In all honestly, if there was a communication book, and I didn't happen to bump into teacher at all, I would be totally happy not meeting the teacher (after foundation year). Yes these days we have email, but should we be using it for 'check in' communications I am not sure, teachers are under alot of pressure these days and I am not sure that it is a valuable use of time (this is based on some conversations with teacher friends also).

So my daughter is her 3rd year at childcare (4yr old kindy now), have I bothered to check with them she is happy and settled - no I haven't, I can see it and I trust that childcare would be in touch if there was an issue, we have parent teacher interview coming up.

If school doesn't work like that and unless you 'check in' all the time, you won't know what is going on - then school isn't set up right in my opinion. Why wouldn't it work like that? If there is something parents need to know then school get in touch with parents, or vice versa, why should it be the parents who need to iniate it, it is a two way street like you say.