May 24, 2016 -- “We are starting with the strong foundation that is already the Roxboro Elementary community,” said parent Jennifer Holland of the group Building Rox, “and building it upwards and outwards.”
This is the story of how this new and important sub-committee of the Rox El PTA came to be.
When Coventry School shut its doors nearly a decade ago, the building’s 300 students were divided up among Boulevard, Fairfax and Roxboro Elementary Schools. Those who currently attend Rox El arrive primarily by bus and live far outside the bounds of this “neighborhood” school. Because their parents don’t have the luxury of gathering on the playground at drop-off or pick-up, they miss out on the opportunity to create important relationships and may feel less informed about school issues and less connected to the school community.
That’s where Building Rox comes in. Founded in 2015, Building Rox is a PTA-supported organization run by committed parents whose stated mission is to facilitate a safe, inclusive, community-focused school environment for all families through outreach and programming.
When Holland served as PTA President from 2012 to 2014, she was acutely aware of the need to engage more families. “I wanted to include everyone: working parents, parents whose kids use Before and After-Care, parents whose kids ride the bus.” She made a few changes like moving half of the general PTA meetings from the morning to the evening so that working parents could attend. “But the PTA President has too many other responsibilities on her plate,” said Holland. “This needed to be a separate initiative.”
In the spring of 2015, Holland was joined by fellow parents Lance Godard and India Meesig and, with the enthusiastic support of Principal Michael Jenkins and the PTA, Building Rox was born.
They started with the basics: generating ideas to make school events and meetings accessible to more parents, and creating an informational bulletin board that outlined each grade’s academic expectations and outcomes. They also worked with the school to move the end-of-the-year picnic from lunchtime to the evening so that more families could attend. Since these early initiatives, Building Rox has evolved to include a speaker series and potluck dinners, which offer opportunities for families to share a meal and get to know one another.
“Our goals are small but meaningful,” said Meesig.
The three were joined this year by kindergarten parent Jessica Schantz, who was moved by the team’s belief that “the school can better serve all of its students through the concerted efforts of a group slated to engage the entire community.” They meet at least once a month with Principal Jenkins, PTA President Clare Taft and school counselor Darlene Byrd, among others, to identify issues and brainstorm solutions.
For example, in an effort to reach students in their own neighborhood, Building Rox suggested that the PTA host its annual popsicle party last summer at the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park. For the many Rox El students who live on the north end of Coventry Road, this allowed them to walk or ride their bikes to a school event for the first time. Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon and members of the District Council PTA attended the event as well, as part of their ongoing commitment to equity across the district.
Building Rox has also hosted two community potlucks that featured live entertainment, in an effort to attract a broader slice of Rox El families. “I’ve seen parents come to multiple events this year who I’d never seen in the past,” reported Meesig. She credits the direct messaging employed by Building Rox and the inclusion of its mission statement in all communications.
This past winter, the group launched the Roxboro Un-Shop, a store that provides free clothing and household goods to any student. Flyers with tear-off return slips were sent home so parents could check off which items they needed and teachers could place these orders with the help of librarian Mrs. Alexander, who manages the shop during the school day.
“The kids love it! They come in happy, excited and unashamed.” Meesig points to the Un-Shop as an example of taking a negative and turning it into a positive. “When we see a problem, we solve it.”
That attitude has spread to other buildings as well. The Un-Shop, which was inspired by Noble Elementary’s Clothing Pantry, has since inspired the Share-fax store at Fairfax.
Other identified efforts are on the agenda for the next school year. Godard hopes that Building Rox can create a system of ride sharing for families who might have unreliable transportation so they can still attend school events.
“It’s not as easy as it sounds,” he said. “We need to build the relationships first, kid by kid, family by family, for ride sharing to be successful.”
Building Rox also hopes to provide childcare during meetings and school events so single parents (or both parents) can attend without having to find a weeknight sitter.
While such efforts are in their early stages, others have come to fruition. Building Rox recently received a grant that will allow them to send selected students to University Circle’s Circle Sampler Camp over the summer. These weeklong sessions include visits to nine different organizations ranging from the Botanical Gardens and Natural History Museum to the Nature Center of Shaker Lakes and Roots of American Music.
Two fourth graders and two fifth graders have been carefully selected by their teachers for displaying exceptional academic and interpersonal growth, using criteria set by Building Rox and school administration. The four winners of the Building Rox Personal Achievement Award will be announced at fifth grade promotion in June.
The group is also committed to sharing information with parents so they feel well informed about school and district initiatives and policies, as well as community resources. They’ve hosted a successful Speaker Series, with building and district administrators, representatives from Open Doors Academy, even State Senator Sandra Williams, who talked about Ohio’s Common Core standards.
Holland reported that feedback from these events has been overwhelmingly positive and that the group is considering monthly coffee talks next year. After a round-table with Superintendent Dixon, Holland could feel the dynamic changing. “We’re finally having a real conversation.”
But Building Rox knows that their efforts will require a long-term commitment and that truly engaging all school families will take time. Godard captured the feeling of many in the group, especially those like Holland, Schantz and Taft who have children not yet enrolled in kindergarten, when he said, “Years from now, we can look back and say we’ve made this a true community school.”