school presentation evening

Back to School Night Presentation Tips

For new teachers.

by Brad Melsby – September 5, 2023

The beginning of the school year — with all of its outside-the-classroom events — can be a particularly challenging time for new teachers.  One of those events is Back to School Night, sometimes called Meet the Teacher Night or Open House.  Typically, teachers present to parents and guardians for 10-12 minutes.   In order to ensure the evening goes smoothly, create a Back to School Night presentation that is clear, concise, and professional.

It is best to view Back to School Night through the lens of what parents want to learn from your presentation.   

Two Things Parents Want to Learn at Back to School Night

First , and arguably most important, is that parents want to learn about you as a person.  

Yes, they want reassurance that you possess the qualifications and education to do the job.  But mostly, adults want to leave Back to School Night with a feeling that their child’s teachers are kind and compassionate human beings.

Second, parents want to learn a little (no need to get too detailed during this presentation) . 

What will the kids be learning?  How will organize the content?  What policies and procedures do you have that parents might want to know about?   In general, how will you run the class?

Parents Want to Get to Know The Personal Side of You

Parents are curious about you.  They may have heard about you prior to walking into the room, but by and large, they want to know who the person teaching their child is.  Since you do not have the structured time to build relationships with parents in the same way you do with their children, it is worth a few minutes of your time to tell them about yourself.  

What You Should Share About Yourself:

Your background and education.   Briefly detail your experience and any special training you may have (credentials, advanced degrees, etc.)

Why do you love your subject or what excites you about working with young people?   If you’re teaching middle school, what about 11-13-year-olds do you find exciting?  If you teach high school physics, what about the subject is exciting and/or relevant to you? 

Your “soft side”.    Due to inexperience or sometimes youth, new teachers tend to overemphasize professionalism in their presentation to parents.  Yes, polish and professionalism are important, but they can come across as stiff or cold.  Balance that polish with warmth.  Tell a joke.  Smile.  Thank them for coming.  Be positive and friendly.  Share your rules, but do so in a cordial and compassionate way.  Most parents want to leave your presentation with a sense that in general, you are a kind and reasonable person.

Say something specific (and positive) about that class period. (You can expect at least a few students to be sitting in the audience that evening.)  “I love the energy in 5th period.  They come in willing to try any activity I plan and are great at working in groups.  I have really enjoyed spending time with this class and look forward to getting to know them better as the year progresses.”

What You Could Share About Yourself:

Your educational philosophy.   Do you have any special approach or belief about learning that is successful for you?

What motivated you to become a teacher? 

A few personal details –hobbies, kids, pets, are you an alum of the school, did you move to take the position?  In this way, you can humanize yourself with your parents.  If you do get into personal details, keep it brief.

Related: New Teacher Self-Care: A Practical Plan You Can Start Tomorrow

Parents Want to Get to Know the Academic Side of You

While it is important for parents to walk out feeling like they’ve gotten to know you a bit, it is also useful that they know how you run your class.  Consider this part of the presentation for you — this is your chance to speak directly to parents about the most important parts of your class.  Maybe it is a weekly reading assignment or a unique method of grading…take advantage of the captive audience.  We caution you against trying to share every policy or procedure — stick to the one or two most important things and then emphasize those.

What You Should Share About Your Class:

What content will you be covering?   A “60-second tour” of English 11 is fine, for example.

What skills do you want your students to develop?   If you aren’t sure yet what skills you want to emphasize, consider talking about the 4 C’s of 21st Century Learning: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration.

How will the students be learning the material?   What types of learning activities (class discussion, projects, essays…) will you be asking students to do?  If you don’t know yet, skip this.

Is there a state or AP exam at the end of the year?   Is the course part of IB (MYP or DP) or a specific school program, include that information as well.

How can parents support the success of their child? Parents want to be able to support their child’s learning.  Recommend a couple of concrete ways they can support their child, but keep it positive and do not come across as judging their parenting.  (“Checking your child’s planner each evening is a great way to keep your child on track” rather than “You need to check your child’s planner every night or you won’t know what is happening with your child”)

How can parents contact you?   It may seem obvious, but you should still provide your contact information and any instructions for how to most quickly receive a response from you.  You probably already know this, but we discourage you from giving out your personal phone number or email address.

Final Tips for Your Back to School Night Presentation 

Remember to always stay positive.  Nothing kills the tone quicker than making a snarky or sarcastic comment (even if it is not about that particular class) and it leaves parents questioning whether their child is in a supportive environment. 

Are you asking parents to sign in?   If so, consider having multiple sign-in areas around the room.  We’ve seen large groups of parents lined up for several minutes just to sign in, which turned a 10-minute presentation into seven.

Timing matters.   Practice your presentation a couple of times before parents arrive.  If each period is 10 minutes, you should speak for roughly 10 minutes.  If you end early, it can mean awkward silence or rambling on about yourself.  If you save the last three minutes for questions, you might not get any.  Or you’ll get a lot of questions, which can be worse.  The bottom line: if you fill the time, you have more control over the session.

Stress that you view parents as partners.  They are the experts on their child.  At some point this year, you may need their help in choosing the best way to approach their child.  This sets the tone that if there are issues, you will reach out but you are doing it in a way that involves and respects the parent’s expertise.

Parents will sometimes try to ask questions about their child’s grades or a particular assignment.   Politely request that the parent email you to schedule a meeting and you would then be happy to discuss that individual issue. 

Don’t offer to email parents, at least not at Back to School Night.   There is so much going on during this evening that you will likely forget that you made the offer.  When you don’t email the parent the following morning,  you potentially change the focus from the student’s grades to the fact that you don’t follow up.

Having a balance between sharing who you are and what your class is about will help parents walk out of the room feeling better informed about their child’s education.  New teachers sometimes hesitate to share about themselves because they do not have years of experience to impress parents with.  

Trust us, parents, like kids, are much more impressed with who you are and not how many years of experience you have.  If this is your first year or you would prefer not to get into how many years of experience you have, share why you got into teaching or what your educational philosophy is.  The same result is achieved; you are sharing with parents who you are in a professional way.  

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Brad has taught history at the middle and high school levels for 19 years, almost exclusively in American public schools.  He holds a master’s in educational technology and is passionate about elevating the status of professional educators.

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Back-to-School Night is one of the first events on the school calendar, and it can be a stressful evening for many teachers. Expectations are high as families will want to learn about the grade-level curriculum, classroom rules and policies, year-long goals, reading plans , special events, and even your teaching philosophy . 

Below, teacher Michelle Sullenberger shares insights on how to organize the event with confidence so your Back-to-School Night is a resounding success.

Create a Welcoming Environment

Prior to Back-to-School Night, practice pronouncing the first and last names of your students so you have them memorized before you meet their families. 

Clean and organize your classroom and make sure there are enough chairs to comfortably sit everyone who will attend. Prepare your handouts and forms in advance and have extra copies available.

Exhibit student work around the room to show what they’ve learned so far, and display some of the books and materials you will use during the school year for families to review. Invite your students to help with the preparations by writing a welcome letter to their families. 

When the guests arrive:

Smile and greet them at the door with a positive and confident attitude. Introduce yourself and ask the guests to do the same. 

Provide a sign-in sheet, since not all students’ and their families’ last names are the same. 

Invite families to sit at their child’s desk and ask them to respond to the student’s welcome letter by leaving an encouraging note in reply. 

Establish Parent Communication

Back-to-School Night is an ideal time to share all the ways families can reach out and connect with you and your class during the school year. Be sure to provide the same information in writing to the families who are unable to attend the event.

Encourage the attendees to sign-up for parent-teacher conferences in advance so they can plan ahead and avoid future scheduling conflicts. The conferences should be scheduled in 20 to 30 minute blocks with added rest breaks for yourself.

Discuss ways families can volunteer to assist your class, whether at school or from home. 

Explain the ways you will be sharing classroom communication (newsletters, monthly calendars, website, etc.) and the preferred ways families can reach you during the school year (email, voice mail, written notes, etc.). 

Plan a Compelling Presentation

A major focus of the evening should be a visual presentation where you share information about yourself, your teaching philosophy, and the upcoming school year. 

Allow for pauses throughout the presentation to take questions from the families. Practice in advance so you can keep it engaging and on schedule.

In your presentation, you should:

Introduce the curriculum and highlight the standards or benchmarks for the school year. 

Explain the homework policy and procedures in your classroom. 

Outline your classroom rules and explain the behavior-management system in the classroom and the school at large. Provide take-home copies of all the policies. 

