Rox El Named National PTA School of Excellence
Aug. 27, 2019 -- Roxboro Elementary has been named a National PTA School of Excellence, one of only 16 schools in Ohio to receive the honor in 2019. The yearlong process was spearheaded by PTA member Mary Pat Jolivette and required the school’s stakeholders to take a survey that identified areas of strength and weakness. A committee of parents, teachers and administrators then had to choose one of the weaknesses as their focus for the year.
They chose the issue of connecting the school’s families to community resources, which has also become a primary focus at the district level. The group first met with CH-UH Family Engagement Specialist Lisa Hunt and Supervisor of Community Partnerships Nancy Peppler, as well as Krista Hawthorne, Executive Director of Reaching Heights. They launched a speaker series and invited in a variety of community members to introduce their programs at PTA meetings.
Reaching Heights’ Amy Kerr Jung, who oversees the Exceptional Children’s Advocacy Group, was among them, as was Peppler, who spoke about the district’s new partnership with MetroHealth at the high school.
Jolivette also made an effort to increase participation on the school’s PTA Facebook page and then used the page to share relevant community events, including job, health and resource fairs, and free family-friendly events. The PTA’s primary focus for this school year is family literacy.
Rox El will receive a large banner announcing the honor to display outside the school, which they hope to reveal at an upcoming event.