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Dr. Roger Morris, superintendent of schools, and Moriah Dollarhite, principal of Patrick County High School, held a "meet and greet at Walmart" Jan. 23 to talk to parents and community members about the public schools.

New program recommends more parental involvement

By Nancy Lindsey

The "meet and greet at Walmart" held Jan. 23 was the first activity in a pilot program aimed at increasing parents' involvement in their children's education.

The Patrick County School Board voted last month to adopt the program, called "Be There," at a cost of $2,500 for two years. The money will come from already-budgeted Title I funds, according to Cyndi Williams, director of federal programs for the school system.

The goal of the program is to "reach out to parents" rather than just trying to bring them into the schools for PTO meetings, Williams said.

According to literature from the "Be There" national media campaign, "Most school districts measure parent involvement by attendance at events and volunteer hours. Yet, many parents cannot attend due to busy schedules, caring for siblings or a reluctance to come to school. Research shows that the most important parent involvement is with your child. Be There was designed to remind busy parents how they can help their children during the routine activities of the day, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary."

The program will provide printed materials and videos that will be shown at schools and possibly in doctors' waiting rooms, Williams said.

She showed a sample video called "Drive time is prime time" that depicts a busy mother talking on her cell phone while driving her young son home from school. He is excited about something good that happened in his classroom, and tries several times to engage his mother. She finally realizes that he needs her attention, says goodbye to her caller, and is completely "there" for her son, "turning the ordinary into the extraordinary."

Dr. Roger Morris, division superintendent, said the materials will be sponsored by Patrick County public schools, can be customized to the local community, and will take a different approach to parent involvement.

Dan River District school board member Quinn Brim asked if the program would take any funds from existing programs such as Title I, and Morris said other programs would not be affected.

The funds were used in the past to purchase "check-out packages" with books and kits that students could take home, and those are still usable, Williams said.

"People respond more to audio and video than ever before," Morris said.

Annie Hylton, Peters Creek District school board member, said some parents and students don't have access to computers, which are part of the "Be There" program.

Morris said computer labs are available in the schools. Williams said paper copies will be sent to parents who indicate they don't have access to computers.

"Lots of things are sent home through the Title I program," Williams said.

The board voted unanimously to approve the two-year pilot program.


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		Dr. Roger Morris, superintendent of schools, and Moriah Dollarhite, principal of Patrick County High School, held a "meet and greet at Walmart" Jan. 23 to talk to parents and community members about the public schools. New program recommends more parental involvement By Nancy Lindsey The "meet and greet at Walmart" held Jan. 23 was the first activity in a pilot program aimed at increasing parents' involvement in their children's education. The Patrick County School Board voted last month to adopt the program, called "Be There," at a cost of $2,500 for two years. The money will come from already-budgeted Title I funds, according to Cyndi Williams, director of federal programs for the school system. The goal of the program is to "reach out to parents" rather than just trying to bring them into the schools for PTO meetings, Williams said. According to literature from the "Be There" national media campaign, "Most school districts measure parent involvement by attendance at events and volunteer hours. Yet, many parents cannot attend due to busy schedules, caring for siblings or a reluctance to come to school. Research shows that the most important parent involvement is with your child. Be There was designed to remind busy parents how they can help their children during the routine activities of the day, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary." The program will provide printed materials and videos that will be shown at schools and possibly in doctors' waiting rooms, Williams said. She showed a sample video called "Drive time is prime time" that depicts a busy mother talking on her cell phone while driving her young son home from school. He is excited about something good that happened in his classroom, and tries several times to engage his mother. She finally realizes that he needs her attention, says goodbye to her caller, and is completely "there" for her son, "turning the ordinary into the extraordinary." Dr. Roger Morris, division superintendent, said the materials will be sponsored by Patrick County public schools, can be customized to the local community, and will take a different approach to parent involvement. Dan River District school board member Quinn Brim asked if the program would take any funds from existing programs such as Title I, and Morris said other programs would not be affected. The funds were used in the past to purchase "check-out packages" with books and kits that students could take home, and those are still usable, Williams said. "People respond more to audio and video than ever before," Morris said. Annie Hylton, Peters Creek District school board member, said some parents and students don't have access to computers, which are part of the "Be There" program. Morris said computer labs are available in the schools. Williams said paper copies will be sent to parents who indicate they don't have access to computers. "Lots of things are sent home through the Title I program," Williams said. The board voted unanimously to approve the two-year pilot program.