BY TITHI MAYANI

Parent Teacher Interviews were held on the 19th of October. They were conducted in conjunction with Grade 9 Parent Night, which was postponed. The night was a huge success. All night, the school was buzzing with activity. This year, there was catering in the parking lot provided by food trucks like Golden Fryer, Mustache Burger, Nomad Chef, Sweet Temptations, and funnel cakes.

The night started off with information for Grade 9s and new students, from 6:00 to 6:30. After that, there was an informal meet and greet session. This was something new that they’d done for the first time in the last few years. It provided a chance for parents who didn’t have any concerns, to meet the teachers and get to know them. This went on until 7:10, after which the formal interviews started. They consisted of 10 minute time slots, which parents who had concerns could book through our school website.

Throughout the event, many booths had been set up by organizations and clubs. Mustangs in Blue leaders were roaming around to help parents find their child’s teachers and help answer questions. “[They] were very helpful. It was great having someone around who knew what was going on”, says the parent of a Grade 10 student at MDHS.

This year there was a bit of a challenge in scheduling the evening.  A few families who were celebrating Diwali on the same night expressed some concern. Diwali is the Hindu version of Christmas, so some preferred to stay home and celebrate instead of visiting their children’s teachers. The school was unable to change the night, but did assure anyone concerned that any requested interview will be accommodated at an alternate time.

Overall, the night was a huge success. It provided a chance for communication between parents and teacher, and gave parents of new students a chance to see the school.