By David Cruz Staff Writer Rocky Mount Telegram
With the first day of classes drawing near, Nash County Public Schools officials are encouraging parents and guardians to attend upcoming open houses.
The events are taking place Aug. 21-24 across the school district’s nearly 30 facilities and programs. The dates and times vary from school to school and are available at ncpschools.net.
“It’s a good opportunity for (parents) to meet their students’ teachers and principals,” said Heather Finch, communications director for the school system. “It’s a good opportunity for them to meet the people that will be caring for their children.”
In addition to Red Oak Elementary’s two open house events Thursday, the school will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new building from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday.
Nash County officials, including Nash County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robbie Davis, toured the partially completed new school back in February.
“Being in the (construction business), I’m very impressed with it,” Davis said. “It’s been a long time coming. I certainly think all the students and all parents will be well pleased once they get inside.”
The school will combine students from the current Swift Creek, Cedar Grove and Red Oak elementary schools for a combined enrollment of about 750 students.
Finch said the school district has a goal this year of getting more parents and guardians engaged with their students’ education.
“There’s a direct correlation between parental engagement and academic success,” Finch said, adding that she is working on making it easy for parents and guardians to stay informed about what is going on at school.
She encouraged all guardians to download the Nash County Public Schools app on their phone to stay informed about school events and breaking news affecting students. For an even more immersive experience, Finch suggested parents also take advantage of one of the app’s under-utilized features, the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
Finch said the portal enables parents and guardians to know what their student’s daily homework is and when those assignments are due.
According to the app’s developer, Apptegy, PowerSchool Parent Portal gives parents and students access to real-time information including attendance, grades and detailed assignment descriptions.
Finch said for guardians to use this feature, they must visit their school’s office and present photo identification to obtain an access code. This can also be done online, she noted.
The schedule for the school district’s open house events can be found in the school system’s Back to School Guide published online.
Student supply lists, immunization requirements and transportation information also are available on the school system’s webpage.
https://www.rockymounttelegram...