It’s officially the back-to-school season and along with that comes the anticipation — and perhaps the nerves — of meeting new faces.

To help ease nerves and keep parents informed, 12 public schools in Beaufort County are holding a total of 18 open houses from Tuesday, Aug. 18 to Monday, Aug. 24. The first day of school for students is Aug. 25.

Sarah Hodges, public information officer for Beaufort County Schools, said schools generally hold open houses for two reasons: to allow students to get acclimated with the school before the first day and to give parents a chance to see the school and meet teachers.

“We want students to have the opportunity to walk around the school before the bell rings for the first time,” she said.

Hodges said seeing a teacher’s face before the first day can bring some comfort to a student who’s nervous about the start of the school year. She said it’s also a good opportunity for teachers to get a head start on getting to know their students.

In an age of working parents and packed schedules, open houses are a good way for parents to get some insight on the upcoming year and meet the teachers with whom they will be in contact, Hodges said.

“All the parents are hearing the same thing,” she said. “That goes a long way.”

Bubs Carson, principal of John Cotten Tayloe Elementary School, said one of the most important parts of holding an open house is creating relationships with the families of students, and the school offers two time slots to accommodate the schedules of parents who want to stop by.

“The emphasis is to begin that relationship between the school and the family,” he said. “It’s important for those parents to come because we only have a child for two years.”

“Because of those transitions in the schools primarily in the Washington area, I think it’s probably one of the greatest benefits (of open houses).”

Carson said the school provides translators for families who don’t speak English very well, especially Spanish translators as almost 20 percent of the students are Hispanic.

“The first session primarily is gaining information,” he said, referring to the paperwork parents fill out about contact, pick up/drop off and medical information.

The parents get an opportunity to gain insight on the school’s curriculum, and students are able to get to know teachers before the first day, Carson said.

He said parents will have more of an opportunity to converse with teachers at the school’s PTA open house about a month after the start of school.

“There’s an excellent staff at John Cotten Tayloe and the parents feel that,” Carson said. “Those youngsters sense that in their parents, and it once again comes back to that relationship.”

To access a schedule of Beaufort County Schools open houses, visit the website at www.beaufort.k12.nc.us and scroll down to select the “School Open House Dates” banner.