6th Grade Parent Night

I had forgotten until yesterday that we had an evening activity at our school today.  Parents with 6th graders were invited to bring their children to the middle school to help them get acquainted with the building and the staff.  It was a fairly simple affair.  There was an opening assembly where some basic information was given and then the families were free to roam the halls, talk with teachers, and just familiarize themselves with the place.  As teachers, all we had to do was stand at the assembly and then later stand in the hall outside our rooms.

I had a blast.

I like greeting people and giving them a friendly face.  While some people might say that I'm just practicing to be a store greeter (and they might be right), I think that there really is something about giving and receiving warm greeting even if from a stranger.  Like many of the teachers around me, I invited parents and future students to come into my room, try out the desks, and ask questions.  I watched apprehension wash away from a number of faces tonight.

I also saw a surprising number of familiar faces.  Several were from church, but some were from our bus stop.  I even ran into my former realtor.  The event reminded me of both how small this community is and how many positive relationships I have already developed since last August.  From the looks of it, I'm going to enjoy next school year even more.