Newspaper Page Text
Page 4 - Wednesday, July 12, 2023
The Jenkins County Times
j enkinsc ountytimes .com
EAGLE
NOTES
John Paul Hearn, Superintendant
Jenkins County School System
This past Saturday, Renee’ and I spent about 8 hours in the yard trimming shrubbery,
cutting grass, and cleaning up what had been neglected for a while. Our shrubbery had
plenty of growth since a previous cutting, and I said it’s probably been 2-3 years since we
trimmed the shrubs. Renee replied that they hadn’t been cut since I started working on my
doctorate in the Fall of 2020. To be honest, a lot of things went lacking around my house
while I was working on my doctorate, and I am thankful for my tribe, who took up the slack
while I was writing my dissertation. And I am certain they all breathed a collective sigh of
relief when I graduated this past May.
My dissertation was a labor of love. When I wasn’t at work, I was reading research, and
writing. Everyone who was around me was probably tired of hearing my references to the
current research I was reading. My research was on the effect of parent engagement on
student outcomes in middle school. I think most people would generally agree that parent
and family engagement in a student’s education is important. Still, I am not sure everyone
truly understands just how important it is.
Amanda Stefansik defines parent engagement as goal-directed relationships between
families, teachers, and leaders that are ongoing and culturally responsive, meaning that
parent engagement is a mutual responsibility of families and school staff to support the
student however necessary to ensure success. That last part is why I decided to be an
educator. I want to do everything within my power to ensure student success. I chose family
engagement as a research topic because that is an area that we as a school system can
improve on, and we can reap the rewards of our effort in the fomi of student success.
Researchers have repeatedly found that effective family engagement increases student
outcomes in attendance, behavior, grades, and social well-being. Those four areas pretty
much cover all areas of a student’s life. If this one thing that we can do can increase overall
student success, why don’t we collectively work harder to improve parent engagement?
It turns out there are several challenges to parent engagement. One of those challenges is
living in a rural area, which is where we live. Now I wouldn’t want to change where I live
for anything, but we must recognize it’s a challenge. Another hurdle is that when students
enter middle school, it seems teachers’ and parents’ ideas of engagement change. This
finding in research didn’t attempt to find fault with parents or teachers. However, a shared
understanding of expectations will go a long way in increasing effective family engagement.
Over the last year, our middle and high schools implemented academic parent nights to
address this issue. I attended several and had a ball with the activities that the teachers
prepared. I also learned a lot about what occurs in our teacher’s classrooms.
Joyce Epstein has researched family engagement for many years. Her theory is called
the Overlapping Spheres of Influence. In her theory, the student sits at the intersection of
school, community, and family, which are the three primary contexts of a student’s life
during school. Epstein says that students are most successful when all three groups work
together to benefit the student. I have talked at length with teachers, community members,
and parents over the last two and a half years. A couple of things are evident. One, all of
them want our students in Jenkins County to succeed. Two, they want parents engaged in
the process of education.
I say all of that to say this. Our first day of school is rapidly approaching. August 1st
is only three weeks away. Our open house will be Thursday, July 27th from 3-6 pm. I
encourage all parents and family members to actively participate in your child’s education
this year. Attend open house to meet your child’s teachers. Develop relationships with your
child’s teacher and the school administration. Learn what you can do at home to support
what is happening at school. Years of research have proven that doing the simple act of
consistently engaging with your child’s school will increase the likelihood that they will
have a positive and successful educational experience.
By Joe Brady, Editor
for
The Times
Now, I’m a creature of habit. My family knows that I will be home exactly 20 minutes
after I leave work. If I’m late it is because I have stopped by the grocery store. My family
also knows that if I have a meeting or covering an event for the paper, that as soon as it is
over. I’m either headed back to work or the house.
In my college years, I was spontaneous. I would do just about anything off the cuff. But
as my twenties turned into my thirties and beyond, I became more predictable. Knowing
this about me, if something deviates from my “norm” my family begins to worry, overly
much, I must admit.
So, July 4th, I got a wild hair and decided to start pressure washing the patio. By the
looks of it, you would never know we used to entertain quite regularly back there. Every
year I would pressure wash the stone, weed flower beds, cultivate flowers. I had the prettiest
ferns in the county, according to me. I haven’t been able to grow a fern since I quit smoking
however. I’m no longer out there smoking, so I’m not watering.
