Dear Osprey Students and Families,
It’s hard to believe we’re already getting close to the midpoint of first semester. Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) will take place on Tuesday, October 19 between 4:00 and 6:00 at AHS. We look forward to welcoming families to campus for these important check in conversations, facilitated by students and designed to foster meaningful reflection and communication about student progress and growth. SLCs occur once a semester; in the fall they are mandatory for all 9th, 10th and 11th grade students. Each SLC should take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
We require that students arrive in professional dress for SLCs, as we believe that presenting oneself in a polished, mature fashion helps to set the tone for a thoughtful and engaged conversation. We also believe that learning to dress in a professional manner is a valuable life skill, so we require professional dress for Exhibitions and Presentations of Learning as well. In addition to daily dress code expectations, professional dress requires that students wear: a button-down shirt and tie, shirt with finished neck, sweater or blouse; a nice pair of slacks (no jeans), skirt or dress; dark socks to match trousers and dress shoes (no sneakers, no excessively high heels). Please communicate with an adult at school if procuring professional dress clothes is cost-prohibitive; we have clothing to lend and we will find a way to help!
SLC Format
Teachers will share grade-specific expectations and help students prepare for SLCs in their core classes and the format will vary a bit from grade to grade.
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9th grade: fall SLCs will offer students and families a chance to go beyond the regular, "How is school going?" conversation, and instead, dive deeper into self reflection through a series of guided questions.
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10th grade: the fall SLC takes the form of an interview, with parents using questions students will provide to dialogue about progress, goals and visions of the future.
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11th grade: SLCs are a two-way interview with parents about their own high school, career and college experiences, with parents interviewing students about their goals and learning about how students want support as they work to achieve these goals through LINK, AHS coursework and college planning.
Grade-level teachers will be circulating through classrooms during SLCs, but the expectation is that students are truly the ones leading the conversations. Multiple SLCs will take place simultaneously in each classroom and if questions arise during a conference, teachers will be available to offer support.
Scheduling and Signing Up
There are several available appointments for each time slot at each grade level. Please select a time that works well for your family (and please only sign up for one conference slot per student!) by using the following online links:
Please make every effort to schedule your SLC as soon as possible. If your family is unable to meet on October 19, you must reach out to the appropriate teacher to reschedule. All SLCs must be completed by Thursday, October 28. Please contact the following staff members if you need to schedule your family’s SLC for a time other than the afternoon of Tuesday, October 19 or if you are unable to sign up online:
As always, our goal with SLCs is for students to take the lead in their educational journey, learning to authentically assess their progress and refine their personal goals. We encourage you all to engage in the conversations with fresh ears and open minds, and we hope that the experience will be meaningful for you. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, feedback or concerns.