Go over your grading system, the criteria for grading, and how you will communicate grades throughout the school year. 

At the end of your presentation, be sure to thank the families for attending and graciously conclude your Back-to-School Night. Then breathe a sigh of relief for a job well-done!

Organize Your Classroom Library

To showcase all the great books students will be exposed to throughout the year, organize your classroom library ahead of Back-to-School Night. Encourage families to browse the collection and gather inspiration for related books or series to read with students at home. 

This is also a great opportunity to encourage families to read together with students for 20 minutes every day — whether it's a few pages after school or before bedtime. According to the 2023 Scholastic Home Libraries Topic Paper , 21 minutes a day of reading outside of school results in higher scores on reading achievement tests and an increase of more than 1.8 million reading words annually.

Shop popular book series and collections for your classroom library below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store .

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A More Engaging Back to School Night

Intentionally fostering interactions among teachers, parents, and community partners helped one school create a more inviting event.

It was September. Back to School Night—the open house, the tradition of welcoming parents to join educators as partners in the educational process. The approach at Zane North Elementary School in Collingswood, New Jersey, had remained the same for years: Chairs set up in rows, administrator positioned front and center behind a podium, staff gathered in a designated seating area awaiting introductions. Behind the smiles, staff remained nervous until the grade-level presentations were complete.

The audience was filled with enthusiastic kindergarten, first-, and second-grade parents—upper elementary parents avoided the traditional welcome because it had been repeated year after year. They went directly to their child’s classroom, where they were all ears listening to grade-level expectations and up-to-date strategies on how to best support their children. Sitting in student desks, viewing student work, and reading notes from their sons and daughters stirred their emotions a bit, but the pace of the evening did not allow much time for reflective joy.

Principal Tom Santo realized his traditional Back to School Night was failing. It was time for a change—Santo wanted to create positive memories for all parents and guardians during the Back to School presentation, including ones who had attended the evening in the past. He had a sense that parents might appreciate personal connections, authenticity, and interaction. His big idea for the following year: Foster community engagement by creating an intimate event where parents, teachers and staff, and community partners would all interact with each other.

An unceremonious, inviting, nonlinear community engagement session. Social and emotional learning for adults. Why not? It was time, Santo decided, to more deeply engage all of his educators, parents, and partners, and to build community.

A Not-Boring Back to School Night

To do this, he invited a group he called Friends of Zane North to display content-specific materials and share them with the Zane North community. Every organization he reached out to said yes, and the overarching theme of community engagement was embraced by all. In the outdoor sustainable garden reception area, the staff set up info tables and ran a jazz playlist. The outdoor venue created a casual, relaxed atmosphere that piqued parents’ interest, validated community and school participants, and really promoted team building among all participants.

In a school where choice and independence were championed, the adults were given a chance to meet and mingle, inquire and investigate, laugh and have fun. Parents visited various stations: The Safe Routes to School representative promoted that group’s work. The PTA executive board highlighted volunteer opportunities for parents—homeroom parents, library checkout, celebrations, events on monthly or other school themes, and so on. Board of Education members explained legislation focusing on mental health services for elementary students. The Green Team called attention to environmentally friendly initiatives. The social worker, case manager, speech language specialist, occupational therapist, and resource room teacher answered parent inquiries and discussed the availability of supports for classified students.

Informal conversations held by the art, music, technology, world language, and physical and health education teachers addressed creativity, collaboration, scope and sequence in the curriculum, and grade-level benchmarks. The nutrition supervisor presented handouts spotlighting the breakfast and lunch programs. The before- and after-school care supervisor highlighted program offerings and enrollment procedures. And the school nurse promoted the health and wellness program for the school community.

Perhaps the highlight of the evening came at the end, when Santo’s team set up a graffiti wall and parents wrote messages to their children with their wishes for the upcoming school year. Children saw this the next day upon arrival and were delighted.

An Idea Well Received

Engagement was natural, different voices were welcomed, creativity was explored, and connections were established. The overall approach fit perfectly into the school’s mindset of exploring, engaging, and educating, and the parents loved it.

Parents said things like, “What a great event—I’m very happy about this,” and “My children come home and talk about the special area teachers—now I am able to meet them and put a face to the program. I love this idea.” Community partners committed to returning, saying, “This is a great school community. I’m making connections for future events,” and “It was great meeting your parents. I’ll be back.”

Zane North has left the old Back To School Night behind for good in favor of a socially and emotionally nurturing event for parents, staff, and community partners.

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75 Unique School Presentation Ideas and Topics Plus Templates

Are you tired of seeing the same PowerPoints repeating overused and unoriginal school presentation ideas covering repeated topics in your classes?

You know what I’m talking about; we’ve all been there, and sat through yawn-worthy demonstrations, slides, or presentation videos covering everything from the solar system, someone’s favorite pet, past presidents of a country, to why E=mC squared.

From grade school to university, first graders to college students, we are obligated to create, perform, and observe academic presentations across a plethora of curriculums and classes, and not all of these public speaking opportunities fall into the category of an ‘interesting topic’.

Yet, have no fear! Here at Piktochart, we are here to help you and your classmates. From giving examples of creative and even interactive presentation ideas, providing presentation videos , and suggesting interactive activities to give your five minutes of fame the ‘wow’ factor that it deserves, this article is your guide!

Our massive collection of unique school and college presentation ideas and templates applies if you’re:

• A teacher looking to make your class more engaging and fun with student presentations.
• A student who wants to impress your teacher and the rest of the class with a thought-provoking, interesting topic.

A Curated List of Interesting Topics for School Presentations

Did you know that when it comes to presentations , the more students involved improves retention? The more you know! Yet sometimes, you need a little help to get the wheels moving in your head for your next school presentation .

The great thing about these ideas and topics is you can present them either in face-to-face classes or virtual learning sessions.

Each school presentation idea or topic below also comes with a template that you can use. Create a free Piktochart account to try our presentation maker and get access to the high-quality version of the templates. You can also check out our Piktochart for Education plan .

Want to watch this blog post in video format? The video below is for you!

The templates are further divided into the following categories covering the most popular and best presentation topics. Click the links below to skip to a specific section.

• Unique science presentation topics to cultivate curiosity in class
• Engaging culture and history presentation ideas to draw inspiration from
• Health class presentation topics to help students make healthy lifestyle decisions
• Data visualization ideas to help students present an overwhelming amount of data and information into clear, engaging visuals
• First day of school activity ideas to foster classroom camaraderie
• Communication and media topics to teach students the importance of effective communication
• Topics to help students prepare for life after school

We hope this list will inspire you and help you nail your next school presentation activity.

Unique Science Presentation Topics to Cultivate Curiosity in Class

Science is a broad field and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with too many topics to choose for your next presentation.

Cultivate curiosity in the science classroom with the following unique and creative presentation ideas and topics:

1. Can life survive in space?

2. Do plants scream when they’re in pain?

3. What are the traits of successful inventors?

4. How vaccines work

5. Massive destruction of the Koala’s habitat in Australia

6. Left brain versus right brain

7. What are great sources of calcium?

Get access to high-quality, unique school presentation templates by Piktochart for Education.

Create and collaborate in the classroom using Piktochart’s customizable and printable templates for your school reports, presentations, and infographics.

8. Recycling facts you need to know

9. Do you have what it takes to be a NASA astronaut?

10. The rise of robots and AI: Should we be afraid of them?

11. How far down does the sea go?

12. The stages of sleep

13. Will Mars be our home in 2028?

14. A quick look at laboratory safety rules

15. The first person in history to break the sound barrier

Engaging Culture and History Presentation Ideas to Draw Inspiration From

History is filled with equally inspiring and terrifying stories, and there are lessons that students can learn from the events of the past. Meanwhile, interactive presentations about culture help students learn and embrace diversity. 

16. Women in history: A conversation through time

17. The sweet story of chocolate 

18. A history lesson with a twist 

19. The history of basketball 

20. The origin of the Halloween celebration 

21. AI History 

22. What you need to know about New Zealand 

23. 1883 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa 

24. Roman structures: 2000 years of strength

25. The most famous art heists in history 

26. Elmo: The story behind a child icon 

27. 10 things you should know before you visit South Korea 

28. 8 things you didn’t know about these 8 countries 

Health Class Presentation Topics to Help Students Make Healthy Lifestyle Decisions

Want to learn how to engage students with healthcare topic ideas? Then consider using these templates for your next interactive presentation.

According to the CDC , school-based health education contributes to the development of functional health knowledge among students. It also helps them adapt and maintain health-promoting behaviors throughout their lives. 

