Parents and students have more choices than ever when selecting a school in Durango that is the right size, best location and suits the learning style and objectives of the student.
On Thursday, 26 Durango schools from preschool through high school – public, charter, parochial and private – will hold the third annual Education Fair, where families can see what options are available. The evening will include family and student presentations, musical performances and a student-made film by Liberty School students.
“This way, parents can see the options side by side and pick the model that suits their child,” said Dan Snowberger, superintendent of Durango School District 9-R. “Getting parents to go visit three or four middle schools might be tough.”
The evening will include two sessions for the parents of students who are transitioning to a new school, one for those advancing to middle school and one for those moving to high school.
“We encourage kids to shadow at all three public middle schools,” he said. “It’s three opportunities to understand that middle school is not scary. There’s a perception of so much change: their grade school is so small – like family – and now there will be kids they don’t know.”
School staff see a lot of signs of stress and anxiety in sixth-graders, he said, so he thinks it’s more important than ever that parents keep the lines of communication open. Yet the participation in parent-teacher conferences drops off significantly in the sixth grade.
“And at the high school transition, kids need parents to really be more engaged than they have before,” Snowberger said. “It’s such a transition to freedom. Not only are they starting to leave for lunch, they have to start learning balance between school and all the activities outside of school.”
Fourteen-year-olds are by no means ready to be on their own, he said.
“When we allow kids to overload themselves, when they make commitments and then walk away, we’re teaching them quitting is OK,” Snowberger said. “We don’t want this generation thinking quitting is commonplace.”
The number of schools can overwhelm parents deciding where to send their children, he said.
“What I love about our town is that in so many families, one kid will go to Mountain Middle School and one will go to Escalante, whatever fits the need of that child,” Snowberger said. “I have five children, and every one of them is unique. Parents need to be open to what’s the right fit for their child.”
abutler@durangoherald.com
If you Go
The Durango Education Fair will be 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Student Union at Fort Lewis College.
Middle School Parent Forum: 5-5:30 p.m. in the Vallecito Room, second floor.
Education Fair: 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Ballroom, third floor.
High School Parent Forum: 7:30-8 p.m. in the Vallecito Room,
Student/Family presentations: Scheduled in 5- to 7-minute increments 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Treasure Hunt: 5:30-7:30 p.m. with a prize drawing at 7:30 p.m.
Visit http://durangoschools.org/news/3rd-annual-durango-education-fair for more information.
