As the slight chill of fall slipped it’s refreshing breeze into the evening air, the voices of West End Elementary students rose to meet it. Students, faculty, and families gathered under the low evening sun, on Thursday, September 9, as West End held its Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) performance out on the playground.
“It was just so important for us to maintain some of the things we’ve always done,” West End Principal, Dr. Dennis Drummond said. “We have a history of having PTO events where we have parents out celebrating the boys and girls and the hard work that they’re doing in their classes, and it was very important to continue that.”
Families were able to easily social distance on the lawn, watching the music performance from the comfort of their personal chairs and blankets.
“We’re excited to try something new by having the event outside,” Drummond explained, “a very safe environment, but at the same time being able to celebrate the students and build relationships with parents and families. We are excited to have good weather and to just have a lot of fun outside here tonight.”
While there may be some restrictions in the school’s routine, put in place to maintain the safety of students, faculty, and staff, West End welcomes families to stay involved and connected by following Rome City Schools on social media.
“We’re putting out a lot of information,” Drummond explained. “Stay in contact with us, keep up to date with things that are going on. We’re also using School Status [a mobile app that facilitates communication and engagement between school and home] to communicate with parents through phone calls and text messages.”
Drummond said that West End also held their Parent Volunteer Training just before the PTO performance. He expressed the importance of beginning that training now so that once it is safe to do so, West End will have the ability to welcome parent volunteers back into the building to chaperone field trips and work in classrooms once again.
As the performance continued, showcasing the vocal and instrumental talents of the students, and the smooth dance moves of some faculty members, Drummond expressed his proud sentiments.
“All the activity teachers do an amazing job of working with our kids,” he said. “Our fourth graders rocked it tonight with their musical understanding and all the things that they’re learning. I was so impressed, I’m always impressed. We have an amazing group of students and they really showed out tonight.”
Go Wolves!
