Oh balls, messed up dd's parents evening booking and feel really bad

[ifeellikeanidiot]

DD is in y7, first time I've had to make secondary school appmnts.

Booking system opened on Monday and I got appmnts with everyone we wanted to see. Then I got an email on Weds pmsaying they'd had technical issues and we all needed to rebook.

I've only just got round to it - it didn't occur to me that I may not be able to see everyone. I've only managed to get 4 appointments. DD is a but gutted and I feel really guilty. She'd been nagging me to rebook but I really didn't realise there was any urgency.

I wouldn’t beat yourself up about it OP! Unless there are serious issues you need to discuss, these events are mostly just pleasant social chats and a chance to put faces to the staff your DD talks about.
I went to twelve parent nights, as my two DDs went through high school, and looking back it really wouldn’t have made a bit of difference if I hadn’t bothered.
The staff always said that the parents they really needed to speak to were the ones who wouldn’t have come anyway, not conscientious ones like you sound to be.

In the scheme if things this is nothing!
There are plenty of parents who can't make parents for various valid reasons ( work, child care, sickness,previous appointments etc)
See the teachers that you are booked for,on he night you maybe able to queue up for someone else but if you don't see everyone speak to the head of year and ask them to get updated for you.They usually ring back a couple of days later with info that you need to know.

They don't stick to the appointments anyway! It turns into a bit of a free for all.

Just hang around the teachers you want to see, bet you'll get to see them anyway.

At my year 8 son's parents' evening my year 11 son's History teacher beckoned us and told us he was free in 20 minutes if we wanted an update on year 11 child. Such a great teacher.

Sometimes depending on the teacher, they may have a gap you can pop into so it is worth asking. Plus sometimes people book and then can't make it.

For years 7 and 8 we only saw those we knew he would continue with so all core subject, no art, no drama, no tech teachers, but History and Geography and French.

Our dd only gets a few appointments. We figure if she does ok in geography then she is probably fine in history. Ditto maths and physics, French and Spanish etc

Thanks all. I felt really awful last night but feel a bit better today. Bit gutted cause it's her humanities teachers we cant see and those are her favourite subjects. Shes been working so hard since the beginning of secondary, I know she would have enjoyed hearing her teachers say that to me.

Just hover around where teacher you want to see is they usually fit you in

Can you not email someone (head off year maybe) & explain you had booked but due to the kerfuffle, now only have a few teachers to see. They might be able to add you to the list separately or let you know you can queue on the night to see those teachers. Or if not, they might be able to get the teachers to email you with how she's doing.

I keep swearing I'm not hoovering with secondary parents evening - but then I do always go. My ds has been a persistent school refuser since year 8. I'm told hes polite, intelligent, charming and on track to do great things. But in my mind hes never there!

Hes a smart kid who.makes no trouble. No amount of working on his attendance has changed his attendance levels. So I just conclude he isn't honestly on radar. Just lucky to be bright enough to get by.