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Fall Intake Conferences

What are Intake Conferences?

K-5 parent-teacher conferences will take the form of intake conferences across KSD this fall, during the week of September 16-20. The primary goal of an intake conference is to gather information that will help our teachers better understand and support each child's needs and individual learning journey. Open and honest conversations between parents and teachers are essential to creating impactful learning experiences for our students, and we value the important role our families play in this partnership. 

The first ten minutes of the intake conference will be dedicated to staff learning from our families, with parents talking much of this time while our teachers are listening intently and taking notes. The remaining ten minutes of the conference will be used to provide parents with initial information and impressions, based on our teachers’ first few weeks with children. This time may also include mention of reading and math benchmarking results, based on individual student needs. All families will receive benchmark results in backpacks on Friday, Sept 15.

Additional Important Information

  • A majority of Tillman’s conferences will take place on the evenings of Tuesday, Sept 17 and Thursday, Sept 19, although classroom teachers will try to work with families who cannot make either of these evenings work.
  • 4th and 5th grade families will meet with their homeroom teachers for intake conferences. You will have the opportunity to meet with your other departmentalized teachers during our January conferences.
  • Below you will find a list of potential topics/questions to use as talking points when sharing about your child. These should be viewed as options, and it’s likely we'll need to focus on 3-5 topics due to time constraints.
  • Tillman families can access sign-up links for specific teachers (link coming soon). Our goal is always 100% participation, so please let us know if circumstances may require special arrangements.

Intake Conference Talking Points

The topics/questions below are suggested talking points when sharing about your child during intake conferences. These are suggestions for you to consider when preparing for conferences, but families should feel free to share any insights you think may be useful to our collective work.

  • What are your hopes and dreams for your child, and are there any specific goals or areas of improvement you have in mind for this year? Aligning our goals can ensure we're working collaboratively to help your child succeed.
  • Tell me/us about your child's interests and hobbies outside of school. Understanding what your child enjoys doing can help us strengthen relations and potentially tailor the learning experience to their passions.
  • Are there any cultural or personal values that are important to your family that you'd like us to be mindful of? Respecting and integrating diverse perspectives helps us create a more inclusive and culturally sensitive classroom environment.
  • Are there any specific strengths or talents your child has that you'd like us to nurture? Identifying areas where your child excels can help us strengthen relationships and create a more inclusive and enriching learning environment.
  • How does your child typically approach challenges or difficult tasks? Knowing how they like to solve problems can guide us in providing the right support when they encounter academic or social challenges.
  • What strategies work best at home to help your child stay organized and manage their time? Consistency between school and home routines can promote better time management skills.
  • Are there any learning preferences or styles your child tends to respond well to? We can better support their needs by knowing if they are visual learners, hands-on learners, or prefer group discussions.
  • Is there a preferred method or frequency of communication that works best for you to stay updated on your child's progress? Establishing effective lines of communication can keep us connected throughout the school year.
  • Are there any changes or events at home that might affect your child's emotional well-being or classroom behavior? Open communication about family dynamics can help us provide appropriate emotional support.
  • How does your child interact with peers and adults?  Are there any social aspects we should be aware of? Understanding their social dynamics can help us foster positive relationships within the classroom.