Parents attend Coffee & Tea event held by Grimes School Principal and Parent Teacher Association

On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, parents attended Coffee & Tea With the Principal, a meet-and-greet event, held by Grimes School. Coffee, bagels and other breakfast delights were served as parents filed into the school’s auditorium, getting a chance to mingle and settle in before the event started. The goal of this meet-and-greet was to have an honest discussion and set boundaries with technology, as Grimes is moving towards becoming a phone-free school. 

Parents were greeted by Principal Dr. Severin Cornelius and PTA President Claudette Cornwall before they were taken on a tour around the school. Parents peeked into their children’s classrooms and met teachers as they became acclimated with the school's layout and environment. On this tour, parents received important information on how to access lunch menus, the new security cameras that were installed for student and staff safety, and crucial personnel such as guidance counselors, speech therapists and social workers present in the school. 

Once the school tour concluded, Dr. Cornelius gave a quick overview of the school’s plan to introduce phone lockboxes to curb in-classroom distractions and school bullying. Although school bullying is not an issue specific to Grimes, it is proven to be beneficial to remove cell phones from the classroom. In a “No phone” environment, students can give their undivided attention to their teachers and improve greatly in educational and behavioral matters. 

On the topic of the “No Phone Movement” initiative at Grimes, guidance counselor Dara Smalls held an interactive talk with parents and students about unhealthy cell phone habits.

“We have to understand that we are so distracted by our phones,” said Ms. Smalls. “I say this because we are distracted at work and we have discipline. Then, we know our kids are distracted because they haven’t built up the discipline we have.”

Coffee and Tea With the Principal concluded with a 45-minute session hosted by Ms. Cornwall on internet safety and how technology can be very useful but also dangerous if used in the wrong manner. The purpose of this session was to teach students and parents how to make the best online choices for themselves and their families. They also discussed technology safety rules. 

 Grimes School encourages parents to get involved with the school’s PTA and build a better connection with their children and their community. When parents are involved in the school, the family receives first-hand information about what is happening at the school, and the child sees more benefits to their education.

“I think it is important for everyone to join the PTA. We need a group of people to come and do things here,” said Dr. Cornelius. “The stronger the parents are, the stronger your school is. The larger the parent voice is, the more the school receives in terms of resources and things of that nature”