Family engagement night this week

By Michael Butler

Tallassee City Schools in having another Family Engagement Night event. "Step Into Summer" will be on Tuesday, May 9 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at J.E. "Hot" O'Brien Stadium.

Jennifer Bafford is the coordinator of the Family Engagement Educators Team (F.E.E.T.).

"This Family Engagement is a group of teachers in the district who give their time to make that connection between the schools and the families, because education does start with the family," Bafford said. "This is one of our biggest events. It's 100 percent free. We have 37 community partners. We're going to have games, a scavenger hunt bingo, bounce houses, snow cones."

Playing on the F.E.E.T. theme, Bafford added that there will "footlong" hotdogs and about 50-100 pairs of flipflops for the early arrivals.

Career Coach Phillip Nelson will be on the grill and conversing with parents as well.

"This is a great opportunity for elementary, middle, high school - for everybody involved to come out and enjoy. We really have a lot of stuff in the Tallassee area to offer our kids. It's an education event. A lot of people on the team will be answering questions."

With the school year winding down, opportunities for summer activities will be available for students.

"You can engage with all these groups and sign up," Bafford noted. "Sports, camps and other fun things. It's one-stop shopping."

Bafford said about 200 people showed up for the last F.E.E.T. event.

"It's always challenging to find a date that doesn't conflict. I think next year we'll shoot for an April date. We have things on the agenda for a movie night. Our students and families should be running to the schools to break the doors down instead of trying to run out. This is just a fun way to make those positive experiences with the family and the school."