Educational Insights: March 3, 2008
March 03, 2008
Last week the junior high science fair had an awesome turnout, with much community involvement! This Saturday, our high school students will join in the long celebrated tradition of revered prom night. It is heartwarming to see these young students dress up and appear so much older than we might think they are! If you are able to attend the Grand March, please mark you calendar. It is somewhat bittersweet to see them in their formal wear with stars in their eyes. No doubt, they seem to grow up much too quickly. The local Booster Club steps up to the plate and organizes a post prom party to attract and entertain them all! Undoubtedly, their efforts and contributions are monumental in making this a night to remember.
These events are both good examples of how important community support is to a school system. Promoting parents as educational partners is critical to our students’ success and the community’s livelihood!
There may have been a time when the traditional role of adults was more clearly defined. Teachers were largely expected to teach reading, math, history, and science. Parents taught practical life skills, values, and beliefs. These lines have become blurred in this century. As our society has grown more complex, schools have begun to take on some of the responsibilities once reserved to the home. Today, parents and teachers seem to share many roles; boundaries have shifted and blurred.
Even the definition of what constitutes a family has changed in America today. Many of our children are not raised by their parents. Some live in foster homes or in the custody of relatives. These circumstances call for adjustments to the old ways of doing business. According to the U. S. Department of Education, only eight percent of middle school parents are involved as volunteers in school, compared with 33 percent in the first grade. Research also reveals that while parents find 52 percent of interactions with their child’s first-grade teachers positive, this drops to only 36 percent by eighth grade (Scholastic Administr@tor, Feb. 2008).
If we want to bridge the gap between home and school, we must continually work together to make it happen. While we work to leave no child behind, we must also leave no family behind. We need families in our schools, whatever their makeup, to join the push for academic achievement. We need them to stick with it as their children advance through middle and high schools. Consider the image of a sturdy bridge, supported securely at both ends. This is the learning environment we seek for all our students.
Garden County can feel confident that we have caring adults working collaboratively to strengthen this bridge. A community that works together for the benefit of its youth is more likely to be vital and prosperous! Hats off to all who volunteer and participate in our school activities! Please know that you are appreciated and valued.
-Dr. Paula Sissel,
Superintendent/Elementary Principal
