I always look forward to meeting parents at Open House, but will have to miss this one. There are some serious health issues with both my mom and my sister in Washington state, and I'm going to have to miss all of next week, as well as this Friday, to help out. 

Letters are going home to parents, explaining this.  There's a place on the letters for them to request a conference when I return, and also the hand-out that I normally distribute at Open House.  So I hope my absence from that event isn't too much of a problem.

But it is what it is, and I hope everyone understands.