Pinnacle Academy Celebrates Fathers with a Fathers Walk

Pinnacle Academy participated in a county-wide initiative on Sept. 22, the Cuyahoga County's 17^th Annual Fathers Walk. Fathers and other male mentors were encouraged to be involved in their child(ren)’s education on this day and throughout the school year. Thousands of fathers, uncles, grandfathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, brothers, and mentors stepped up to support the education of children in their lives.
  Pinnacle Academy celebrated by having fathers walk scholars to school, then joined staff in the gymnasium for photo opportunities. About 150 people participated.
 
“We welcomed them in with confetti poppers and handed out shark keychains to the dads for being ‘totally jawsome,’ said Pinnacle Academy Lower Elementary Dean K-2 Erin Raymont.
 
Participants were asked to take the “The Fathers Walk Pledge” and encouraged to keep it year-round:

• I am responsible for the education of my child.
• I will encourage all children to do their best every day at school.
• I will speak to my child about the value of learning and the importance of reaching your potential.
• I will help with school work and review assignments for completion.
• I will praise my child when he/she does well in school.
• I will speak with my child’s teachers and support them in educating my child.
• I will teach my child the value of education and the value of family.
• I will work with my child’s mother or guardian to achieve the best academic and social outcomes for my child even if I do not live with my child.

©Theresa Mejia Johnson, I Am a Dream, 2012
 
“An event that includes dads is vital to our student’s growth and development, both for their social/emotional and academic,” Raymont said. “Students that have involved parents, especially dads or other male role models, typically have better classroom behaviors, better grades, and enjoy school more. Kids love knowing their parents care about them and their learning and our staff appreciates our parental involvement.”
 
The Fathers Walk began in the Cuyahoga County area in 2006, spearheaded by Greg Johnson and Theresa Mejia Johnson of I Am a Dream with support from many partners.About Pinnacle Academy
Pinnacle Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Euclid, Ohio, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.

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