Welcome to October. This month is about two things: showing who your child is, and listening to what others see.

Admissions season is in full swing. For NYC public high schools, the city is holding information sessions on October 7, 8 and 13. SHSAT weekend test dates are November 14 and 15, and November 21. For independent schools, parent interviews and child visits come next, once your applications are in.

This is the “show.” Essays and interviews are where your child gets to share who they are, in their own words. Our current podcast episodes walk through both, step by step.

Then comes the “tell.” NYC public schools hold parent-teacher conferences on November 5 for elementary schools, November 12 for middle schools, and November 19 and 20 for high schools. Teachers tell you what they see in class. You tell them what you see at home. Our upcoming episodes will help you prepare.

A few good questions to bring to your conference:

• How do the new AI and screen time rules affect homework and studying? This year, NYC public schools paused student use of generative AI from 2K through grade 8 and set screen time limits for those grades.
• How is my child doing in math, and what comes next? In one New York survey, 43% of parents said they worry about their child’s math progress. Only 39% of middle school parents said their school had talked with them about high school math pathways.
• What can we do at home to help?

Every child has a story worth telling well. If you would like a partner this season, we are here to help.