Joseph Pratt
Bloom-Vernon Elementary took parents to school last week, with a series of adult classes designed to better equip them in raising their children, whether it was for homework help, internet safety, or even drug prevention.
Several dozen parents responded to the opportunity and Principal Sandy Smith said that most even stayed for the whole evening.
“Not only did nearly every parent stay all evening, but they stayed a little longer to give us feedback, which was all really positive,” Smith explained. “We took the feedback and we will be incorporating it into future planning.”
Five classes were made available to parents. Each class had four sessions, so most could be attended. The classes included Studying On-the-Go by Jane Raison, Math Games by Lori Newman, Technology Safety by Tim Conley, Drug Prevention by Clarence Parker and Compass Community Health, and Parenting Pre-Teens by Charlotte Moore.
Smith said that this was something the school had been planning for a while and she feels that the first was a success. According to Smith, Technology Safety was the most attended and appreciated. She even attended it herself.
“It was a great program and very informative for parents to learn about technology safety, which is so important today,” Smith said. “We will probably be bringing it back very soon for parents. We are considering bringing it back on conference night.”
Drug Prevention was also popular with parents.
“I participated because of the prevalent problem of drugs in Scioto County,” Clarence Parker, of Compass Community Health said. “We discussed the various types of prevention and what parents need to know about prevention. We don’t have any type of immune kid when it comes to the issue of alcohol and drug addiction.”
Parker, who has been involved in drug prevention for 26 years, believes that keeping children engaged in positive activities, as well as alert parenting, are the key factors in preventing addiction in a young person
“I was not expecting Parent Night to be as meaningful, or important, as I found it to be,” Teresa Martin, mother of two Jeeps, said. “I am a very intentional parent and read a lot for ideas about parenting. The information was practical and was given in a way to go home and implement. The technology safety and drug prevention information had many new ideas I had not thought about.”
Martin explained that she tries to participate in as many school activities as possible. She says that she is constantly impressed with the level of dedication the school staff has to ensure that students succeed.
“I am very impressed with the heart and wisdom of the administration and staff to do what was necessary to make this event happen and to invite the presenters who were incredibly qualified, experienced, compassionate and concerned,” Martin said. “All around great effort by everyone involved.”
Martin said it was also nice to interact with other Jeeps at Parents Night.
“I also enjoyed the community of parents,” Martin said. “Just sitting with the parents of my son’s classmates was a heartwarming feeling. We learned together, and shared concerns and tips on what works in each or our homes. We even talked about what our struggles were.”
The school also provided free childcare during the presentations and families were welcomed to enjoy a free chili dinner in the cafeteria.
Smith said that she is overjoyed with the response from parents and looks forward to engaging the community once more next spring with an additional Parent Night.
“There are a lot of things we see when we work with kids that parents probably just need more knowledge on,” Smith said. “I think for us to help kids in all aspects of their lives, we need to work more with their parents. When we see a common issues, we need to inform them, too, because an ounce of prevention is work a pound of cure.”
Reach Joseph Pratt at 740-353-3101, ext. 1932, or by Twitter @JosephPratt03.
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