As the third academic quarter of the school year begins winding to a close, many signs that spring has arrived at FHC have started to appear: spring sports, class projects, college admissions and music rehearsals, among others. However, amid the recent confusion over the calendar for the remainder of this school year, one spring trademark has been noticeably missing: buzz about spring conferences.

The unusual silence surrounding this semester’s parent-teacher conferences does in no way mean that they are off the calendar. Even though the original designated date for spring conferences—Friday, March 25—is no longer a day off due to snow day make ups, formal conferences will still take place after school on Thursday, March 10 and Wednesday, March 23 from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. each day. All teachers, unless they have informed students otherwise, will be in their classrooms to meet with parents and discuss second semester progress.

Spring conferences have been known to operate “under the radar” in the past, and attendance at these conferences traditionally falls below that of fall conferences. Still, spring conferences offer another opportunity for both students and their parents to talk to teachers in person to iron out issues with attendance, grades, extra help and more.

“It’s nice to put a face to a name [at conferences],” said Ms. Lisa Niswonger, history department chair.

This kind of interaction, which is more personal than e-mail, phone calls or grade checking via Parent Portal, is a tool that students should be aware of. The Francis Howell School District offers tips for parents on guiding conferences.

“Participation [in conferences] is an important way [parents] can show support and schedule an individual conference if needed,” district says.