the 'teacher work day' which ends at 3pm - so the school opens at 2:15 and the ice cream is served from 2:30 to 4:00. The teachers closed their doors at 3. We bought cups of 60 cent per serving size from Dairy Queen who also included 3 cans of syrup. We bought M&M's, nuts and whipped cream and served approximately 400 people. It is separate from the 'Meet the teacher' night for parents only a week or so later.
Our open house is pretty low key. It starts with all the parents in the auditoruium, and the Principal gives a litle pep talk and introduces all the Teachers, aides, Librarian, etc.,then PTA president introduces her board. What everyone comes for though is to hear from their childs teachers. All the teachers go to their classrooms and get ready for the parents. Parents go to their first childs classroom and teacher gives a 20 minute talk about objectives for the year, etc. Then if parents have another child, they go to that child's classroom. All rooms are open and you can see art, library, spanish,and computer rooms. Meanwhile, in the lobby we have 1) Market Day food samples, 2)school district wrestling recruiter 3) Cub scout recruiter 4) Odyssey of the Mind information person 5) PTA sign up table. This is a parents evening and takes about just over an hour. It's very well attended. We always hear complaints about children not being invited but it is so much easier this way. The teachers can speak frankly and parents can move quickly from one room to the next. Kids leave a note for their parents on their desk and parents leave one in reply.
Our FRC/YSC has a "Back to School Bash" for the whole district. Next year it will be a total of 5 schools. They get loads of donations to give out as door prizes. Several different businesses and organizations set up booths to give out goodies and share info. The schools are there for registration for new and transfering students and the health dept is there for immunizations. Sometimes the 4-H and/or FFA is there with pony rides and a petting farm.
Our school has an open house about 2 weeks before school starts. The principal sends out the invites. The grades are divided up, for example K-1 is on Monday evening, 2-3 is on Tues. etc. This way the principal can circulate better and talk to more parents. Children are able to meet their teachers and see their classrooms and the teachers usually have goody bags for the students. The PTO supplies refreshments and last year since there was a last minute policy change in back packs they sold clear and mesh back packs at cost. We are on an alternitive schedule so our school starts around August 1. Our Fall Open House is just parent/teacher conferences and the PTO sometimes supplies refreshments.
This was our first year in a new building (K-3) and our first year with a PTO. I would like to have some sort of open house at the beginning of next year, but the school has nothing official planned and I don't know how to go about it or what it would involve. Does anyone have some successful experience with this type of event? I would love to hear all different ideas! Thank you!
