Jefferson students take parents to class for a day

More than 175 parents of students at Jefferson Elementary filled the gym and cafeteria Wednesday during Take Your Parent to School Day.

"It's our best turnout ever," principal Mark Cook said. "It's a tradition, part of the culture of the school."

Jefferson students like second-grader Candice Pearson and her brother, third-grader T.J. Pearson, continued the tradition and welcomed their parents to sit next to them at lunch and spend part of the afternoon at the school.

The event is part of American Education Week.

"The main thing is to show their children that they support their school and they support what the kids are doing here at Jefferson," Cook said.

Antoinette Pearson, T.J.'s mother, said it's important to spend time with her children at school.

Parent Loyce Poole agreed, saying the event lets her son's "teachers know that I am involved in his life." The event is also a way for parents to meet all of their child's friends, not just the ones they spend time with outside of school, she said.

T.J. said at first it was kind of weird having his parents at school, but in the end he thought it was fun.

In addition to spending time with their child during the school day, parents got to see what their children eat during lunch.

"Lunch is part of the daily educational experience and it's an important part of their day," Cook said.

Poole spent her day off work eating a school lunch with her son, Noah, a fourth-grader.

"I wish I could spend more time in the classroom and being there for him," she said. "I was raised that way; my parents were really involved in my school activities."

Noah said he liked having his mom at school, and showed her off to his friends.

His mother said she had forgotten how loud the lunch room is.

"I was sitting her reminiscing thinking, gosh, fourth grade, I remember it," she said. "It brings back a lot of memories."

In math, Noah worked on fractions and the decimal system and said he enjoyed showing his mom what he's learning.

ameyer@semissourian.com

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