TULSA, Okla. — School staff members at McLain High School are going into their students’ communities to make connections easier over the summer.
School leadership said 'summer office hours' are helping set students up for success.
Hundreds of students will walk through the doors at McLain High School in the fall, but before the new school year starts, school leadership is meeting those students and their families in their own backyards.
“It seems like it’s going to be a good year,” said Candace Gaines.
Gaines and her daughters recently moved to Tulsa. Her trip to Springdale Park was beneficial in more ways than one.
“At first, I was unsure if I read it correctly, but I did,” said Gaines.
She got some play time in with her younger daughters, while also meeting her older daughter’s new principal for the first time.
“It was nice,” said Gaines. “He had his table set up and his laptop. It eases my mind and lets me know he’s actually thinking about the students and their parents and what will work best for them.”
Gaines, a newcomer to Tulsa, said she’s thankful school leadership is stepping out of the building and into the community it serves.
McLain Interim Principal Rob Kaiser said that’s the whole point, “One of the biggest things that we’ve wanted to do is bring our office to families."
He started 'summer office hours' when he was head of Monroe Demonstration Academy, the feeder middle school into McLain.
He’s continuing the tradition at the high school, answering questions about the upcoming school year, helping get students enrolled and getting parents connected with the PTA.
“This has always been about family,” said Kaiser. “It’s always been about showing up for our families. Letting our families know how much we value them and how much we want them and their child to be successful.
Several local apartment complexes made the list for office hours with Kaiser connecting with students and their parents.
“This is all about doing all we can to help our scholars be successful and bringing our village and our community around them,” said Kaiser.
Monroe Demonstration Academy Assistant Principal Ben Imlay said the middle school is continuing the tradition in the upcoming weeks.
“We can’t have the same type of success academically, socially, emotionally without a strong partnership with families,” said Ben Imlay.
They’ll hand out books to families and school swag. Imlay said it is relationship-building that will give them a jump start on the school year.
“This is really just building the first step, that foundation. The real work happens in how we show up consistently every day throughout the year,” said Imlay.
Here is the schedule for the neighborhoods Monroe school leaders will visit this summer.
At McLain, Kaiser said they’ll be back in July with school supplies and sign-ups for after-school programs.
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