Policies about attendance, school bus transportation, discipline, field trips and communicating with teachers were among the topics addressed by Varnett District Superintendent/Southwest Campus Director M. Annette Cluff at a pair of Parent Night meetings Wednesday at the campus.
All of those issues and more are contained in the 2013 Parent Handbook that is written in both English and Spanish. Dr. Cluff addressed a packed house in the first meeting attended by parents of PreK and Kindergarten students. During the meeting, she also introduced the PreK and kindergarten teachers as well as Southwest Campus assistant Leze Bradley, who also serves as the district’s registrar. Melissa Cluff, the Southwest PreK director and district PreK curriculum coordinator, also was in attendance.
The second meeting was attended by parents of 1st through 5th graders in the first introduction of staff and school policies for the 2013-14 school year. The session came during the second week of school and precedes a celebration of Grandparents Day at all three campuses starting at 8 a.m Friday, September 6.
Dr. Cluff also talked about the district’s policies on bullying, birthday celebrations, internet safety, medication, cell phones and students coming to school on time (8 a.m. each week day). She answered questions about after-school and Saturday tutorial programs for students who need them and incidences involving teacher turnover. Parents were invited to participate in student field trips but told they would have to accompany the children on school buses instead of providing their own transportation for greater accountability.
She urged parents who may have a concern or complaint about the school to talk to the teacher first “in a professional and courteous"manner, and then go to her as campus director/district superintendent if they don’t get any satisfaction. The next step, she said, is the school board.
Upcoming activities include:
*Parent Workshop-Curriculum, September 12
*Family Night with dinner, September 18
*Red Ribbon Month, October 1-31.
*Open House, October 2
*Fall Pictures, October 4
The Open House will allow parents to spend more time with teachers, visit the classrooms and learn about the latest technology being used on campus.