At NIS, we understand that learning happens continuously both on campus and beyond. Therefore, we recognize that learning is a shared journey between students, families, and teachers. Throughout the year, our learning conferences provide four distinct lenses and opportunities for connection, reflection, goal-setting, and celebration. While every conference is truly a three-way conversation, each has its own emphasis; aiming to highlight and hear the different voices within the student–family–school triangle.
September 15: INSPIRE – Hopes & Dreams (Parent-Led Conferences)
We begin the year with inspiration. Previously known as Parent Information Day, these parent-led conferences invite families and students to share their hopes, dreams, and goals for the months ahead. It is a chance for teachers to listen closely to what matters most to each child and family, and to align learning goals with those aspirations. This early dialogue sets the tone for a year of purposeful learning. In this conference, the homeroom teacher, as the central point of contact for students, plays a pivotal role in collating and understanding the students in their homeroom, as well as their goals and any potential challenges that lie ahead. We also recognize that, in Secondary, it is also an opportunity for families to meet their children's academic teachers in each role. The drop-in style conference allows parents to meet multiple teachers at the same time.
November 3: INQUIRE – Teacher-Led Conferences
By November, the focus shifts toward inquiry. In these teacher-led conferences, the emphasis is on exploring how students are developing against their stated goals, through the lenses of their Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills. These AtLs are the core transferable habits, mindsets, and strategies that underpin success in learning both in and across subjects. Teachers guide conversations around observed, or demonstrated, strengths and challenges, and discuss next steps and strategies for continued improvement. This conference is designed to help students and families understand how students are progressing in relation to their articulated hopes and dreams by helping students and families see the “how” of learning, not just the “what.”
February 11: INCLUDE – Three-Way Conferences
The mid-year conference centers on inclusion. With Semester 1 report grades freshly released, parents, students, and teachers come together to reflect on progress, celebrate growth, and address areas for improvement. With reports in hand, it is another opportunity to calibrate learning, in light of student goals, approaches to learning skill development, and attainment against the course aims and objectives. These conversations are designed to be three-way, with any member taking "the lead" as appropriate to ensure that all voices are included in shaping the direction and approaches to the planned learning for the second half of the year; reinforcing the collective sense of responsibility, growth, and partnership.
June 3: IMPACT – Student-Led Conferences
The year concludes with impact. In this culminating experience, students take the lead, reflecting on their growth, showcasing their learning, and evaluating their progress toward the goals they set at the start of the year. These student-led conferences empower learners to own their journey and recognize the growth and the difference that their efforts have made. The focus of these conferences is on growth; understanding and celebrating the journey taken in the academic year, and in the academic years previous that have led to this point. It is also important to remember that mistakes are essential for learning and that both successes and challenges represent areas for growth and reflection. The report card at the end of the year, combined with this conference, should also provide opportunities for reflection and goal-setting for the next academic year.
The Inspire Conference Recap
Reflecting on the September INSPIRE: Hopes & Dreams Conferences, what stood out most was the atmosphere in the gym. We say "schools come alive when the kids are back", but schools REALLY come alive when the kids are back and families are on campus, feeling connected. The day was alive and buzzing. Family members, students, and teachers were deeply engaged in conversations about learning, aspirations, and the year ahead. It was more than just a series of meetings; it felt like a community gathering where the energy was focused on one shared purpose: supporting our students.
One of the real strengths of our conference model is the way it balances relationships and expertise. I often describe homeroom teachers as the “tree trunk,” offering stability, continuity, and a strong connection to each student’s overall well-being. From that trunk extend the “branches” - the subject teachers, who add depth and breadth through their individual disciplines and subject areas. Together, this structure provides both support and richness, ensuring that we, and families, see the whole child and a fuller scope of their learning journey to this point, and importantly, helping to map the routes ahead.
Each stage of the conference cycle brings a different emphasis; sometimes the family voices take the lead, other times the teacher’s or the student’s. But no matter the format, they are always three-way conversations, and that is where the magic happens. It is incredibly positive to witness the alignment of perspectives: the hopes of families, the insights of teachers, and the increasingly developing voice of students coming together to create a shared plan for growth.
And the teachers concur. As Mie Olson-Kikuchi put it, “By engaging in dialogue from the perspectives of parents, students, and teachers, mutual understanding can be fostered, and the agreements reached can serve as goals or guiding principles for the student’s life. As a result, the student’s expressions and behaviors may begin to change. Of course, the degree of change varies among students; however, when a student demonstrates noticeably different behavior, it becomes possible to provide appropriate support and, when necessary, to communicate with the parents.”
Of course, we never see these conferences as “finished products.” Each year, we reflect and ask ourselves how we can make the experience even more meaningful. We actively welcome feedback from families, because this ongoing dialogue is what allows the conferences to evolve. At the heart of it all is our commitment to partnerships and continually strengthening the connections between home, school, and the students so that learning is not just supported, but truly inspired.
One Partnership, Many Perspectives
Though each conference has a different emphasis: parent-led, teacher-led, three-way, or student-led, the heart of all four is the same - learning. Learning occurs when students are challenged, and learning is most powerful when there is a collective responsibility; when students, families, and teachers work together. Each conference highlights a different perspective, but taken together, they weave a rich story of growth, collaboration, and impact.
