Friday, August 9, 2002

School workers getting out the message that school starts Monday

Armed with information and determination, Fulton County school social workers hit the streets this week to make sure every student and parent knows about the first day of school.

During the week, a task force of 32 school social workers activated "Project First Day," an information campaign to educate students and parents about the importance of attendance on the first day of school, which falls this year on August 12.

More than 71,000 students are expected this school year, a 1,500-2,000 student increase from the previous year.

Project First Day was started in 1998 to combat the wait-a-week or wait-until-Labor-Day attendance syndrome, according to Harvey Beasley, Director of School Social Work Services for Fulton County Schools.

"It is imperative that students be present on the first day of school if they are to get the full benefit of learning," he said. "Learning begins the first day and we want every child to have the same opportunities to experience a successful school year."

Many families move from other states where school starts after Labor Day and mistakenly assume that Georgia also follows the same school calendar. Others just don't realize the impact that missing those first few days or weeks can have.

The social workers began the five-day campaign on August 5 with an 8 a.m. briefing in the school system's Administration Center boardroom, where they collected bilingual materials for distribution and the t-shirts that will identify them as part of the Project First Day team.

In the following days, the social workers posted and distributed special Project First Day fliers to apartment complexes, churches, neighborhood businesses and playgrounds, and any other meeting places where parents and school-age children gather. Social workers are also calling parents of chronically absent students to remind them of the first day of school and to answer any questions they may have about the new school year.

The social workers also have worked with schools to post back-to-school reminders on outdoor signs and school marquees.