By Kendall Dees ’19
Middle school parents were able to step into their children’s shoes on Sept. 19 at Back to School Day. Parents followed in their children’s footsteps as they followed an abbreviated schedule of the school day.
Teachers had the opportunity to brief parents on their lesson plans, expectations and thoughts for the coming year.
“For some [parents], it’s about content. For some, it’s about workload. For me, it’s always important that I get to see the personality of the teachers. That is what is important to me when I go to back to school day and so that’s what I try to do —  present who I am,” Tim Newhart, history teacher and parent of William Newhart ’19, Tim Newhart said.
Student ambassadors also attended the event and helped parents navigate around the busy campus and hand out name tags. Breakfast and school service hours were given to those who volunteered.
“It is important to give the parents a small sample of what their children are learning here at Harvard-Westlake. It’s good for them to get to know what their children are learning and to meet their teachers,” Middle School Attendance Coordinator Brenda Simon said.
The annual event serves as a way to immerse parents into school life for a day and allows them to better acquaint themselves with the school and its faculty.
“I loved meeting [my child’s] teachers. I thought they were great. They were really engaging and you could tell that they really love what they do,” Jackie Smith, mother of Julia Smith ’19, said.