First Lady Partners with Cole Elementary in Antioch to Organize a Back to School Neighborhood Knock

First Lady Crissy Haslam and Cole Elementary School teachers, administrators and volunteers make door-to-door home visits to encourage strong school-family partnerships
                             
NASHVILLE – First Lady Crissy Haslam organized a Back to School Neighborhood Knock with Cole Elementary School in Antioch today to encourage strong school-family partnerships. More than 100 Cole Elementary School teachers, administrators and volunteers met Mrs. Haslam at the school this morning to receive training and divide into teams before making door-to-door home visits to the families of each incoming student. During the home visits, Cole Elementary representatives delivered important school information to families, including family engagement tips and resources, and welcomed the students back to school.

“The best support for a child’s academic achievement is parental involvement,” said Mrs. Haslam. “Students are significantly more successful when parents walk alongside teachers and schools by showing interest in what their child is learning and where he or she is struggling. Visiting with families at their home is a great way to encourage partnership and good rapport.”

The First Lady’s Back to School Neighborhood Knocks is an initiative to highlight the importance of parental involvement in schools, encouraging the positive relationship building process between families and schools. Mrs. Haslam has participated in other events throughout the state to encourage school-family partnerships, including a Back to School Summer Bus Tour with Dyersburg City Schools earlier in the week.  

“Parents are faced with many competing interests that affect their capacity to be involved in their child’s progress at school, but it is important to remember the influence parents can have in education,” said Mrs. Haslam. “Today’s home visits were an opportunity to convey a sincerity of concern, comfort and willingness to work together to achieve the best results for Cole Elementary students.”

To learn more about Mrs. Haslam’s initiative to promote parental involvement in education, visit http://www.tn.gov/firstlady/knocks.