Is it Important to Have Parent/Student Evenings?

February 15, 2022 | Cindy Kuperus

Parent/student evening is one of my favorite nights. Your child gets your undivided attention for an hour, and THEY are the experts!

So many times in a child’s life, she or he is the one in the vulnerable place and the adult knows more than they do and has the power. School can be hard because of that.

Parent/student evening is a chance to reverse that for an hour. Children thrive as they proudly share the processes, the content, the projects that they have before them.

And you, their parents, are a captive and appreciative audience. You smile, encourage, laugh, delight in, and show how impressed you are.

Students were asked to write an opinion piece about parent/student evening: did they think it was important to have parent/student evening?

It was a resounding “YES!”

And why do they think so? Here are just a few reasons:

“I like when my mom, my dad, and me work together.”

“Parents get to see your beautiful work.”

“I think that it’s nice to feel proud.”

“Kids get to see what it’s like to be a teacher.”

“It makes so many good memories!”

See why it’s a favorite night?

Cindy Kuperus

Teacher, Grades 3&4

Ms. Kuperus attended a small Lutheran grade school and has always been a student in multi-grade classrooms. She became interested in teaching, in fact, when she would assist classmates when the teacher was busy helping others. Her 5th/6th grade teacher, Mrs. Roman, encouraged her to think broadly about the world beyond their small town (population: 500), giving stickers to those who could answer a question from the World News segment from television the night before. She would be thrilled to learn that Ms. Kuperus has taught internationally in Masaya, Nicaragua, and Chengdu,China.

After graduating from Calvin College, Ms. Kuperus taught students in grades two-six for almost 10 years in Kentwood, Michigan. In 1994, Ms. Kuperus sought a teaching position in a school in the Northeast, anywhere but New Jersey. She’s now taught for over 23 years in NEW JERSEY! Two of her former students, Becca Brasser and Sam Martino, are now on staff at MSS.

Ms. Kuperus loves opportunities to travel, interact with the people, and taste the foods of the world. She’s also a person who ‘travels” with the characters in the books she reads!

It’s important to Ms. Kuperus that people’s voices are heard and that their needs for shelter and food are met. To that end, she volunteers for organizations like First Friends and the Sharing Place.

Is it Important to Have Parent/Student Evenings?

Cindy Kuperus

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