The Anchor
Attending Parents Make the GradeFriday, September 09, 2011 By Madeline Gibson
Parents stepped into their students' shoes at Open House on Thursday, September 8. They wandered from class to class, milled about in the commons, and listened to teachers lecture. A glance at the parking lot indicated a large turnout—almost every spot in the parking lots was taken, and cars lined the side of the road by the stadium. Grade-level meetings, where guidance counselors spoke to the parents about four-year-plans and the school website, started at 6:30. After these, all the attendees made their way to the auditorium for a large group meeting where FHS Education Foundation President Jerry Martin announced scholarship winners and spoke about the need for parent involvement in the schools. “We mainly need parents to realize there’s a need,” said Martin. “Our motto is education excellence.” Principal Michael Reynolds followed, encouraging parents to participate in PTSO and the Education Foundation. Reynolds also talked about the high expectations FHS has for students, emphasizing college readiness. “I challenge you to challenge your students,” Reynolds told the audience. He also encouraged the parents to get to know the teachers and staff. “We have a great staff." When the group meeting ended, parents were directed to the main school to go to their students’ classes where teachers introduced themselves and talked about what their classes. “Open House is a good opportunity for parents to meet the teachers, and vice versa,” said teacher Chelsea Osborne. Osborne said she focused on telling parents about her class expectations. Some parents got a little lost on campus. In the hallway between classes, one parent exclaimed, “I found Brimi! He’s in yellow wing.” Some asked others for help, saying things like, “Have you found the theater?” and “Is yellow that way?” The parking lot proved tricky for some parents too—at least two drove around the circle the wrong way. The confusion caused parents to come in late to classes or teachers to start class late. “Getting started on schedule is always the tricky part of Open House,” said teacher Matthew Milligan. Parents eventually found the right classrooms. ROTC members directed parents. ROTC member Randall Ford stood at the doors to the gym. “Lots of people are looking for P.E.,” said Ford. P.E. and Wellness classes were the hardest for parents to find, probably because they were held in the commons instead of in the gym. James Fowlkes, parent of freshman Katie Fowlkes and junior Ellen Fowlkes, said he managed not to get lost. “The little circles on the wall with the color coding really helped a lot,” said Fowlkes. Julie Urevick, parent of sophomore Cameron Urevick and senior Braden Urevick, also managed to find each classroom and had a good Open House experience. “I learned that Cameron’s got some great teachers,” said Urevick. “I love all the SMART boards!” |