Parents need to be more involved at Orchard Knob Middle School to help it achieve its goals, the principal says.
But at least one parent says school officials need to let them know what’s going on so they won’t be in the dark.
In an effort to reach out to parents, Orchard Knob principal Maryo Beck is working with East Chattanooga Weed and Seed, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, law enforcement officers, churches and a host of nonprofit organizations to hold a back-to-school rally Saturday.
“Nothing is going to stop us,” Beck said. “We’re not looking at our past. We’re looking to our future.”
Free backpacks, lunches and door prizes will be provided. Area gospel artists T-Ran, Kim Ruffin and Ternae will perform.
The goal is to get parents who come to the rally to sign up for volunteer positions in the school.
“Getting more parents means we get more help around the school,” said 13-year-old Darius Jenkins.
But former Orchard Knob PTSA President Annette Thompson said part of the problem is a lack of communication between the school and the parents. The Aug. 28 rally is a case in point, she said.
“My children never mentioned the school rally,” said Thompson, who has children in the seventh and eighth grades. “It’s good to put information in the paper, but shouldn’t you start in-house with it first? Parents are not made aware.”
Beck said all the school’s events in the future will be posted on the website www.orchardknobmiddlecom.
“We will also put out a family newsletter monthly within the next month,” he said, “and have PTSA meetings scheduled monthly.”
Parents are needed at Orchard Knob to maintain bulletin boards, help monitor hallways and the cafeteria and help administrators with office work, said Dana Kinamore, East Chattanooga Weed and Seed youth director.
Parental involvement shows children that parents and teachers are working together to make sure they get a good education, Kinamore said.
Orchard Knob staff and supporters want to raise state test scores to get the school off the state’s high-priority list and onto the list of schools in good standing.
School officials said they don’t have scores for this year yet, but in May Mr. Beck reported that about one-third of the 475 students are at least one to two years behind in reading, according to state tests.
Sixty-six percent of students scored proficient or advanced in language arts and about 67 percent in math on last year’s standardized tests, Mr. Beck said.
IF YOU GO* What: Orchard Knob Middle School rally* When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday* Where: Orchard Knob Middle School, 500 N. Highland Park Ave.* Information: Call Dana Kinamore at 752-4449, ext. 3.* More: Orchard Knob Middle School’s first Parent Teacher Student Association meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Sept. 16.
The state standard is 86 percent in language arts and 83 percent in math.
Last year the school had 475 students, but only nine parents officially enrolled in its Parent Teacher Student Association.
In 2009, the school had no take-home textbooks, but this year all students taking math will get a resource math book to take home and a math book to leave at school.
To teach students reading and grammar, the school is participating in reading workshops in which students will select their own books, commit to reading at least 25 minutes a night and write about what they read.
“Kids won’t come home with textbooks,” Beck said. “They will come home with novels. They will write about what interests them and, from their writing, they’ll learn how to correct grammar.”
Beck said his goal is to improve the school on all fronts – parental participation, communication and test scores.
“The next time you come to our school, you’re going to ask, ‘How did you get your test scores up so fast?'” he said.
Continue reading by following these links to related stories:
Article: Schools gain 450 students