MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (Feb. 14, 2017) — The Mount Vernon City School District (MVCSD) hosted its annual Parent Involvement Day Monday. Schools opened their doors to parents to spend the day with their children and see how they learn in the classroom.
“Bringing our district’s parents into the classrooms and having them engaged with their children is a vital aspect of teaching and learning that creates a springboard for greater student successes in the classroom,” Superintendent Dr. Kenneth R. Hamilton said, who visited several schools.
One district parent, Demone Barrett, came to see her son, Damien Pryce, a sixth-grader at Edward Williams Elementary School.
“I hate to admit it but I haven’t been to anything in half a year,” Barrett said, talking about the first half of the school year. “He’s in music, so he’s playing today.
Pryce performed alongside two other drummers and the school chorus for parents in attendance. The day also included instruction for parents in bully prevention, yoga, safety, financial planning, college preparation, reading strategies and ways to communicate with the school.
“It’s good for parents to come out, so you know what your kids are doing,” Barrett said. “You get to see what their grade levels are, what they are like in the classroom, if they’re answering questions (from the teacher).”
Each year, the Mount Vernon Parent and Community Forum on Education works with the schools’ Parent Involvement Committees to develop the day’s activities for each school. The day presents parents with the opportunity to take their children to school and shadow them, and observe the learning environment in the school. Parent Involvement Day provides an opportunity to bridge the communication gap between teachers and parents within a relaxed and informative setting where parents can observe what happens during a regular school day.
“The Mount Vernon Parent and Community Forum on Education is proud to organize such a worthwhile activity that touches all of our schools and children,” said group member Marcia Lalloo-Roldan. “We hope the Mount Vernon Parent Involvement Day initiative will be used by the school district as a starting point to provide parents with a reason to visit the schools and as a bridge to encourage parents to become further involved with their child’s school and education which in turn we hope will lead to better student performance and behavior and encourage a better relationship between parents and the schools,” said group member Marcia Lalloo-Roldan.
All schools had classroom visits throughout the day from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Most of the schools hosted a parent breakfast/lunch, morning welcome/remarks by the principals, student performances, school tours, guest speakers, workshops and other activities specifically tailored to the school.
“Each year, the school district is seeing more and more parents who are involved in Parent Involvement Day,” said Michelle McKitty-Bromley, the district’s Family and Community Engagement Coordinator. “Students are more successful when their parents are more involved with their children’s academic lives.”
Photo: Damien Pryce (right), a sixth-grader at Edward Williams Elementary School, performs for parents who came to the school for the district’s annual Parent Involvement Day.
About Mount Vernon City School District:
With more than 8,000 students in 16 schools, the Mount Vernon City School District is committed to providing a quality education to all children while developing programs that meet the diverse academic and social needs of its students.
