Jones County High School held its second annual block party, a Title 1 family engagement event for parents and students to receive information on standards required by the Department of Education, state assessments, how to track student academic progress and provide tips and tricks for successful learning, making learning accessible.
At the beginning of the Aug. 27 event, JCHS spirit cheerleaders were stationed at the entrance, greeting the public and providing directions to the party happening in the halls of JCHS and on the blacktop. Student representatives from various organizations and clubs were present to help direct students and parents to the festivities and gave details about their organization to interested students.
Once inside the school, teachers of core classes – math, science, English, and social studies and the word language department – counselors, and the executive director/ academy CEO of College and CTAE programs were stationed at tables in the halls to provide parents and students with information, such as student work and resources. There were games at the various stations to engage students and parents, such as a cornhole math game at the math department’s station and an “Improv Weather Show” at the World Language Department’s station, where students learned weather-related terms in different languages.
There were many student showcases: band and chorus performances, an art gallery, competition cheerleading, a welding pathway presentation and audio/video technology and film pathway members interviewed students about what they like about JCHS.
Christine Geske-Stewart, a national board-certified social studies teacher, was in charge of the event.
“We want everyone involved and for children and guardians to be engaged in school. Everyone thinks that school is just a textbook; it is not just a textbook, math or football. These kids do many other things and are trying to get ready for the real world,” she said.
The teacher said they have kids who are welding, doing electrical work, creating marketing products and logos, making products and starting businesses.
“Our cheerleaders go to competitions all the time and do so well. JROTC cadets are going into the military. Our band does their drumline, and the chorus sings. With this event, families are seeing the high school offers much more. The block party shows that high school is a medium to get kids out into the real world doing what they want to do,” Geske-Stewart said.
She added that getting parents and students to want to come to the block party was a significant factor in planning the event with other teachers, so they decided to open the school store, The Hound Pound, where the public could purchase school merchandise, the school mascot made an appearance for photos, the school sugar shack was open and Snobiz Snow Cones were for sale. Jones County High School also collaborated with community businesses, such as Dairy Queen of Gray, which provided gift card prizes for parents and students.
Geske-Stewart noted the importance of the event and community engagement.
“In a town like Gray, if a school shows that we are a community, our students will do better. The more families involved, the more students will do better. That is the hope with this block party,” she concluded.
