Academic Coach

As we prepare for the upcoming student-led conferences, we want to ensure you feel ready and excited for this unique opportunity to engage in your child's academic journey.

At Sundance Elementary, every student maintains a data binder, which serves as a portfolio and documentation of their progress in each content area and their individual goals. These data binder portfolios, along with assessments such as Istation for grades K–2 and iMSSA for grades 3–6, will guide the conversations during the conferences.

While we much prefer in-person conferences, we are happy to accommodate Zoom if needed. Please keep this in mind when scheduling your conference time, and don’t forget—it’s powerful for your student to attend and take part in this important discussion about their learning!

Ideas to Prepare for Our Upcoming Conferences:
1.Set Goals Together: Collaborate with your child to discuss both academic and personal goals. Encouraging

your child to reflect on their strengths and areas for growth helps them take ownership of their learning

journey. These goals will be an essential part of the conversation during the conference.
2.Talk About Growth and Effort: Engage your child in a conversation about the progress they’ve made so far.

Celebrate their successes, big and small, and encourage a growth mindset by discussing the effort they’ve

put into their learning.
3.Prepare Questions as a Family: Work with your child to create a list of questions for the teacher and for

them to answer during the conference. This helps your child practice communicating their learning and gives you an opportunity to learn more about their educational experience.

Supporting Your Student Beyond Conferences:

Conferences are a part of your child's learning journey early on this semester. Here are some ways to continue supporting their success at home:

Use Online Tools: Take advantage of resources such as:

Amira Learning for fluency and reading practice
Khan Academy for personalized learning in math, reading, and more Lalilo for foundational literacy skills and phonics
Reflex Math for building math fact fluency (grades 3–6)

1:1 Reading Time: Spend time reading together to build comprehension and fluency while fostering a love for books.
Math Fluency Practice: Regularly review math facts to help your child build confidence and automaticity in solving problems.

Celebrate Progress: Recognize and celebrate small wins to keep your child motivated and engaged in their learning.

We are proud of the partnerships we’re building with families and students, and we are here to support you every step of the way. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or me with any questions or additional needs.

We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming student-led conferences!

Warm regards,

Carolyna Aparici Chavez

Academic Coach, Sundance Elementary

caparicichavez@llschools.net