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Students are assigned to mixed-age groups for the entire (two to five-week) session, allowing participants to
work with children from several classes who share their interests. Please consider volunteering as an activity
leader or to assist a leader. Assistance is always available to develop, plan, and lead activities. Volunteering
for SWAP is a great way for you to get to know more children from different classes at Touchstone. If you’d like
to volunteer to lead a SWAP activity you can contact Bill McHenry.
Assessment, Conferences, Reports and Portfolios
Assessment of students is done by observation, individual conferencing between teacher and student and
ongoing portfolio development. Progress is reported through conferences and written reports, the format of
which varies from level to level. Parent/teacher or portfolio conferences are scheduled four times per year and
are also available upon request on an informal basis throughout the school year. Written progress reports will
be sent once at the end of the year.
Touchstone has no testing or evaluation services. Should additional information about a child be required, we
must ask parents to provide this at their own expense.
Parent – Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled four times each year, in September, November, February and May.
Each conference serves a different function and is described in detail below. During conferences, teachers
and parents review each student’s progress and set goals for future learning. As children move into the older
classes, they begin to attend conferences with parents so that they become directly included in the
assessment process. Parents may also request to meet with teachers at any time during the year. Written
reports are sent out twice a year at the beginning of June.
What? No report card?!
At Touchstone, teachers use observation, conferencing with children individually, and portfolio development
instead of grades and report cards to assess children’s learning. In recent years, many American schools have
realized the wisdom of portfolio-based assessment and descriptive narratives to document and display
students’ progress, and have consequently adapted their methods of assessment. Building the portfolio is an
on-going process, both within a given school year and from year to year. It enables children to construct for
themselves an authentic and lasting sense of personal value and competence. Sharing the portfolio allows
students to reflect on their work, notice what has changed, and look ahead and plan for what still needs to be
done.
The tips presented here are suggestions to help you, as a parent, make the most of your conference time.
These ideas may help to strengthen meaningful communication between you and your child's teacher so that
you can support your child's learning as a team.
All Kinds of Conferences
Each scheduled parent-teacher conference has a specific focus and purpose.
September Goal-Setting Conference
This 20-minute conference gives you a chance to meet your child’s classroom teacher and share any
information that you feel is important for her to know for the upcoming year. At this conference, the teacher
will primarily be listening to you. You should be prepared to answer the following questions:
What are your goals for your child this year (academic, social, and emotional)?
What are particular concerns you have for your child this year?
Is there anything going on at home that might be helpful for your child’s teacher to know?
Did your child receive academic support or counseling over the summer? What are your follow-up plans
for this school year?
November Conferences
At this 30-minute conference, the teacher will share with you her observations regarding your child’s
experience in the classroom thus far, including work samples or information gathered from informal
assessments. You may be asked to share more specific information or insights you have about your child’s
learning needs. Your should also ask questions and mention any current concerns you have about your child.