History

Parents On Campus initiated at Post Middle School in spring of the2004-2005 school-year and has grown steadily over time with positivefeedback coming from administrators, teachers, staff and parents.  Even a"student or two" has commented that they are glad to have us around!

A similar program has been implemented at Arlington High School.
 
The Herald
Friendly parental patrol
'Extra eyes' keep Arlington students in check
By Eric Stevick / Herald Writer - Feb 1, 2006
 
SchoolCenter PictureARLINGTON- Three sets of eyes aren't enough to watch over nearly 900 middleschool students scattered across a sprawling campus.

Alan Boatman, assistant principal at Post Middle School in Arlington,will attest to that.  That's why he is glad parents took the school upon an offer to help supervise the campus before and after school andduring lunch periods.

Each day, volunteers in orange jerseys wander the cafeteria andhigh-traffic areas of campus, making small talk with seventh andeighth-graders with a goal of maintaining a safe and caring environment.

Boatman is convinced their presence has a calming effect - both onstudents and on parents who might be inclined to worry after thetransition from elementary school.
 
The bottom line, Boatman said, is parents make a difference.  "It'sthose little, tiny things that go undetected that can lead to biggerproblems later," Boatman said. "The whole focus is just having extraeyes. Their mere presence is a deterrent."

The Parents On Campus program started last spring, and Boatman creditsparents for taking ownership through recruiting and scheduling.  "I knowI didn't have enough time in my day to put something like this togetherand have it last," he said. It has to have a parent volunteerinvestment to it to have any lasting power."

Mixie Deeter has a seventh-grade son, John, at Post Middle School andhas been a key organizer.  "This is one way to get people involved inschool," she said. "It's a very, very good way to be at the school andto be in your child's school life without intruding on theirindependence."

Volunteers are encouraged to just be themselves and to choose the levelof interaction that best suits them. They also get to meet theirchildren's friends.

Parents Karen Murrin and Gina Olson are quick to join into conversationsand enjoy getting the scoop on middle school society.  "We catch up onthe latest," said Murrin, who has an eighth-grade daughter, Alisha, atPost. "It's a lot of fun."  Olson said her seventh-grade daughter,Hannah, has one condition, telling her, "Just don't ask a lot ofquestions, Mom."

Bronco Huge said his seventh-grade son, Ben, just goes about hisbusiness.  "He just likes being here," he said. "It's not a big deal, mebeing here."

Denise Cummings likes coming to school where her son, Connor, is aseventh-grader.  "I thought in middle school he wouldn't like hugs, buthe does," she said.

Ally Barto, 14, an eighth-grader, doesn't mind parents on campus.  "Atfirst, I thought it was really strange, and then I thought it was reallycool that they were so concerned," she said. "It makes more kids be ontheir behavior and not be mean to other kids."

Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or [email protected]