Open house is the first opportunity that you have to make a positive connection with the parents of your students.

As soon as the date is set, create open house invitations to send to parents. It is important to let them know about the open house early so that they can clear their schedules and arrange child care.

Next, put together parent information packets. These packets should contain all the information that parents need to know about the school and your classroom. You can place these on each desk on the night of open house.

When the parents arrive, give a welcome presentation to introduce yourself and your classroom. You can also plan activities that will allow parents to explore the classroom and that offer them time to answer questions and sign up for parent-teacher conferences.

The following links take you to the tools you need to make your open house a success.

• Invitation to open house (Template)
  Use this Microsoft Office Word template to invite parents to your open house.
• Prepare parent information packets (Article)
  Create packets that give parents all the information that they need for a successful school year.
• Welcome back to school presentation (Template)
  Introduce yourself and welcome parents to your classroom by using this PowerPoint presentation template.
• Parent Bill of Rights presentation (Template)
  Use this PowerPoint presentation to let parents know what they can expect from you and the school.
• Tips for a successful open house (Article)
  Ensure that your open house is a hit by using these tips from Education World.