Family Engagement Specialist Christian Barner talks on the phone in Room 516 on Feb. 23. Starting on Feb. 28, the Clarke County School District’s policy changed to make masks optional and allow visitors back into Clarke Central High School, which will enable CCHS to have increased in-person interactions with families. “You are always going to get more engagement from families with in-person events, and it is an important part of how we support our community,” instructional coach and CCHS parent Ginger Lehmann said. “It was right to be cautious for a while, but I’m excited about offering more in person events.” Photo by Isabella Westrich
With the change in CCSD mask and visitor policies, CCHS is able to hold more in-person events for parents and guardians, increasing their involvement at the school.
Starting on Feb. 28, the Clarke County School District’s mask and visitor policies changed, following a decrease in COVID-19 cases in the community.
An email alerting CCSD students, staff and parents of the change was sent out on Feb. 18 by CCSD Superintendent Xernona Thomas.
“Beginning February 28, 2022, masks will be optional on all CCSD campuses. Visitors will be welcomed back to school campuses for scheduled meetings and events. We ask you to contact your student’s school before visiting,” the email reads.
Because the change in policy allows visitors back into the building, it will make increased interaction between Clarke Central High School and students’ families possible.
“Having parents and other stakeholders come into the school building helps build the strong community relationships that support the success of our students.”
— Ginger Lehmann,
Instructional coach and CCHS parent
“We haven’t had as many of our in-person events (during the 2021-22 school year). We just had (parent-teacher) conferences, but we weren’t able to have the conferences here on campus. They were all on Zoom or over the phone for the most part,” Family Engagement Specialist Christian Barner said. “(The change in the masking and guest policy) is going to make it a lot easier for us to make sure that we can have families in the building even during the day.”
Instructional coach and CCHS parent Ginger Lehmann believes that the increase in visitors will be beneficial to the CCHS community.
“Many families are not likely to participate in Zoom or virtual events. They need to have conversations with school staff in person in order to get all of the information they need,” Lehmann said. “Having parents and other stakeholders come into the school building helps build the strong community relationships that support the success of our students.”
With the new changes, Barner is looking forward to the increased family involvement.
“I think there is value in families coming to the school, actually physically being here and seeing the environment that our students are in every day. It helps families understand what their kids are dealing with,” Barner said.