Not only will your presentation help with keeping students engaged, but you’ll also increase class involvement with the right slides.

The following examples of health and wellness interactive presentations include fun ideas and topics that are a good start. 

29. How to look after your mental health?

30. The eradication of Polio

31. How to have a healthy lifestyle 

32. 10 handwashing facts 

33. Myths and facts about depression

34. Hacks for making fresh food last longer 

35. Ways to avoid spreading the coronavirus

36. Mask protection in 5 simple steps 

37. Everything you need to know about the flu

38. All about stress: Prevention, tips, and how to cope 

39. The importance of sleep 

40. Is milk tea bad for you?

41. How to boost happiness in 10 minutes

42. How dirty are debit and credit cards 

43. Why do you need sunscreen protection

Data Visualization Ideas to Help Students Present Overwhelming Amounts of Data in Creative Ways

Data visualization is all about using visuals to make sense of data. Students need to pull the main points from their extensive research, and present them by story telling while being mindful of their classmates’ collective attention span.

As far as student assignments go, storytelling with data is a daunting task for students and teachers alike. To keep your audience interested, consider using a non linear presentation that presents key concepts in creative ways.

Inspire your class to be master data storytellers with the following data visualization ideas:

44. Are we slowly losing the Borneo rainforest?

45. Skateboard deck design over the years

46. Food waste during the Super Bowl

47. The weight of the tallest building in the world

48. Infographic about data and statistics

49. Stats about cyberbullying

50. How whales combat climate change

First Day of School Interactive Activity Ideas to Foster Whole-class-Camaraderie

Calling all teachers! Welcome your new students and start the school year with the following back-to-school creative presentation ideas and relevant templates for first-day-of-school activities.

These interactive presentations grab the attention of your students and are remarkably easy to execute (which is the main educator’s goal after all)!

51. Meet the teacher

52. Example: all about me

53. Self-introduction

54. Tips on how to focus on schoolwork

55. Course plan and schedule

Give our class schedule maker a try to access more templates for free. You can also access our presentation-maker , poster-maker , timeline-maker , and more by simply signing up .

56. Interpreting a student’s report card (for parents)

57. Introduction of classroom rules

58. Assignment schedule

59. Daily planner

60. Course syllabus presentation

61. How to write a class presentation

Topics to Teach Students the Importance of Effective Communication

Visual media  helps students retain more of the concepts  taught in the classroom. The following media topics and infographic templates can help you showcase complex concepts in a short amount of time. 

In addition, interactive presentation activities using these templates also encourage the development of a holistic learning process in the classroom because they help focus on the  three domains of learning:  cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. 

62. Interactive presentation do’s and don’ts 

63. How to create an infographic 

Recommended reading : How to Make an Infographic in 30 Minutes

64. How to improve your internet security and privacy

65. What is design thinking?

66. What are your favorite software tools to use in the classroom? 

Presentation Topic Ideas to Help Students Prepare for Life After School

One of the things that makes teaching a rewarding career is seeing your students take the learning and knowledge you’ve instilled in them, and become successful, productive adults.

From pitching a business idea to starting your podcast, the following topics are good starting points to prepare students for the challenges after graduation (aka adulting 101):

67. How to make a resume

68. How to start a startup

69. Credit card vs. debit card

70. Pros and cons of cryptocurrency

71. How to save on travel

72. How to do a SWOT analysis

73. How to pitch a business idea

74. Habits of successful people

75. Starting your own podcast: A checklist

Find out how a high school teacher like Jamie Barkin uses Piktochart to improve learning in the classroom for her students.

Pro tip: make your presentation as interactive as possible. Students have an attention span of two to three minutes per year of age. To keep minds from wandering off, include some interactive games or activities in the lesson. For example, if you conducted a lesson on the respiratory system, you could ask them to practice breathing techniques.

Maintain eye contact with your students, and you’ll get instant feedback on how interested they are in the interactive presentation.

Make School Presentation Visuals Without the Hassle of Making Them From Scratch

School presentations, when done right, can help teachers engage their classes and improve students’ education effectively by presenting information using the right presentation topic. 

If you’re pressed for time and resources to make your school presentation visuals , choose a template from Piktochart’s template gallery . Aside from the easy customization options, you can also print and download these templates to your preferred format. 

Piktochart also professional templates to create infographics , posters , brochures , reports , and more.

Creating school-focused, engaging, and interactive presentations can be tedious at first, but with a little bit of research and Piktochart’s handy templates, you’re going to do a great job!

The future of learning is interactivity and collaboration.

Foster interactive and collaborative learning using Piktochart for Education. Share your work, get feedback, and brainstorm on the fly. With Piktochart, everyone’s on the same page. Finally.

Kyjean Tomboc is an experienced content marketer for healthcare, design, and SaaS brands. She also manages content (like a digital librarian of sorts). She lives for mountain trips, lap swimming, books, and cats.

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5 Easy Ways to Prep for Back to School Night – Teacher Tips

Back-to-School Night, or Open House, can feel like an added stress during the hectic first weeks of school. However, the purpose of this event is to allow you to help families connect with you and better understand what their children will be expected to learn and do in your classroom.

Today I want to share some tips for helping you get organized, figure out what to say to parents, and create an event that leaves parents feeling lucky their child is in your classroom. 

What is Back-to School Night or Open House?

Depending on where you teach, you might call this event Back-to-School Night, Open House, or Curriculum Night. Regardless of what you call it, the event is designed to help families get to know you, ask questions, and learn about the curriculum and standards you’ll teach this year. 

Curriculum Night typically falls within the first few weeks of the new school year. It is commonly held in the evening hours on a school day to give working parents a chance to attend.

What is the purpose of Back to School Night?

Lasting between 60-90 minutes, the purpose of Open House in elementary school is to allow parents and guardians a chance to get a better feel for the classroom teacher and how s/he runs the classroom.

However, in middle and high school, parents are often given only a short time in each classroom in order to have the opportunity to meet all their child’s teachers so the time tends to be more of an overview and learning expectations than relationship-building. 

Back-to-School Night is not a replacement for parent-teacher conferences. Occasionally, parents will come in with a laundry list of questions that are scenarios that only apply to their child. Make it clear that this event is not meant to be a conference for their child, but it is designed to give them information and answer general questions. 

Most schools expect teachers to prepare a short presentation for parents. You might also consider having them fill out forms while they are there. 

How to Get Organized for Back-to-School Night

If you are lucky, your room will be full of parents eager to meet the teacher and tell you about their child. It can be overwhelming to see the room of parents all sitting in front of you, waiting to hear all about your plan for their children this year. Preparation is the key to a low-stress event.

As you begin to think about your school’s Back-to-School Night, you’ll want to do several activities to prepare. If this is your very first Curriculum Night, asking other teachers in your grade level what the event is typically like at your school can be helpful.

You will feel less stressed if you prepare in advance. It can help you make a great impression. Here are a few of the most important things to consider as you start to plan your Back-to-School Night activities.  

1. Create an agenda and a simple Powerpoint presentation.

Once you know how long your presentation should be, you can begin to prepare your Curriculum Night agenda. As you plan, consider how long you’ll spend on specifics and create your presentation to align with this expectation. I’ve shared details on what you can include in your presentation later in this post.

Putting a little extra time into creating your presentation pays off because you’ll be able to make adjustments and use it year after year, so plan to allow yourself a little extra time to complete this task.

As you create your agenda, consider the downtime during arrival and departure from the event. Having activities or parent forms ready as parents begin to arrive can be helpful. This gives them something to do while waiting for your presentation.

2. Share your presentation or hand-out in advance.

Sending an email with your hand-out or a slideshow of your presentation a day or two before your school’s Open House can be a great way to remind parents to attend and set the expectations for what they’ll get out of the event. 

It can also help parents understand what questions they might have before they arrive. Todays Meet is a great, free method to collect questions in advance. This can help you be sure you are touching on important topics to all parents.

3. Have your students create a Back-to-School Night invitation or letter for their family. 

Allowing students to create their own invitations can be a fun way to remind parents of the event. It is also a great way to introduce purposeful writing in the first few weeks of school. 

Whether you decide to have students write a short letter or take out construction paper and allow them to design and color a more formal invitation, your students will love taking their personal invite and hand-delivering it to their families.  

4. Decide what to wear to Back-to-School Night and whether you’ll have time to run home and change. 

Depending on what time your campus has its Open House and how close to campus you live, you may or may not have time to go home this evening. Therefore, it is important to plan what you will wear in advance so you can bring the outfit and anything else you need. 