But anyway, I get out the pressure washer and begin. I quickly remembered how much
I liked pressure washing, I have written several articles about it in fact. So, I’m out there,
enjoying myself when I notice the sheriff’s tmck pull up into the driveway. Now y’all, I
have to explain. I was at home alone. My family was scattered. And, when I saw the sheriff
pull up, I was about an hour into my project.
So, seeing I had a guest, I turned off the pressure washer. Our good sheriff steps out and
asks, “where is your phone?” Shocked, I said, “in the house.” “What are you doing?” He
asks. Well, what does it look like? I wanted to ask. But, as the pups were barking like crazy
I walked over to the gate, “you need to call your family.” I was shocked for a moment, “you
mean this is a welfare check.” I’ve always thought older people got welfare checks.
I kinda felt flattered. Then I was embarrassed, and finally I got a little perturbed. I mean
really? After the sheriff left, I went in and called. Y’all, I had 28 messages on my phone.
“Where are you?” “Are you dead?”
My family response to alerting our sheriff was simply that I never leave my chair so they
figured I must have fallen or died because I wouldn’t answer my phone. Now, they didn’t
want to apparently find me dead, so they figured Robert was the next best thing. And Sheriff
Oglesby’s response to that, “I was thinking the same thing driving over there, please don’t
let Joe be dead, I don’t want to have to deal with that on the 4th of July!” It’s so nice to be
loved! That’s all for now, take care.
Letters To The
EDITOR
Letters to the editor of The Jenkins County Times are welcomed and encouraged.
These are pages of opinion, yours and ours. Letters to the editor voice the opinions of
the newspaper’s readers. The Jenkins County Times reserves the right to edit any and
all portions ofa letter. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters must include the
signature, address and phone number of the writer to allow our staff to authenticate
its origin. Letters should be limited to 400 words and should be typewritten and
double-spaced or neatly printed by hand. Deadline for letters to the editor is noon
on Wednesday. Email Letters to the Editor to: thejenkinscountytimes@gmail.com
Warnock
backs financial
assistance for past
discrimination in
USD A farm loans
FOR SALE IN MILLEN
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JESSICA HERRMANN
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O: 912-489-0067
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3028 JAXON MASON LANE, MILLEN, GA
U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released the
following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USD A)
opened applications for farmers to receive financial assistance for past
discrimination in USDA farm loan programs. Senator Warnock secured
funding for poor farmers and farmers who have faced discrimination
in the Inflation Reduction Act and has continued to press USD A to
distribute the relief.
“This announcement is great news, but there’s still much more work
to do,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I’m thinking of farmers
like Burke County’s Lucious Abrams, who faced decades of USDA
discrimination and has gone deeper and deeper into the red waiting for
federal relief, even though financial assistance we passed as part of the
Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law nearly a year ago. Today
is a good day because I’ve been waiting to tell these farmers that relief
is on the way, and I’m going to continue holding the USDA’s feet to
the fire to ensure they’re reaching the farmers they need to and that
these resources are disbursed as soon as possible.”
Senator Warnock has long prioritized helping Georgia’s farmers
navigate economic challenges and getting
farmers the federal support, they need to
grow and thrive. Senator Warnock fought to
secure over $5 billion in relief funding in the
Inflation Reduction Act for farmers in Georgia
and across the country—including $3.1 billion
for economically-distressed borrowers in
addition to $2.2 billion for borrowers who
have experienced discrimination by USDA. In
October 2022, Senator Warnock announced he
already secured over $29 million in funds to
help economically distressed Georgia farmers
receive relief for qualifying USDA farm loans.
The Senator has also elevated the voices of
all farmers and producers through a series of
moderated conversations with USDA officials.
.Jenkins County Times Proudly covering Jenkins County
’s news, sports, and community events
Sam Eades Publisher
Joe Brady Editor
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Debbie Heam Admin/Layout and Design Executive
Sarah Saxon Admin/Legals/Reporter/AP Correspondent
Brad Asbury Sports Editor
Jake Gay Reporter
Tyler Busch Podcast Director/Reporter
THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES
issue 17 June 2023 is published weekly by on Wednesday
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