Parenting isn't for the faint of heart, and anyone who is a parent knows the struggles that come with helping your child navigate through school academically and socially. Not only are parents helping their children navigate school life, but they're also helping them sift through all of the physical and emotional changes that come with being a kid. And boy is the world a different place than when many of us were young! That's why the Cherokee County School District has stepped in as a resource through Parent University.

You may have asked yourself, "How can I help my child succeed in school?" The simple answer - get involved. Studies show that parental involvement has a huge impact on a child's success with their education. Children earn higher grades, have better attendance, and graduate at higher rates when they have parents supporting them in their pursuit of education.

With the goal of having more parents involved in their child's education, CCSD hosts Parent University programs in which various subjects are taught including behavior management at home, communication, grade transitions, and other such issues. These are primarily used to bridge the gap between frequent issues experienced in the classroom and how parents can introduce and reinforce healthy behavior at home. We are confident that this partnership will create opportunities to help kids develop beyond academics.

This year, the main objective of the Parent University program is to promote social and emotional learning in schools. This is a huge task to take on but given that the mental health of students can frequently be overlooked, it has the potential to impact our schools in a big way. 

The topics covered in Parent University this month are:

• Drugs & Money
• Youth & Vaping
• Good Kids, Bad Decisions

Each of the above topics provides information about what students are faced with in our modern age. These presentations give tips for what parents should be on the lookout for, strategies to divert unwanted behavior, and details about the likely consequences their children will face if they get caught up in illegal activity. As students enter their teen years, they often experience an increase in freedom. However, they then have more flexibility to make decisions that could affect their lives long term without even realizing it.

As they say, "It takes a village." The Cherokee County School District is creating a village through resources, information, and encouragement for parents so they can be actively involved in their child's education.

The Cherokee County Educational Foundation is proud of the efforts of the CCSD to work towards creating an even better learning environment for our students. As time passes, it becomes increasingly evident that there are things that aren't taught in textbooks and can't be measured through tests– social and emotional learning are two great examples.

Parent university is a free event held at various high schools in Cherokee County and goes from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. If you are interested in attending any of the Parent University sessions, see the schedule below. All sessions will cover the same topics including mental health awareness and suicide prevention, which is part of the social and emotional learning initiative. Mark one of these dates on your calendar!