Cameron Parish goes back to school
CAMERON, La. (KPLC) - Students in Cameron Parish are heading back to school this week. 7NEWS spoke to Superintendent Charley Lemons about the Parish’s goals for students this year.
What should parents and students know for the first day of school?
So the first day of school, as far as drop off and pick up, is pretty standard. The school day begins at 7:30 a.m. Of course, you’ll have some parents that may want to walk their child into school and that’s okay. What we ask them to do is to please find a designated area or a safe area to park and walk the child in. And as soon as that’s been done to make their way out of the school so we can begin the day.
One thing that might be a little different for children or teens coming into the Cameron School system for the first time will be that four of our five schools are K through 12. You have kids all the way from pre-K up at those schools. So, some students need a little bit of an adjusting period to get used to that.
What schools, if any, offer free lunches this year?
All the schools will have school lunches. And all our students for this year will continue to eat for free.
What goals do you have for the upcoming school year?
You know, we just recently received some of our standardized test scores from the spring. And we’re kind of dialing in on that data and we like what we see. But we’re gonna continue to grow and move forward. We do have some things that we need to address in regard to some learning gaps but it’s not as great or significant as we once believed. But we’re gonna do the best we can to be sure that every child gets the best quality education possible.
For the older kids, we are in the process of putting together a school safety seminar that will be held at each individual school. We’re looking at targeting grades 7 – 12 and in that seminar, we’re looking to discuss the dangers of vaping, social media, bullying, and a variety of topics that these children face nowadays. Just to make them more aware of the dangers or the consequences that come with some of these actions.
We haven’t set a date yet but our goal is to hold the seminar in the month of August.
Where should families go to find supply lists?
You can find a list of all the school supplies you’ll need on the school’s website or by contacting your school’s administrator.
What is the latest on security?
We have, over time, tried to revisit and refresh our security procedures as much as possible. But there is some legislation coming down from the state where certain things are gonna be required by the school districts and schools in order to better prepare teachers, students, and staff should an emergency happen as it relates to an active shooter or the sort.
Our principals do a really good job of trying to keep the building secure to where all doors are locked and there’s really only one point of entry, which is typically in the front of the school. And that SRO is stationed right there, towards the front of that school.
The biggest thing that I would say to the parents is that when we begin the school year we ask them to go to the meet and greets and that you’re updating your information in and about the school system. That the info you and we have is the most up-to-date information including phone numbers, addresses, or legal documents regarding custody. All of that stuff helps us in keeping your children safe or being able to notify you if something should happen in a timely manner.
Do you know which schools have officers and training?
We have a School Resource Office through the Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office stationed at each campus who are all armed. Each of them has completed any and all of the training requirements for the position, and then some. Having one of them at each of the schools at the single point of entry is a great asset for us and for the safety of our students.
Cameron school websites
Helpful Links for Cameron Parish Parents/Students
Back to School Gallery
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