Back to School Night

One of the timeless traditions that mark the beginning of each new school year is Back to School Night.

As students and teachers celebrate each new “learning season,” parents are invited to get a glimpse of the school’s daily routines, overview of the curriculum, and preliminary learning expectations for each course in the student’s schedule. All of the specific information aside, the most important reason for parents’ participation is to get a snapshot of each adult that will be serving as the parents’ designee for nurturing the gifts of scholarship in a son or daughter. Or more succinctly, “Who is this person that’s teaching my kid?”

As soon as parents arrive at school, they are greeted by student hosts from the National Honor Society and handed a packet of information containing student schedules and lots more. After getting their bearings via a campus map, and plotting the route for a class held in the portable classrooms or lower level, parents are ushered into the auditorium for worship. The hallmark of an Eastern Christian education is the continuous and total integration of faith and learning throughout the curriculum. So it is highly significant that parents and teachers begin the evening singing and praying together, giving praise to God for the gift of the Eastern Christian learning community.

A condensed schedule of classes shrinks a typical block of 80-minutes during the school day to just a short class period for parents. Teachers’ presentations on this evening seem like a zip file of information ready to explode, because class blocks are only 10-minutes long. Yet teachers attempt to:

• demonstrate the integration of faith and academics in learning.
• model a professional learning atmosphere in the classroom.
• demonstrate a passion for caring for children. “Nurture the Spirit”
• communicate enthusiasm for and joy in learning. “Engage the Mind”
• show delight in working with high school age adolescents.
• display a healthy and productive classroom learning environment.
• give personal insights into the opportunity to teaching at ECHS.
• highlight an introduction to learning during the first days of school.
• inspire students to “Transform the World.”

Parent feedback collected via an exit survey after Back to School Night last year summarized the event as follows:

• Worship singing was great! Loved the worship at the beginning!
• Passion displayed for students and serving Jesus Christ.
• Meeting the teachers broadens my perspective about the classes.
• The classroom visits and informative handouts.
• The opening with the praise singing was beautiful.
• It is significant that God is the priority.
• The HS teacher Praise Team leading the singing.
• Teachers are passionate about learning.
• Starting off with songs of worship reminds us how fortunate we are to send our children here.
• All of it! Everything is good!