Teachers visit neighborhoods to meet students, parents
HIGH POINT — There’s still a little summer left, so imagine how surprised some students and parents were Friday morning when a small army of teachers greeted them at their front doors.
Groups of teachers from Oak Hill Elementary went door-to-door in their students’ neighborhoods to meet parents and remind them that Wednesday is the first day of class at their school.
The effort took teachers into some of the most impoverished areas of High Point, including a motel, a fact that surprised even veteran teachers.
“That was a big shocker. I didn’t know you could just live there,” said Catherin Howard , a fifth-grade teacher who left Pilot Elementary after 14 years to join the staff at Oak Hill.
Pilot has its share of poor students, too, but the reality that some might live at a motel, surrounded by a high fence and razor wire, was something new and saddening for Howard.
Going into the community and meeting families where they live, Howard said, will bond families to the school.
“I just want the children to feel loved. They’re going to be successful if they feel that way,” she said.
Parent Alex Acosta said he could feel the love: “It’s good to know they’re concerned about the kids.”
Acosta didn’t know who might be knocking at his door as he made lunch for himself and his son and daughter. He certainly didn’t expect to find three teachers from his kids’ school.
“I can see my kids are going to be in good hands,” Acosta said. “If they’re going to take the time to come to my house, then I know they’re going to take the time if my kids are struggling.”
Patrice Faison , the school’s new principal, said community outreach and involvement will be a major part of the school year.
“I want the community to know we’re excited,” Faison said, “excited about being here. We chose to be here.”
The school board required teachers at Oak Hill to reapply for their job as part of reform efforts. Fewer than half did so. Only three of last year’s classroom teachers returned this year. Everyone else was either recruited or asked to be placed at the school.
The district also extended Oak Hill’s school day by 45 minutes and academic year by 10 days.
The school was once branded among the lowest-performing in the state and nation. In 2008-09 , fewer than 39 percent of students tested proficient in math and only 24 percent tested proficient in reading. When 2009-10 school year testing data was released earlier this summer, the school showed significant gains, but less than half of its students performed at grade level.
Students and teachers face big challenges at Oak Hill. More than 90 percent of students receive a free or reduced-price lunch, considered an indicator of poverty. And English is not the principal language for nearly half of the student body.
Oak Hill plans to offer several programs for parents this year, hoping to address some of those issues and get more families involved in the school. The school will offer free GED classes and English-language classes this fall through a partnership with GTCC.
“When you’re educating your parents, you’re educating your students and it gets them in the door to see what we’re doing,” Faison said.
After Friday’s outing, the teachers returned to school to put the finishing touches on their classrooms.
With bright and colorful decorations on the walls, books and pencils on the desks, the teachers hope their new students and parents will feel like Oak Hill is home.
Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com
Accompanying Photos
Photo Caption: Oak Hill teachers (from left) Katie Taylor, Katherin Howard and Wendy Haas talk to Erica Martinez, 5, who will be a new student at their school.
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