Typically, Curriculum Night requires teachers to wear business attire. This is your chance to make an impression, so you want to look your best. Parents use this night to “figure you out,” so dress accordingly (even if your campus has a lax dress code). As silly as it might seem, dressing professionally helps solidify your expert status in their minds. 

Since I typically never had time to head home before our school’s Open House, I always packed my outfit, a little make-up, and a brush to get ready in my classroom. I also packed dinner and planned to use the hours leading up to Back-to-School Night as a time to prepare for the week ahead. 

5. Practice once or twice.

Reviewing what you plan to say once or twice before Open House can be helpful. This doesn’t need to be a full speech, but taking the time to consider a general overview of what you’ll say can help prevent awkward silences or issues during your presentation.

7 Must-Haves for a Successful Curriculum Night Presentation

Nearly all Back-to-School Night presentations include certain things. Here are the most important components of a successful Open House presentation.

1. Share a little about yourself.

If you’ve been teaching for some time, you can tell parents how long you’ve been teaching or your educational background, but you’ll also want to tell them a little bit about you outside of the classroom. You might show a picture of your family or pets or share a special hobby. 

First-year teachers don’t feel you have to announce this fact to parents, but you also don’t need to hide it. Many parents will already know you are new to the school, but you can always tell parents it is your first year at this campus or grade level. Parents want to know and trust you.  Let parents know about your journey that led you to stand before them.

Here are a few questions you might answer:

• Why did you become a teacher?
• What do you love most about teaching?
• Think of this as a chance to share your passion for education. 

I always recommend starting with this because if parents arrive late, they are unlikely to have questions about these details.

2. Your classroom schedule & a curriculum overview

This is where you’ll explain what their children will learn and how your classroom runs. Without digging into every detail, I like to give parents an overview of the key units we will cover in each subject. I also explain our arrival and dismissal procedures. 

I try to incorporate details about how students will utilize technology and any special events that align with our curriculum into this presentation section. You can also quickly introduce any tech platforms parents need to know about, like Google Classroom . If you’ve had a chance to get photos of students working in your classroom before the event, these can also be fun to put into your presentation. 

I also like this opportunity to give parents an idea of times they should avoid scheduling appointments. While it sometimes can’t be avoided, parents often appreciate this information because they can prevent their children from missing important instruction.

3. Your approach to behavior & classroom management.

This is your opportunity to get parents on the same page about how you’ll handle behavior and classroom management . If you’ve got some nonnegotiables, this is a great time to discuss them so parents know up-front what to expect. 

For example, I am really big on personal responsibility, so I always let the parents know that this was the year they were officially off the hook for dropping off lunches or homework. I explained that this year these things were their child’s responsibility and the consequences for forgetting.

I made sure to let parents know I wouldn’t let their children go hungry if they forgot lunch because they could get cafeteria food, but they might not get to eat their favorite foods Mom or Dad would pack. Many parents were relieved they wouldn’t get calls at work for forgotten items! 

Discuss your classroom rules, consequences, and how you created them. Don’t focus on the negatives, but give parents a clear understanding of the expectations. Provide specific policies in writing via a handout or your presentation so you can refer to them if something comes up later. 

4. Discuss differentiation.

Parents want to know that you plan to meet their children where they are and find unique ways to tailor your teaching to their strengths and needs. Spend a few minutes discussing how you’ll differentiate in your classroom. 

Explain how you build opportunities for students to dig into areas of interest and be challenged to learn and grow. Also, explain how you’ll support students who may struggle. The idea isn’t to go into much detail, but you want to give an overview to help parents feel confident that you won’t use a one-size-fits-all teaching style. 

5. Homework expectations.

Depending on your school, parents may be eagerly anticipating or dreading homework. It is important to introduce any homework expectations up-front at your Back-to-School Night.

Some parents asked for extra homework and others barely had time to do much. This is why I use Homework Bingo in my classroom. I made sure to explain how this worked to parents during Open House. I wanted things to be clear before assigning homework in my classroom.  

Click here to learn more about how I implemented Homework Bingo.

6. Communication preferences

If you send a weekly newsletter or have a website, walk parents quickly through what they’ll find there. Also, be sure to tell parents the best way to reach you, whether that is by email or phone. 

I also liked to give parents specifics on when I wouldn’t be replying to messages. They should know if they emailed me while I was teaching, they shouldn’t expect a quick response because I wanted to give their child my full attention. 

I explained that parents must call the office to get me a message for emergencies and last-minute transportation changes. I do this because I don’t want to miss a message and have their child accidentally end up being dismissed to the wrong location.  

Finally, thank them for coming, and let them know that if they have specific questions about their child, they can email or call, and you’ll be happy to schedule a conference.

7. Time for questions.

I always start this section by reminding parents that out of respect for their privacy and the time of others, I wouldn’t be able to answer questions specifically about their individual child during this time. However, I would love to answer general questions about our classroom or how things work. This typically took care of the questions that only apply to one child. 

Take questions until they’ve all been answered, time is up, or parents begin to lose focus. At that point, you can let parents know they can email you if they walk out the door and think of more questions. 

How to foster engagement during Back-to-School Night

Most campuses will want you to have a Back-to-School Night sign-in sheet for parents. This lets the school track how many parents attend, and it will likely be provided to you in your mailbox the day of the event. But what can parents do while you wait for everyone to arrive? 

Parents can complete activities during Curriculum Night to help keep you from being bombarded with questions before your presentation. It can also allow you more time to greet families as they arrive. 

Here are some simple ideas for things you can have parents do on Curriculum Night:

• Complete forms or a parent survey to give you more information about their child.
• Sign up to volunteer.
• Complete a classroom scavenger hunt to get a better feel for your room.
• Write a letter to their child to leave for the next day. 

My favorite is the last one because the students get excited to read their parent’s letters. I often pick up a pack of inexpensive notecards with envelopes and leave one on each desk along with a note on my board that tells them to write a letter to their child and tuck it in his or her desk. This keeps parents busy and makes a meaningful activity.

I also like to leave my parents a small treat to thank them for coming. Something like a snack-size candy bar is affordable, and it can be a little sugar fix if they haven’t had a chance to eat dinner before heading over after work. I have these free gift tags that I like to attach to a 100 Grand candy bar.

What to do AFTER Curriculum Night to make a great impression.

Your follow-up can make a huge difference in the impression you make with parents. After parents leave, take a few minutes to write a quick email thanking everyone who attended. You can even draft this before the event and add any specifics at the end before you hit “send.” 

Share your presentation or parent information sheet again, so all parents have access even if they can’t attend. 

Invite parents to email you with questions they think of once they get home, and let them know how they can set up a conference with you. 

Email parents using the blind carbon copy feature (BCC) to protect parent privacy and keep them from hitting “reply all” with personal questions.

Why Open House Really Matters

When parents attend your event, they want to know that their child is in a safe place where they’ll be loved, nurtured, and educated. They want to feel confident that they can trust you to look out for their child when they can’t be there, and they want to know you’ll treat their child fairly and with kindness. 

Create the same warm, welcoming environment you create for students each day. Smile, relax, and allow parents to see the real you shine through.

While Curriculum Night can feel intimidating, when you listen and respect the thoughts and concerns expressed by the parents in your classroom, you can start to forge a strong home-school relationship that will last the entire year. 

Focusing on the core components in this post can ease your stress and help parents better understand what the coming year will be like.

Beyond Back to School Night – Next Steps for Building Community

Looking for more great articles about building classroom community this school year? Check out these great articles:

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Funny PowerPoint Night Ideas: Engaging Presentations for a Fun-filled Event

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on October 16, 2023

Categories Creativity , Education , Entertainment , Inspiration

PowerPoint nights have become a popular way for friends, family, and colleagues to bond over shared creativity and laughs. By selecting a hilarious topic and crafting a presentation filled with humor and wit, you can transform a boring evening into an unforgettable experience.

PowerPoint nights are an excellent icebreaker for getting to know new acquaintances and strengthening existing relationships, all while showing off your unique sense of humor.

To create a successful funny PowerPoint night, start by brainstorming offbeat topics that will engage and entertain your audience.

Consider incorporating multimedia elements such as images, videos, or GIFs to add a touch of flair to your presentation.

Remember, the goal is to delight your friends with a captivating, funny performance that showcases your personality and sense of humor.

Key Takeaways

• Engaging PowerPoint nights can deepen social connections through laughter and shared creativity.
• Successfully selecting an offbeat topic is crucial for capturing your audience’s attention.
• Incorporating multimedia elements into your presentation can enhance your performance and bring added humor.

