Wouldn’t it be nice if parents, if only so they could sympathize with their tweenage offspring, had to go to school again and deal with the hectic schedule, demanding teachers, the rushing from class to class, and mountains of homework? Well, they did (minus the homework, unfortunately) on the evening of Thursday, October 5 during the Middle School’s annual Back-to-School Night. It was an opportunity for parents to meet their child’s teachers, catch up with one another, and get a feel for the middle school curricula.

The night started off in the gym where parents collected their child’s academic schedules and were welcomed by Head of Middle School Mr. Charles Hagy. Also addressing the parents that evening was Dr. Thomas Matese, a Benjamin parent who, along with his wife, Dr. Anne Matese, is this year’s Annual Fund Co-Chair. Matese explained to parents why it’s important to give to the annual fund as it bridges the gap between what tuition covers and what the actual cost is to run the School.

Parents were then released to find their child’s advisory class as the schedule went in order, running from A period through G period. To help parents find their way around, members of the Middle School Student Council were scattered around the campus directing any parents that were lost. “A few parents got lost, but a bunch the parents knew where they were going since they were seventh and eighth-grade parents who have been here before,” said seventh-grade Student Council member Sarah Darby. “But I did help the new parents and the sixth grade parents.”

Despite a few souls who got turned around, the night was a success according to Hagy. “BTS went better than planned,” he said. “We had a good number of parents, the night flowed well, [and] the only thing we were missing was Mr. Goldberg – we missed him a lot. He is doing well with his treatments [for pancreatic cancer], but he can’t be in large crowds.”

Although Mr. Goldberg was missed, the parents enjoyed the evening learning about their child’s classes.

“This event is excellent,” said Mr. Bill Perry, father of sixth grader Finlay Allen. “It is very organized, and I like that TBS students are helping other parents out. My favorite part was the [interactive white boards] and the teachers and students interacting with it. It’s just amazing.”

Other parents were glad TBS provided the opportunity for parents to learn about the curriculum.

“Back-to-School Night is very important without a doubt,” said Mr. Brad NUtter, father of seventh grader Owen Nutter and fourth grader Eric Nutter. “It is important for us to know the approach the teachers are taking, and is important for us parents to let our students know that it is important to us that we learn about what is going on in school,” he said.

Overall, it was a great night for the Middle School

“Enthusiasm was high [and] parents were complimentary,” said Hagy. “[Back-to-School Night] is a very important function because that is where the parents make the connection with the teacher, and we really can not most effectively educate our children unless there is a good solid communication established between the parents and the teacher.”

While students may have been disappointed that their parents did not receive any homework, it was an informative and enjoyable evening for all involved. The parents were able to get a good feel for the curricula, and had the opportunity to establish a firm relationship with their child’s teachers.