The demo opens with a title card that displays the text Plan a successful open house.

As a teacher, I know that an open house is my opportunity to make a positive first impression on parents.

A letter opens in Word, with the title Greetings Parents! Near the middle of the letter, there is placeholder text for the date, time, and location of the open house. The pointer selects the placeholder text and types October 1st, 7pm, and Golden Oak Elementary.

Informing everyone early is essential, so during the first week of school, I send home an open house invitation. I use a Microsoft Office Word template that helps me do this easily.

The scene changes to an image of a classroom, over which the title Parent information packets appears. A bulleted list appears below the title with the text Class expectations, Homework policy, Reading requirements, Daily schedule, and Upcoming field trips.

The next step is to prepare parent information packets. These contain all the important things parents need to know, such as class expectations, homework policy, reading requirements, the daily schedule, and upcoming field trips. On open house night, I place these packets on each student's desk.

The scene changes to a PowerPoint slide with the title Welcome! at the top. In the middle of the slide is a drawing of a schoolhouse with children. Below the drawing are the name of the school, Golden Oak Elementary, the teacher's name, Molly Clark, and the grade level, Grade 2.

When parents arrive, I begin by giving a short PowerPoint presentation to introduce myself and my classroom.

The next slide appears, titled Parents' Bill of Rights. On the left side of the screen is a photo of a man helping a young boy with homework. On the right side, the words Parents have the right to: appear. A bulleted list appears below that, with the sentences Know children are in a healthy learning environment; Clear communication from the school; Information about school policies and programs; and Participate in decisions that affect their children.

I also talk about the Parents' Bill of Rights. This document asserts that parents have the right to know that their children are in a healthy learning environment; the right to clear, courteous communication from the school; the right to information about school policies and special programs; and the right to participate in decisions that affect their children.

The scene changes to a photo of a desk in the upper-left corner of the screen. One by one, three more images appear in different parts of the screen: an image of a question mark, a photo of a hand writing with a pencil, and a photo of a crayon drawing and a crayon.

After the presentation, I give parents the opportunity to explore the classroom, ask questions, leave notes or drawings for their children, or play games if the students are present. By the time they leave, parents will have a solid understanding of my classroom and what to expect throughout the year.

A photo of an apple sitting on the edge of a desk appears.

With careful planning and preparation, I can make a positive connection with parents and ensure that my open house is a success.

The text Microsoft Office appears with the Microsoft Office logo, and under them the URL http://www.office.microsoft.com appears.