Student Thoughts on Short School Days for Parent Conferences


Luke Sandoval

Outside the main entrance to our lovely school.

Ashley Torres, Business Manager

The week of Thanksgiving, Indian River High decided to have half days for two days before Thanksgiving, leaving each class to have only 17 minutes to teach.

Usually the high school would go for the full two days, but the district wanted to try something new this year. Letters were sent home inviting parents to schedule teacher conferences the other half of the day instead of  having an event in the evening. Appoints were available from 12pm to almost 7pm on Monday, and until 3pm on Tuesday.

Personally, my parents did not show up, in fact they thought it was pointless themselves for me to even go to school. We even had to attend a lunch period where no lunch was served.

On Tuesday, my time spent in school was basically a study hall. I made up a little writing assignment [in what class?] and that was about it. Time flew by so quickly, with only three hours to take nine classes I basically went to school for nothing.

According to one of my teachers, it seems the idea parent teacher meeting was a bust too. Of the 8 invites that were sent, only 6 parents scheduled and showed up for appointments throughout the two days.

My teacher also informed me that the turn out was probably about the same as any previous open house that happens in the fall and spring. Many teachers had hours between appointments, and being early in the quarter, not much in the way of grading to do.

I get they were trying something new, and wanted more involvement with the school, but shortening all those classes into one day seems ridiculous.

Why couldn’t we have on full day Monday and then have the parent teacher conferences on Tuesday, or half of Monday be periods one through four and half of Tuesday being five through nine–or even not having school at all because that’s basically what it felt like.

Of course this is only my personal opinion, although others have expressed the same thoughts, including teachers.