Basics of A Funny PowerPoint Night

A funny PowerPoint night is a great way to spend time with your friends and showcase your creativity through engaging presentations. To make the most out of the occasion, follow these essential guidelines for a memorable evening.

Firstly, ensure that all participants prepare a short PowerPoint presentation, covering any subject they find amusing or interesting. This can range from bizarre conspiracy theories to ridiculous celebrity trivia.

The internet, particularly TikTok, offers numerous examples of funny PowerPoint night ideas to help spark your creativity.

When organizing the event, invite a diverse group of friends with varying interests and backgrounds. This will not only enrich the discussions but also contribute to a lively and entertaining atmosphere. Make sure everyone is comfortable with the presentation topics and avoid anything offensive or inappropriate.

To encourage interactivity, set a time limit for each presentation, allowing sufficient time for questions and laughs. This keeps the night agile and engaging, preventing any boredom from lengthy presentations. You can also introduce fun elements, such as voting for the best presentation or including a round of quickfire questions at the end of each slide.

Finally, remember to focus on the visuals and tone of your PowerPoint. Opt for clean, vibrant slides with eye-catching images, illustrations, or gifs. Effective use of humor and a confident delivery will make your presentation stand out and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Incorporate these elements into your next PowerPoint night, and you’ll have the perfect recipe for an enjoyable and entertaining evening with your friends.

Choosing the Right Topic

Hints for Personal Topics

When selecting a topic for a funny PowerPoint night, consider focusing on personal experiences and interests.

Share hilarious stories related to dating, relationships, and embarrassing moments involving your family or friends.

Creating a presentation on your bucket list can also be entertaining, especially if you include unconventional goals and dreams.

Intriguing Public Topics

For a captivating presentation, delve into the world of movies, TV shows, celebrities, and even reality shows. Craft a segment that challenges your audience to guess whether a reality show synopsis is genuine or made up.

Discuss conspiracy theories surrounding popular media and technology.

Analyze which friend would die first in a horror movie.

By exploring these public topics, you’ll engage your audience and generate laughter throughout your PowerPoint night.

Presentation Elements

Using Graphics and Animations

To make your PowerPoint night ideas more engaging, incorporate eye-catching graphics and animations. These visual elements can help deliver information in a fun and memorable way.

Select images that are relevant to your topic, and use animations sparingly to emphasize key points or transitions. The goal is to entertain your audience, not to overwhelm them with too much movement or clutter.

Spicing Up Text with Fonts and Colors

Your text is an essential part of your presentation, so make it visually appealing by experimenting with different fonts and colors. Choose fonts that are easy to read, even from a distance, and avoid using too many font styles in a single slide.

With colors, choose contrasting shades for your text and background to ensure readability. Be mindful of the color scheme, as it should reflect your topic’s tone and enhance the overall aesthetics of your presentation.

Reality Through Videos

Integrating YouTube videos or other clips can elevate your PowerPoint night ideas to new heights. Videos can bring a touch of reality to your presentation by providing relatable scenarios, entertaining clips, or supporting facts.

Make sure you select relevant videos that align with your topic and keep your audience engaged. Test the video playback before presenting to ensure seamless integration into your PowerPoint.

Additional Concepts

Utilizing Social Media

Incorporating popular memes and trends from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram can add a fun and relevant twist to your PowerPoint night.

As you brainstorm ideas, think about what topics millennials and Gen Z are currently discussing online. You can even search for inspiration on social media by browsing trending hashtags.

To add a personal touch, consider transforming popular memes or Instagram challenges into a unique slideshow. For example, you could create a meme-based presentation by applying a classic meme format to stories from your own life.

Alternatively, you might find inspiration in Instagram trends, such as the “10 Year Challenge” that encourages users to share before-and-after photos spanning a decade.

Adding A Personal Touch

Adding personal touches to your PowerPoint night can make your presentation funny and memorable for everyone involved. One approach is to delve into your hobbies and interests, using them as the foundation for your slides.

Share amusing anecdotes or even poke fun at your own quirks to give the audience a glimpse into your personality. You might also involve your friends in the presentation by asking them to share stories and experiences related to the topic.

If you’re looking for more personalized ideas, consider incorporating zodiac signs or love languages into your presentation.

You can create humorous comparisons between your astrological sign and the typical traits associated with it or take a lighthearted approach to the five love languages by creating a ranking system or quiz.

Mastering The Tech

PowerPoint Tips and Techniques

To create a hilarious PowerPoint night, you should polish your PowerPoint skills. This will help ensure your presentation is engaging, visually appealing, and easy to follow. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Keep it simple: Stick to a consistent color scheme and font throughout your presentation. Avoid using too many animations or transitions, as they can be distracting.
• Use visuals wisely: Incorporate relevant images, graphs, or videos to support your points. Remember, less is more when it comes to visuals.
• Bullet points are your friends: Break up text into bullet points or short phrases to make it easier for your audience to digest the information.
• Practice makes perfect: Run through your presentation multiple times before the big night to ensure your slides flow smoothly and you have a good grasp of the content.

Leveraging Online Resources

To make your PowerPoint night even more entertaining, take advantage of various online resources. These tools can help you find captivating content, enhance your presentation’s design, and ensure your PowerPoint skills are up to par. Here are some resources to explore:

• PowerPoint templates: Both PowerPoint itself and third-party platforms offer a wealth of creative templates to suit any theme. Choose one that matches your topic and customize it to your liking.
• Google Slides: If you prefer using Google Slides, this platform also provides a plethora of templates and design options to create a fantastic presentation.
• Royalty-free images and videos: Sites like Unsplash and Pexels offer a vast selection of high-quality, royalty-free visuals to enhance your slides.
• Infographics and charts: Online tools like Canva or Piktochart can help you create professional-looking infographics and charts to make your presentation more visually appealing.

With these tips, techniques, and resources in your toolbox, you’ll be well-equipped to create a memorable and funny PowerPoint night that everyone will enjoy.

Event Planning

Food and Beverages

When planning a PowerPoint night, it’s essential to have a good selection of food and snacks available for your guests. Opt for a mix of savory and sweet items, such as chips and dip, finger sandwiches, mini pizzas, and a dessert platter.

Don’t forget beverages, too! Offer a range of choices, from soft drinks and fruit juices to tea, coffee, and alcoholic options for those who’d like them.

Social Activities and Games

A PowerPoint night is a wonderful opportunity to bond with family and friends, so be sure to incorporate engaging social activities and games. In addition to presenting your funny PowerPoint creations, consider including icebreakers, team challenges, or even a drinking game tailored to the content of the presentations.

This will not only add a layer of excitement to the evening but also encourage more interaction among your guests, making it a memorable gathering.

Setting The Mood

The ambiance plays a crucial role in ensuring a successful PowerPoint night. Focus on setting up a cozy and inviting atmosphere by adjusting the lighting, using candles or LED lights as accents, and playing suitable background music.

A comfortable seating arrangement is also important, whether it’s a casual living room setup or a more formal presentation area. Make sure you have a large enough screen or projector for a clear display of your presentations, and don’t forget to do a sound check to verify that everyone can hear the audio clearly.

Post Event Ranking

To keep the excitement going even after the presentations are over, introduce a post-event ranking system. Invite attendees to anonymously vote on their favorite presentations by distributing ballots or using an online voting platform.

Rank the presentations based on various categories, such as humor, creativity, and overall delivery.

Announce the winners and hand out fun, lighthearted prizes to celebrate their achievements. This friendly competition element will encourage everyone to share their opinions and have a good time reflecting on the PowerPoint night experience.

Incorporating funny PowerPoint night ideas into your next gathering can be a surefire way to create memorable moments with friends, colleagues, or loved ones.

When crafting your PowerPoint night, consider thinking outside the box and embracing your creative side. From sharing your favorite TikTok topics to exploring mind-blowing presentation ideas, the possibilities are truly endless.

Remember, the goal is to make it a fun and enjoyable experience for all participants.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some humorous topics for a presentation night?

There are numerous funny topics to choose from when planning a PowerPoint presentation night. You can match your friends with movie characters, identify which Taylor Swift song best describes them, or even compare them to dog breeds. The key is to tailor the subject matter to your friend group’s interests and inside jokes for maximum laughter.

How do you create entertaining PowerPoint presentations?

To create an engaging PowerPoint presentation, focus on selecting vibrant colors, employing varied slide designs, and incorporating images, gifs, or videos. You should also consider adding interactive elements like quizzes or games. Remember to balance humor with well-structured content and keep your slides short and precise to maintain your audience’s attention.

