Vernonia School District Superintendent Jim Helmen warmly greets a student at “Meet the Family Night” on Thursday, Aug. 31. (Photo by Jake Arnold, OSBA)
Despite a light rain, hundreds of community members streamed into the Vernonia K-12 school for “Meet the Family Night” last week.
Children raced ahead of parents, grandparents and other caring adults to hug school staff, greet friends and check classroom lists for this year’s teachers. Community members chatted with teachers, administrators and fellow parents.
Vernonia, a school district with around 550 students, was drawing only a couple of dozen parents to such gatherings a few years ago. An intensive effort to engage the community northwest of Portland, led by the superintendent and school board, turbocharged community event participation last school year and has carried over into this school year.
Superintendent Jim Helmen and the school board say robust community engagement is key to raising student attendance and improving performance in general. Last school year, district leaders saw signs they are on the right track.
Helmen started in July 2022. Soon after several school board members came back from the OSBA Summer Board Conference energized by workshops and speakers and full of ideas to improve community relations. The board and Helmen credit OSBA training with helping them forge a collaborative partnership to better serve their students.
The board and Helmen met with community members to eliminate barriers to event attendance. They adjusted start times to be more convenient for working adults, offered child care and provided meals.
Helmen said the big shift was really a lot of little adjustments in how the district communicated. Helmen wants to take the parent anxiety out of contact with the school. The district started working on more positive messaging, face-to-face meetings and inclusive language, such as “Dear family” instead of “Dear parent or guardian.”
Having a “Meet the Family Night” instead of “Meet the Teachers Night” was one of dozens of small changes aimed at shifting the dynamic. Helmen aims for two or three big events a school year to bring in families. The district is also using a variety of methods to send its messages.
Wayland Forster laughingly said she came Thursday night partly because she had received three emails, a phone call, a text message and a personal invite. She arrived with her husband, Aaron, and children Poet, 3, and Pippa, 5.
“We wanted to be involved,” she said.
Wayland Forster’s oldest child graduated last year. She said the district is doing a much better job reaching out to families than in the past.
Helmen has heavily focused the engagement events on improving attendance. In 2021-22, 43% of Vernonia’s students were chronically absent, missing more than 10% of the school year. The state average was 36%.
The data isn’t available yet for last school year, but Helmen said the district made progress at the end of the year. After last year’s second engagement night in March, daily attendance improved from around 70% to around 90%, Helmen said.
“Things change if you pay attention to them,” he said.
On Thursday night, Middle and High School Principal Nate Underwood stood out front, greeting people and shaking hands. He said the events give parents and students a chance to see staff in a different light and it’s improving the relationships during school hours.
Mark Brown, the maintenance supervisor, was also out greeting people. He said the whole district staff is pulling in the same direction.
Just past the balloon arch at the school’s entrance, staff welcomed community members at tables for various student services and activities as well as registration. More staff in gray school T-shirts stood around ready to answer questions or just talk.
The district served about 400 meals, and the line for the night’s tacos stretched out of the cafeteria and down the hall. Party music played, and a dull roar of happy conversation filled the space.
School Board Chair Scott Rickard dished up tortillas, hamburger, beans and cheese at the food line’s head. He said the increase in community engagement in a year has been “mind-blowing.”
School board members are often front and center at school functions, making sure the community knows who they are and what they do.
“We are not some shadowy organization,” Rickard said. “We want to be open and transparent.”
Board member Javoss McGuire ate with his family, greeting people left and right. Board member Greg Kintz, an OSBA Board member, helped keep the line running. Board member Joan Jones served drinks. Board member Amy Cieloha handed out forks and napkins.
“This is all feels good,” Cieloha said. “This is rejuvenation.”
Helmen, meanwhile, did laps from the cafeteria to the entrance.
“My brother, my man, good to see you!” he boomed as he shook hands, bumped fists and hugged children.
As the line wound down, Helmen gave a short presentation, asking the audience to pledge their support for student attendance. He focused on the importance of showing up daily and the district’s willingness to support families and students however they can.
“When we say we love your babies, it’s genuine,” he said.
Enthusiasm and general good cheer for the coming school year bubbled up in every corner. District leaders say food, of course, is the secret ingredient to getting people to come.
“I’m here for the tacos,” said Zoey Cochran, an eighth grader, as she strolled in with a friend. She had walked from her house, getting soaked by the rain.
Two hours later, she was still there, talking with teachers and other students.
– Jake Arnold, OSBA
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