COLUMN: Think Again – Getting off to the right start

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/08/2025 (210 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the beginning of school just around the corner, here are some suggestions for how parents can lay the foundation for a successful school year.

The first is to choose the school that works best for your children. Most parents send their kids to the neighbourhood public school. Others choose to enrol their children in an independent school, while some parents prefer to homeschool their children, either on their own or in cooperation with other homeschooling families. Any of these options could be a good choice.

Once you’ve decided where your children will attend, take advantage of every possible line of communication. School administrators are usually in the building at least a week before school starts. Feel free to call the school and ask to meet with the principal or vice-principal. Most administrators will welcome the opportunity to meet with you. It is a definite advantage for school administrators to know you and to recognize that you want to help teachers do their best job.

If you haven’t already done so, make sure you visit the school’s website if it has one. This is a great way to learn the names of the teachers, review various school policies, find out about programs of study, and check out upcoming school events. The more information you have about your child’s school, the better equipped you will be to handle sensitive issues that may arise during the year.

It’s also a good idea to meet personally with the teacher early in the school year. Many schools host open houses at the beginning of the school year, providing a great opportunity to meet the teacher and visit your child’s classroom. If you can’t make it to the open house, email the teacher and ask whether you can stop by briefly either before or after school. Most teachers are happy to accommodate your schedule.

Tell the teacher that you are looking forward to having your child in their classroom. Also inform the teacher that you have told your child that your family believes in the importance of respecting teachers, and you want the teacher to know that.

Be careful not to overreact if you discover that a teacher’s personal or political beliefs differ from your own. Just because a teacher expresses certain views on social media or volunteers with a political party during election campaigns doesn’t necessarily mean they are pushing these views on students during class. Most teachers are aware of how important it is to stay impartial when teaching.

If you do run into problems with a teacher, don’t escalate things unnecessarily. Posting your complaints about a teacher on social media might get you a reaction, but it’s unlikely to help you resolve the underlying issue. Your child’s teacher deserves to be treated with respect. So, go straight to the teacher and share your concerns directly in a confidential discussion. Most of the time you should be able to work out a solution without much fuss.

If speaking with the teacher doesn’t resolve the issue, make an appointment with the school principal and express your concerns there. If you are still unsatisfied, contact the superintendent. Beyond that, you can file a formal appeal with your local trustees. The key thing is to exhaust all lower levels of communication before moving on to higher levels.

Sending your children to school should be a positive experience. By doing research first, communicating regularly with your children’s teacher and following the proper channels when you want your concerns addressed, you will go a long way to give your children the best chance for a successful school year.

Michael Zwaagstra is a high school teacher and deputy mayor of Steinbach. He can be reached at mzwaagstra@hsd.ca.