What are popular themes for a game night using PowerPoint?

PowerPoint game night themes can range from trivia games like “Who Knows Me Best” to more nostalgic endeavors like going through old photos together. You can also do a “Never Have I Ever” presentation, showcasing amusing and surprising stories. Creativity is key—think about what your friends enjoy and design a theme around those preferences.

How can you incorporate TikTok trends into a PowerPoint night?

Incorporating TikTok trends into your PowerPoint night allows you to engage your audience further and make the experience more relatable. For example, take cues from these TikTok-inspired topics and adapt them to suit your presentation. This can include incorporating popular dance moves, tapping into viral challenges, or highlighting amusing memes relevant to your chosen subject.

What are some witty ideas for school presentations?

When selecting witty ideas for school presentations, ensure they are appropriate for the academic setting. You can consider comparing your classmates to famous book characters, reimagining historical events with a humorous twist, or discussing bizarre scientific theories. The goal is to keep your audience entertained while still maintaining a strong educational focus.

Where can you find templates for amusing PowerPoint nights?

There are many online resources available for finding templates designed to help create entertaining PowerPoint night presentations. Websites like Decktopus offer unique and customizable PowerPoint templates, making it easy to get started on your hilarious presentation night. Additionally, you can search for templates on PowerPoint itself or browse through various creative platforms for inspiration.

What are effective speech introduction examples for school presentations?

When giving a speech for a school presentation, it's important to start off strong and capture the attention of your audience. Here are some effective speech introduction examples for school presentations:

Simple Introduction: "Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone. My name is [Your Name], and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to speak to you today. I'm a [grade/year] student here at [School Name], and I'm excited to share [topic of speech] with you." [1]

Opening Speech with Greetings:

• "Hello, everyone. I’d like, first of all, to thank the organizers of this meeting for inviting me here today." [2]
• "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am honored to have the opportunity to address such a distinguished audience." [2]
• Give your introduction: Introduce Yourself:
• "My name is [Your Name], friends call me [Nickname]. I am a [grade/year] student at [School Name]. Today, I am here to talk about [topic of speech]." [1]
• "For those of you who don’t know me already, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a [grade/year] student here at [School Name]." [1]
• Opening with the Topic of the Speech:
• "What I’d like to present to you today is…" [2]
• "As you can see on the screen, our topic today is…" [2]

Remember, the key to an effective speech introduction is to be confident, engaging, and concise. Tailor your introduction to suit your audience and the purpose of your presentation.

Learn more:

• What are some examples on how to introduce yourself ... - Quora
• 12+ Opening Speech Examples for Presentations & Quick Tips
• Updated for 2024 | 30 useful phrases for presentations in English - The London School of English

Continue the conversation

Explore more.

7 Tips to Make Your School Presentation Stand Out

Canva is a wonderful accessible program that anyone can learn to use to make an array of graphic assets. You can use this versatile tool to elevate your next school presentation. Who says that school has to look boring? Making information visually appealing is extremely impactful and exactly what a designer does! Plus, making a factually accurate presentation that is fun and beautiful will score you extra points with your teacher. In today’s Canva tutorial , we will talk about how to make your school presentation stand out. These tips can be implemented and modified to make a presentation for your own topic for class. Not only will you have wonderful pieces you can use for school but you can have a bit more fun doing homework!

Discover tips to make your school presentation stand out

In a crowd of presentations, how do you make yours stand out? There are many boring pre-made templates that don’t use enough pictures out there, and if you’re in a time crunch there’s no problem using these. This tutorial wants to challenge you to create a stunning presentation from scratch rather than copying and pasting into a carbon-copied template. Here you will learn a few tricks to turning your boring school presentation to an eye-catching work of art.

1. Have a stunning opener

First impressions are important and that counts for school presentations too! Make that first opening slide memorable but remember to keep it relevant to your topic. Remember, keep the aesthetic for the rest of your presentation, because the opening slide sets the tone for the rest of the presentation.

Make sure not to overcrowd your opening slide with pictures, graphics, or words. In this case, less is more. You can even make one image frame your text for an effortless but professional look. Just make sure to have all the important information on there.

2. Limit the colors in your presentation

Use no more than five colors for your whole presentation. Remember simplicity is key. It is hard to know which words or information is important if every word is a different color! Use color sparingly, consistently and to highlight important information. Use your colors as accents, not the main stars of your presentation.

3. Have consistent slides

Build a template you can follow throughout your presentation. Or chose any of Canva's existing templates from the toolbar on the left. Then adapt the colors to make it uniquely your own by clicking on each object in the template, clicking on the color box near the top left of your slide window, and changing the color.

Add visual interest by using a second font. Pair different fonts and styles for body copy and titles in your slides and stick with it with all of your slides. In terms of fonts, also try to stick to a sans-serif font, as it will be easier for audience members to read. Pick a similar background and use the same colors throughout your presentation and make them indicate similar things throughout your presentation to create a design language with your audience and solidify information rapidly.

4. Add stunning photos

Have you noticed the most boring presentations lack any visual elements and pictures? Although some may think it distracting from the information at hand, visuals can help solidify information in your presentation. A lot of people learn in different ways, so by keeping it entertaining and visually appealing for those visual learners, you can broaden the interest of your audience. In fact, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text!

To add photos or graphics in Canva, use the toolbar on the left to click on Elements. Then search for the item you're hoping to add. Next click on Photos, Graphics or Videos to see relevant results for each type of content. Once you find the image you like, just click on it and drag it onto your slide. You can also upload your own images by clicking Upload in the left-hand toolbar.

5. Write short, direct bullet points

Presentations are all about information so we want the message to be clear. Remember, less means more! Like in the title page, only put the most important information on your slides and make them short and easy to understand sentences. Visuals can help where words can fail.

6. Add some finishing flourish

You can add simple animations and transitions between slides to really make your presentation come to life! To add animations simply click on the objects on your slide you want to animate, and then click Animate above your working window. You'll have to option to chose how those objects move onto the slide, such as from the left side, from the bottom, and so on. You can also use animation to make items get larger or smaller (select under Scale), and really pop out by tumbling (select under Exaggerate), and more.

7. Don’t forget to research!

Now that you have a visually stunning presentation, hit it out of the ball park by having accurate facts fill in those short bullet points. What your teacher will care about is facts, making it look pretty is the icing on the cake. Research your topic online, reference your textbook, and ask your teacher for more information if needed!

Want to learn more about how Canva works?

If you liked this tutorial and want to learn more about how to navigate and create with Canva, take our Canva for Beginners Classes . If you got Canva down already but want to learn a bit more about design principles, take a look at our Discovering Design Classes .

Try tips to make your school presentation stand out

If you’re interested in learning another design software we also have a Procreate tips for beginners tutorial and a fun beginner Procreate  tutorial.

Written by Ashley Velasquez. As a visual learner growing up in the age of technology, she was fascinated by the graphics and videos that would dance on early computer screens. As she started pursuing Visual Communications in college, she found that design involved in translating information, ideas and opinions onto endless platforms.

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After-School Program Curriculum Ideas

Back to School Night Agenda

Absodels / Getty Images

• Classroom Organization
• Reading Strategies
• Becoming A Teacher
• Assessments & Tests
• Secondary Education
• Special Education
• Homeschooling
• B.A., Sociology, University of California Los Angeles

Back to School Night is your opportunity to make a strong, positive first impression on your new students' parents. Time is short, but there's a lot of information to cover so it's important to make a schedule of Back to School Night activities and follow it as closely as possible. That way, you can feel confident that you will address all of the most important points, while the parents will get all of their questions answered in a friendly and orderly manner.

Sample Back to School Night Schedule

Use the following sample schedule of Back to School Night activities as a road-map of key points you might want to cover during your own presentation.

