May 21, 2025

Teachers report successful conferences

Some campuses saw very high attendance rate, opportunity for HRS surveys

By Christopher Braunschweig

From left, Newton Community School District principals Todd Schuster, Jim Gilbert, Jolene Comer and Trisca Mick speak to school board members during a Monday night meeting at the E.J.H. Beard Administration Center. (Christopher Braunschweig)

Educators for the Newton Community School District had another successful round of parent-teacher conferences last week, principals reported during the Monday night school board meeting.

Trisca Mick, principal of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, said one of the things administrators wanted to do at all buildings was to greet people as they walked through the doors and ask them if they took the High Reliability Schools (HRS) Level 1 Survey.

“If they hadn’t, then we had those surveys ready to go on either iPads or in our labs and tried to get as many more survey takers as possible,” Mick told school board members during the superintendent’s report session.

Early data pointed to “great attendance” at Emerson Hough Elementary School’s parent-teacher conferences, although principal Jolene Comer said the final numbers have not been entirely recovered by teachers. Typically, the school averages a 90 percent attendance rate during conferences.

Woodrow Wilson Elementary School also did not have all of its numbers ready, but principal Todd Schuster said there is “always a really, really good turnout.”

However, Aurora Heights Elementary School did have its numbers ready by Monday night. Principal Jim Gilbert said Aurora Heights had a record turnout with 263 out of 269 families show up to parent-teacher conferences, or roughly 98 percent of the families enrolled in the elementary school.

“I attribute that to, again, the relationships that teachers are making with kids … the Capturing Kids’ Hearts, the HRS work,” Gilbert said. “So it’s just good communication going out. Parents are wanting to know. This is the highest percentage of parent attendance I’ve ever experienced.”

In other action Monday, the school board:

• Set a public hearing for approval of the Newton High School gymnasium HVAC upgrade project at 6:45 p.m. Nov. 18 inside the E.J.H. Beard Administration Center.

• Received a number of “Red Pride Shout Outs” from school district administrators and staff.

• Recognized 3Mgives for donating to the school district’s Supplies for Schools Program. A photograph showcasing “a fraction” of the donations were shown to school board members.

• Acknowledged National School Lunch Week, the success of the district-wide event and the experience of administrators and students that participated from Oct. 14-18.

• Were reminded of the Red Ribbon Week program implemented at the schools from Oct. 23-31. The school district celebrates Red Ribbon Week with various activities advocating for students to be drug free.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com