When Bill Gattus was named principal of Richland Elementary last year, he was met with feedback and concerns from parents and community members about limited opportunities for students and families, and worse, that parents and community members didn’t feel welcome in the building. Gattus, an RISD product himself (Big Springs, MST, Apollo, Berkner), immediately set his sights on changing how families are engaged at the school.
Fast forward one year and the culture and environment at Richland has changed dramatically. Parents are now an active part of the Rocket family and opportunities for learning extend beyond the classroom. Initiatives such as Rocket Café, Friday Helpers, and Parents on Patrol have been highly successful in engaging parents with the campus and their child’s academic growth. More parents have joined PTA, and attendance at school events has jumped.
Hand in hand with parent engagement have been parallel efforts to offer enrichment activities to students outside of the school day, recognizing that some families might not otherwise have access to extra-curricular opportunities for children. Thus were created student clubs and programs like the Rockettes Dance Team, Chess Club, Newsletter Team, Choir, UIL academic teams, Principal Ambassadors, Art Club, the Girls Start STEM club, Rocket Bros, basketball camps, and more. These days, something is always happening at school for students to feel connected, that parents can engage in and support, and everyone can feel the sense of pride that comes from working together for the benefit of kids. Students now have access to a wide range of ways to stay engaged in areas of interest, and the concerns from a year ago have been replaced with a culture of happier, more engaged families who now view their neighborhood elementary school as a focal point of their community.
Congratulations to Mr. Gattus and his team of caring educators – and keep up the great work!
