Rebecca Turner Academy holds 'Cups and Connection' with principal

Rebecca Turner Academy Principal Dr. Jacqueline Green treated a group of parents – and one grandmother – to coffee and brownies during an informal “group session” Friday in which they asked questions and shared concerns.

Nine parents showed up for the “Cups and Connections” meeting, which they later asked Dr. Green to hold every other month.

The principal told the parents – a mix of mothers and fathers – that she decided to hold the face-to-face meeting to give them the opportunity to inquire about the nascent school year.

“Any ideas or concerns you want me to address,” she told the assembled. “If you can come to tell us directly what you need, we can better serve you – we serve the families, we serve our scholars.”

Dr. Green pointed out that there are six teaching vacancies that are being filled,but assured the parents that the teaching assistants who have been filling the roles are doing an excellent job.

“Your children are still learning,” she said.

One of those who attended the meeting is a grandmother and retired New York City schoolteacher who told Dr. Green about a room that she believed was not ready for use.

“I want to make sure my grandson, and all the other children, are getting the services they need – especially for the students like my grandson, who is speech-delayed,” she said.

The principal assured her that RTA was fully prepared for the children and that one room was being used for storage after the school transitioned from an alternative high school last year to an elementary school.

In response to another parent’s question about special-needs students, Dr. Green said the children are getting all the services they need, including from three behavioral specialists.

She also addressed security concerns by telling the group that anyone who wants to pick up a child must be properly vetted and produce an ID that matches the name of an authorized pickup person.

Dr. Green then appealed to the parents to join the PTA.

“I know you may not feel you have a lot of time and that you may not always be able to come to the PTA meetings, but you can still be a PTA member,” she said.

“The most important part of the PTA is to speak your voice.  Parents, your voices are louder than mine,” said Dr. Green, who pointed out that there is no current PTA.

“So we need a president, vice president, if you’re interested,” Dr. Green said. “If you’re interested in being in the PTA and being an officer, or just being a member, you know that’s the most important thing as well.”

She also told the guests about the school’s mantra – SOAR, which stands for Show respect, Offer kindness, Act responsibly and Reach for success.
After the meeting, she said she was very pleased with the event.

“I was just really excited that the parents felt comfortable to share their concerns,” the principal said. “They really started talking about their children and what they’re interested in. It became like a group session. Hopefully, they’ll tell other families.”

She also said that children who arrived from the shuttered Cecil H.  Parker School have made a smooth transition.

“It’s going well because they know each other – each other’s classmates – and we have some new students as well,” Dr. Green said.

One of the parents, Romonia Knight, said the meeting was “great.”

“It gave us parents the opportunity to meet the principal, ask questions and find out about things for the new school year,” said Ms. Knight, mother of a 4-year-old daughter with special needs.

“This is all new for us, so I think we’re trying to develop a community where we’re all just successful,” said the mom, who brought along another daughter, a toddler.

In a moment of levity, Dr. Green told the parents that the school’s new colors will be green and gray – her and Assistant Principal Tamisha Gray’s last names.

“That was just a coincidence!” she said.