• Distribute (or display via presentation) the evening's agenda so that parents know what to expect.
• Briefly introduce yourself, including your educational background, teaching experience, interests, and a few friendly pieces of personal information.
• Give an overview of the scope and sequence of the curriculum you will be covering with the students over the course of the school year. Show textbooks and give a thumbnail sketch of what the students will know by the end of the year.
• Describe a typical day in your classroom as exhibited through the daily schedule. Be sure to mention which days of the week are for special activities such as physical education class or visiting the library.
• Mention a few important dates in the school calendar, perhaps the major vacation dates, field trips, assemblies, carnivals, etc.
• Review the classroom and school rules and procedures. Consider asking the parents to sign a slip that indicates their agreement to the classroom rules and corresponding consequences.
• Tell the parents about opportunities to volunteer in the classroom. Be specific about what you need and what various jobs entail. Let them know where the volunteer sign-up sheet is located.
• Allow a few minutes for the parents to ask you questions in a whole group setting. Only take time to answer questions that apply to all or most of the students. Child-specific questions should be addressed in a different format.
• Distribute your contact information, how you prefer to be contacted, and how the parents can expect to hear from you on a weekly or monthly basis (class newsletter, for example). Introduce the Room Parent, if applicable.
• Let the parents meander around the classroom for a few minutes, exploring bulletin boards and learning centers. You can even conduct a quick scavenger hunt for a fun way for parents to explore the classroom. And remember to encourage them to leave a little note for their children.
• Smile, thank everyone for coming, and relax. You did it!
• 19 Back to School Word Search Puzzles
• Parent-Teacher Communication
• 6 Ways Elementary School Teachers Can Welcome Students Back to School
• Back to School Checklist for Teachers
• The Role of the Principal in Schools
• 7 Back to School Tips for Teachers
• How to Set up Your Classroom for the First Day of School
• Student Welcome Letter
• How Teachers Can Ease Students' First Day Jitters
• 12 New Teacher Start-of-School Strategies
• School Communication Policy
• How to Be a Successful Substitute Teacher
• Back to School Printables
• Effective Classroom Policies and Procedures
• Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference
• 25 Things Every Teacher Wants From Their Stakeholders

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Summerhill School

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Presentation Evening

Evie Gameson, with a report on the presentation evening

Our Year 11s leaving was a time of success and sadness. We said our goodbyes and cried our tears but for one short evening the school opened its arms to welcome back its former stars.

The ex-students were greeted by a stunning performance from the steel pans and the Summerhill Choir and then when everyone took their seats.  Mr Palfreyman and Mr Cresswell welcomed the students and explained how the evening would proceed, commenting on how the year groups GCSE results were some of the best the school has ever seen.

Jack Rutter was this year’s guest speaker he told the students about his story, his success and most importantly his resilience. “Steps to success,” he said, “be resilient, step out of your comfort zone and have a positive attitude.”

The Heads of House handed out the special awards.

Mr Glattback handed out the Maths award which went to Caitlyn Clarke.  He then presented the Draco student of the year to Matt Watkins.

Next up was Mr Bull.  He gifted the music and drama award to Harvey Dalloway and the presented the Orion student to Hollie Cardo.

Mr Quirke's section swiftly followed where he gave the Religious Studies award to Chloe Williams and then handed the award for Pegasus student of the year to the Kinsa Arshad.

Mr Wollerton proceeded to present the Design Technology award to Kai Donovan who also received the Computer Science award.

Finally the award for outstanding achievement, to a delighted Molly Fackerel.

We are immensely proud of all of our students - remember, you will always be a part of Summerhill.

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King James's School

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Presentation Evening 2023

King James's School's Presentation Evening is an opportunity to recognise the school's individual and collective successes of the previous year.

Whilst many former students come back simply to be presented with their GCSE certificates, others are rewarded for their excellence in academic, sporting and social fields.

This year's Presentation Evening will be held at school on Thursday 23rd November, 2023.

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Marc Chagall and Jewish Theater, Part One

by Jeanne Willette | Nov 11, 2016 | Modern , Modern Art

Marc Chagall in Moscow

The murals for the jewish theater.

To the end of his life, Marc Chagall remained circumspect about his ouster from the People’s Art School in Vitebsk. And the coup against the artist was no small event. Chagall had been appointed by none other than the People’s Commissariat of Enlightenment, Anatoly Lunacharsky (1875-1933), an old friend from their days in Paris, living in the artists’ building, known as La Ruche. Moe than the friendly connection with the new government, there was the symbolic gesture of Lunacharsky appointing a Jewish head of an art school for the people, indicating the end of the Pale of the Settlement, or the erasure of the line that had kept Jews cordoned off and separated from non-Jewish Russians since 1791. Under Catherine the Great and Alexander II, areas beyond the original borders of Russia had been annexed, especially Poland, which continued a large number of Jews. The “Pale of the Settlement,” a phase coined by Nicholas I, scooped up, so to speak, much of this new population, which was subject to restrictions on their movements. For the most part, these restrictions were to eliminate economic competition from Jews and the travel restrictions were based upon a policy of restricting the comings and goings of Russians in general. After centuries, suddenly, in 1917, all Russians were equal, opening unimaginable vistas for Jews who were filled with hope for the future. Therefore, to remove a friend of Lunacharsky and a Jewish artist over aesthetic differences could have been a dangerous move for Chagall’s “enemies,” Kazimir Malevich and El Lissitzky. But, Chagall, embittered, removed himself from the unpleasant situation and left Vitebsk for Moscow and a new project. Writing sadly about these difficult days, the artist later wrote sadly,

I would not be surprised if, after such a long absence, my town effaced all traces of me and would no longer remember him who, laying down his own brush, tormented himself, suffered and gave himself the trouble of implanting Art there, who dreamed of transforming the ordinary houses into museum and the ordinary habitants into creative people. And I understood then that no man is a prophet in his own country. I left for Moscow.”

Marc Chagall. The Fiddler (1912)

Chagall walked into a pause in the historical Russian penchant for anti-Semitism. For the Russians, the war had just ended but during the Great War, local prejudices against Jews ran high. Over six hundred thousand Jews were ousted from their homes by the army and the historical pograms led by Cossacks increased–all because Jews were being scapegoated and blamed for the military’s difficulties with the Germans.  But after the War, the government policy towards Jews changed abruptly. The significance of the sudden surge or influx of Jewish culture into the mainstream of Russian society rests upon political changes that went beyond the Revolution itself. When one looks at a list of prominent Bolshevik leaders of the October Revolution, it become clear that the majority were Jewish. According to Mark Weber’s article “The Jewish Role in the Bolshevik Revolution and Russia’s Early Soviet Regime,”

With the notable exception of Lenin (Vladimir Ulyanov), most of the leading Communists who took control of Russia in 1917-20 were Jews. Leon Trotsky (Lev Bronstein) headed the Red Army and, for a time, was chief of Soviet foreign affairs. Yakov Sverdlov (Solomon) was both the Bolshevik party’s executive secretary and — as chairman of the Central Executive Committee — head of the Soviet government. Grigori Zinoviev (Radomyslsky) headed the Communist International (Comintern), the central agency for spreading revolution in foreign countries. Other prominent Jews included press commissar Karl Radek (Sobelsohn), foreign affairs commissar Maxim Litvinov (Wallach), Lev Kamenev (Rosenfeld) and Moisei Uritsky. Lenin himself was of mostly Russian and Kalmuck ancestry, but he was also one-quarter Jewish. His maternal grandfather, Israel (Alexander) Blank, was a Ukrainian Jew who was later baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church. A thorough-going internationalist, Lenin viewed ethnic or cultural loyalties with contempt. He had little regard for his own countrymen. “An intelligent Russian,” he once remarked, “is almost always a Jew or someone with Jewish blood in his veins.”

According to Weber, over time, when anti-Semitism inevitably returned to this land of the pograms, this early history of active Jewish participation in the Revolution was obscured. But at the time, outside observers such as Winston Churchill were well aware of the role played by Jewish revolutionary leaders. “With the notable exception of Lenin, the majority of the leading figures are Jews. Moreover, the principal inspiration and driving power comes from the Jewish leaders. Thus Tchitcherin, a pure Russian, is eclipsed by his nominal subordinate, Litvinoff, and the influence of Russians like Bukharin or Lunacharski cannot be compared with the power of Trotsky, or of Zinovieff, the Dictator of the Red Citadel (Petrograd), or of Krassin or Radek — all Jews,” Churchill said–and his observations were not necessarily positive.

