Azusa Unified Back-to-School Nights draw thousands of parents

As everyone knows, the more involved parents are in their children’s education, the more likely their children are to succeed academically and socially. That’s why AUSD’s recent Back-to-School Nights, which were very well attended by parents, were a tremendously positive sign. The all-important school/home partnership provides a continuum of encouragement and support for student academic achievement and keeps communication open among teachers, parents and students.

“When parents and teachers get to know each other and focus together on the needs of the child, great things can happen,” explained Superintendent Dr. Linda Kaminski. “Just the act of finding time to attend a Back-to-School Night sends a powerful message to children about the importance their parents place on education.”

Attendance at AUSD’s Back-to-School Nights was strong across the district, and the participation at the secondary level, middle and high school, was especially welcome.

“In many of our classrooms, it was standing-room-only,” said Slauson Middle School Principal Yvette Walker. “When students get to middle school, parents often start to pull back and be less involved than they were at the elementary level, when the fact is that their adolescent children need them to be involved just as much. So we were thrilled with the outstanding parent turnout this year.”

School Board President Helen Jaramillo lauded the enthusiasm of parents. “It’s not always easy for parents to make time in the evening to attend an event,” she noted, “but again and again, we find that when it comes to their children’s education, Azusa parents do what they have to do to stay involved and show their support.”

ABOUT AUSD: Azusa Unified School District educates almost 8,300 students in grades Preschool-12 at 18 schools. Its graduation rate exceeds both the state and national averages.