Middle School (6th to 8th Grade)
In Middle School at Great Hearts Western Hills, conferences take place between parents and the team of their student’s teachers. Our hope is that these conversations strengthen our partnership with you so that we may better cultivate virtue in the hearts and minds of our students as the school year continues.
What should I expect during my student’s conference?
We want this conference time to be as productive and informative for you as possible, so we will begin the conference by inviting you to share any questions or pertinent information about your student. Teachers will share observations and insights into your student’s schoolwork and habits, capturing both strengths and a key area for growth moving forward. Conferences are 15 minutes long, and the time does fly by quickly!
While meeting with the full team of teachers can be intimidating, we have heard from many parents that they appreciate this conversation with the united front of people who know, care about, and guide their student each day.
How can I prepare for my student’s conference?
We encourage you to review your student’s report card prior to the conference. We also invite you to prepare any questions you might have about your student’s academic work, habits, etc. Questions could be about your student’s work as a whole or could focus on specific courses. Preparing questions is not required, and even if you don’t have questions, we would still love to meet with you in a conference!
High School (9th to 12th Grade)
In HS at Great Hearts Western Hills, each student will take on a role as a member of their evaluation conference, so that they may work with their parents and teachers to take ownership of their growth as a learner. As part of the process of taking ownership of their learning, students will complete a self-evaluation that will be shared at the conference. 9th & 10th grade students are welcome to attend their conference with their parents. 11th & 12th grade students are required to not only attend but will also present a 2–3-minute reflection at the opening of their conference. Therefore, we ask that all 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students sign up for a conference that they and their parent(s) will attend together.
Students will wear their school uniforms; Juniors and Seniors will wear their school blazers.
What should my student and I expect during the conference?
The student’s team of teachers will be assembled for each conference. In grades 9 & 10, teachers will share observations and insights into your student’s schoolwork and habits, capturing both strengths and a key area for growth moving forward. In grade 11 & 12, the conference will begin with the faculty leader inviting the student to evaluate his/her own performance during the semester in a 2-3 minute self-reflection. Students should prepare written notes to anchor the opening self-reflection. The teachers, in turn, will respond to the student’s self-evaluation and a conversation will ensue. Parents are primarily auditors during upper classmen conferences.
How should my student prepare for the conference and who should attend?
- All High School students should prepare written notes following the guidance from their completed self-evaluations and bring these notes to the conference. To set a collegial tone, students must come to the conference dressed in their school uniform.
- 9th & 10th grade students are invited to attend their conference with their parents.
- 11th & 12th grade students are required to attend their conference with their parents.