The most famous member of the inner circle was  Leon Trotsky, targeted by an anti-Semitic cartoon from the White Army

This connection between Jews and Communism or leftism or revolutions was made by others, thus linking Bolshevikism with the Jews, with what would be tragic consequences. Rival factions in the Soviet Union were resentful of the sudden favoritism, and perhaps most unexpectedly, the ranks of the secret police were filled with Jews, also certain to former more discontent. However, in 1920, when Marc Chagall arrived in Moscow, he was part of a vanguard that would attempt to knit the Yiddish culture into Russia, an empire that once kept Jews within the Pale. Once the Jews became full citizens and were granted their rights as citizens of the Provisional Government, the explosion of Jewish culture was immediate. As  Jewish Renaissance in the Russian Revolution , written by  Kenneth B. Moss, explained,

Most Jews in Russia and Ukraine no doubt spent the years of the Revolution and Civil War merely struggling to survive, like most of their countrymen. But a disproportionately large minority participated in Revolutionary Russia’s  tumultuous political life.Most famously, many played important roles across the spectrum of Russian radical and liberal politics..Yet for a significant cohort of intellectuals, writers, artists, patrons, publicists, teachers, activists embedded in this national intelligentsia, February also bore a second imperative..some o Russian Jewelry’s most talented men and women also threw themselves into efforts of unprecedented scale and intensity to crate what they called a “new Jewish culture.”Between February 1917 and the consolidation of Bolshevik power in 1919-1920, European Russia and Ukraine became the sites of the most ambitious programs of Jewish cultural  formation that Eastern Europe had yet seen or indeed would see again.

This Yiddish culture that Chagall would animate and illustrate in the Moscow theater, the Yiddish Chamber Theater, was a folk, rather than an elite, culture. Based upon a distinctive language, Yiddish, that emerged around 1000 CE, emanating from the Ashkenazic Jews or the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe, clustered in large numbers in the Russian Empire by the beginning of the twentieth century. This hybrid language, a mixture of Medieval German and Hebrew, was used exclusively by the Jews of this part of Europe. Jews from the Western nations, such as Germany, could understand smatterings of this very old language but, for Gentiles, the words would be impossible to comprehend. This point is important because the Jewish Theater, moved from Petrograd to Moscow by Lunacharsky, was intended to not just preserve and formalize a part of Russian society, previously excluded, the productions also had to be integrated and assimilated by a non-Jewish audience. For this audience, the task of interpretation was made easier by the fact that the performances were pantomime like. Given that the reception of these Yiddish literary creations would be directed to a mixed audience, the images created by Chagall had to the iconic but not stereotypical and instantly recognizable as paradigm figures of Jewish culture.

When the theater was transferred to Moscow, its name changed slightly, and, indeed, would change off and on until it was extinguished in 1949. In Chagall’s time the theater, which was unexpectedly avant-garde and experimental, was called State Yiddish Chamber Theater or GOSEKT. Under the leadership of Alexei Granovsky, the Theater in Petrograd came into being before the Revolution, the presentations were very sophisticated, devoid of kitsch and imbued with the influence of the German theater director and producer, Max Reinhardt (Maximilian Goldmann), an Austrian who worked in Berlin and reformed the naturalism of the turn of the century into a self-conscious total work of art or  Gesamtkunstwerk . As Curt Levient wrote, “Granovsky had trained in Berlin with legendary director Max Reinhardt and developed a vision of theater that melded acting, set design, costumes, lighting, music, dance, movement, and gesture — even silence — into an organic whole.” In his important book on  The Moscow Yiddish Theater: Art on Stage in Time of Revolution , Benjamin Harshav noted that Granovsky was persuaded by theater critic, Abram Efros, to ask the distinguished artist to paint the back drops. The “theater” was actually a confiscated home of a wealthy merchant who had fled the Bolshevik distaste for the moneyed class. The site of the actual performance was small, holding less that a hundred people who were lucky enough to enjoy the remarkable combination of Marc Chagall and Sholem Aleichem, whose play would be the inaugural production.

Recreation of Chagall’s Box: the Back Wall and Frieze

Working with a young group of players, none over the age of twenty-seven, Chagall had a unique opportunity in a nation at a new starting point to reset the conventions for theater, a desire he shared with Granovsky, to drag theater into the twentieth century. More than that, according to the 1993 catalogue from the Guggenheim Museum on the work of Chagall for GOSEKT (or GOSET), “Chagall presented a unique, and uniquely Jewish, approach. Through specifically Jewish visual puns, Yiddish inscriptions, and references to the festivities of Jewish weddings and Purim — a Jewish analogue to carnival in its emphasis on ludicrous masquerades and outrageous intoxication — he posited a distinctive model for the Jewish Theater.”  For this occasion, Chagall produced what would later be called “Chagall’s Box,” murals which bound the theatrical world inhabited by his sets and costumes. The main set piece was a twenty-sux foot mural on the left wall, “Introduction to the Jewish Theater,” that formed the main backdrop for the three one act plays. He also painted four panels, representing the arts, placed between the windows opposite. Leaving no surface untouched, Chagall painted a frieze and the ceiling and then produced a mural called “Love on the Stage” for the back of the “theater.”

The production was so elaborate and the costumes of painted rags and dotted face make up so Chagall specific, Granovsky accepted the unique contribution but did not invite the artist and his complex and expensive schemes and motifs to do another production. And yet, the spell of Chagall lived on and subsequent set designers were impacted by his unbridled imagination that activated a magical Yiddish cast of characters. The artist was inspired by the nineteenth century authors who created Yiddish literature, Sholem Yankev Abramovitsch, who wrote under the nom de plume, Mendele Moykher Sforim, often referred to as “Mendele,” and Yitzhak Leib Peretz, both of whom elevated and incorporated a folk culture into high literature. The writer whose stories were featured in the 1921 production designed by Chagall is perhaps the most famous, Solomon Rabinovitch, who also wrote under a name other than his own, Sholem Aleichem, which is a play on an old Yiddish greeting of “peace be upon you.” On the evening of January 1st of 1921, “Evening of Sholom-Aleihem” presented two one act plays, “Agentn (Agents)” and “Mazltov,” word that needs on translation.

Set for Mazltov

The plays may have been classic Yiddish literature but the action was totally avant-garde , based upon Granovsky’s idea that theater began in silence and a dark room and that the actors emerged in and out of the dream space. The actors were directed or guided, as it were by a “system of dots,” something like pantomime, in which the actors would freeze and pose in place, following “an assembly of dots,” as Abram Efros put it. In other words, theater was de-naturalized and flattened with the actual actors mimicking the painted figures of Chagall, binding the surrounding “Chagall Box” to the audience and to the actors, negating the theatrical stage and turning it into a dark non-space from which characters emerged as if from a canvas, becoming the artist’s creations.

The next post will discuss the famous murals, displayed until 1925 and hidden away for another five decades.

If you have found this material useful, please give credit to

Dr. Jeanne S. M. Willette and  Art History Unstuffed.    

[email protected]

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DOT outlining options for $55 million Route 36 Corridor project at Hornell public forum

New york state's plans to transform a major hornell thoroughfare will come into sharper focus at a public meeting next week in hornell high school..

New York state's plans to transform a key Hornell thoroughfare will come into sharper focus at a public meeting next week.

From 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 30 in the Hornell High School auditorium, Department of Transportation engineers will update the status of the $55 million Route 36 project and outline how the busy four-lane corridor from Cass Street in the City of Hornell to the southern limit of the Village of Arkport may be changing in the next decade.

Following the presentations, the gathering will move over to the high school cafeteria for an open house session.

What the Route 36 Corridor project is all about

The Route 36 changes are expected to address concerns arising from the 1970s construction of the four-lane, which did not account for a rise in commercial development along the corridor or make accommodations for pedestrians and people on bikes.

According to DOT, goals include improving safety, calming traffic and accommodating an increase in pedestrian and bicycle use along a major stretch of Hornell roadway that sees 13,000 vehicles a day across 10 intersections.

A “suburban transition area” from Adsit Street to Big Creek Road includes the Hornell Plaza anchored by Walmart and Wegmans, where some of the highest traffic volumes are recorded.

That transition area also has significant speed limit changes, varying from 30 to 45 to 55 miles per hour.

At a July 2022 public meeting , DOT said roundabouts at strategic intersections, full access at the northern plaza driveway and extending the two-lane section of 36 from Arkport south along the “rural” section of the corridor were under consideration, as are other concepts, like adjusting speed limits.

During the 2022 meeting, DOT noted there is a well-worn path in the grass median between 36 and the plaza, indicating a steady stream of foot traffic, but the area is unlit and does not have any pedestrian accommodations.

Here's the tentative Route 36 project timeline

DOT said engineers will present "preferred alternatives" or options at the Hornell High School meeting. The high school is located at 134 Seneca St.

The project remains in development and public input will continue to be collected, DOT said.

A project outline envisions bid openings in fall 2026, with construction beginning shortly after. Construction is expected to be completed during the winter of 2028-29.

Travel: 'Living snow fence': DOT plants 1,000 white pine trees in known whiteout spots. See where.

Both state and federal funding sources will be tapped for the project, according to the timeline.

For more information, contact [email protected] .

Follow Neal Simon on Twitter @HornellTribNeal . To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today .