Parent Teacher Conferences
November 7th, 9th and 10th, 2022
OPTION FOR K-6 PARENTS: VIRTUAL OR IN-PERSON
Registration OPENS Monday, OCT 31st at 9:00am
Registration CLOSES Friday, November 4th at 4:30pm
Conference Schedule and Registration Information:
November 7th, 2022: 5:00pm - 8:00pm IN-PERSON CONFERENCES
November 9, 2022: 5:00pm-8:00pm VIRTUAL CONFERENCES
Thursday, November 10, 2022: 1:00pm-2:30pm IN PERSON CONFERENCES
Thursday, November 10, 2022: 2:45pm-4:00pm VIRTUAL CONFERENCES
It is that time again for us to begin scheduling for our first round of Parent-Teacher Conferences. We are going to be able to offer a choice for families this year for conferences. This year you will be able to select either a virtual or in-person conference. Please note the differences in the days above. Specific days will be for specific types of conferences. If there is an issue with scheduling, please notify your classroom teacher for assistance.
This conference time is always so valuable to the learning process. This is a great time to celebrate the success and to identify possible challenges that your child may be facing in classroom. This opportunity helps solidify the Home-School connection and ensures the success of all of our All Stars! The Beacon Tree Elementary staff are looking forward to seeing everyone for conferences!
This year we will be utilizing SchoolSoft to schedule conferences. We utilized this program last year at this time, but the only option was virtual conferences. This year you will have the option of choosing either virtual or in-person conferences. The SchoolSoft system will allow you to check teachers’ conference schedules and book an appointment on-line. If you select a virtual conference, you will use the same system for you and your child’s teacher to have a virtual conversation about their academic progress.
Existing UCS Families:
Many of our All Star Community have utilized the SchoolSoft Conference Manager before, and already have an account set up (if you joined us online for a conference last year). If you attended a different elementary school in Utica Community Schools, you probably already have an account as well! You will just need to find your username and password to access the website. Please make sure that you update your information by removing your previous UCS school and selecting Beacon Tree Elementary instead. This will provide you with access to our teaching staff and conference schedule.
New UCS Families (includes first time parents):
If you are either new to the district, or this is your first child attending school, you will need to create an account within SchoolSoft. This process only takes a minute or two. You will continue to use this same account for the duration of the time you have children in the school, so please record your password where you can reference it later. Below you will find steps to help you register with SchoolSoft and get your conferences scheduled.
Registration Window:
Please note: once the registration window opens, you can register at any time. The appointment window will open on Monday, October 31st at 9:00am and will close on Friday, November 4th at 4:30pm.
Creating A New Account:
To create an account, please use the following steps (a tutorial is available at this link):
1. Go to the following website https://utica.schoolsoft.com
2. Register for a parent account. To register click the REGISTER NOW button and complete the registration page. Once registered you will be able to immediately log in to the Conference Manager. An email will also be sent to the address you specified. This email restates your username and password and should be saved, as you will use the same username and password when booking future rounds of Parent-Teacher Conferences. If you forget your password, you can reset it using the FORGOT PASSWORD link under the login button.
When registering, if you have multiple students, you should enter all of them at the same time.
3. Click the BOOK NOW button and select a conference date in the date drop-down that appears. Then, select the teacher(s) you wish to meet with and click the NEXT button. To coordinate bookings involving multiple teachers select all the teachers applicable to your child(ren) with whom you wish to meet.
4. Click on an available time slot for each teacher you selected and complete the booking form that appears. You should see the booking appear in the summary list on the right-hand side of the screen. A confirmation email is sent for each booking you made or subsequently cancel. You will also receive a reminder and conference itinerary by email.
5. Confirm your appointments have been booked by looking at the “CURRENTLY BOOKED CONFERENCES” box on the right of the screen or click on the MY CONFERENCES tab. Only appointments that appear in the CURRENTLY BOOKED CONFERENCES box or on the MY CONFERENCES page are confirmed bookings.
6. When finished booking, click the log off button located at the top right of the browser window. You will have the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the use of the Conference Manager to the school administration through a user survey before completely exiting. We appreciate you completing the survey as this helps guide our decision-making regarding how conferences are booked in the future.
7. For virtual conferences: Just prior to your scheduled conference time, you will receive a link to your video conference. At the appropriate time, click on the link and the teacher will admit you to the room. Please note, our conferences are scheduled for 15 minutes per student.
If you are unable to book your own appointment using this system, please connect with the classroom teacher to make other arrangements.