Parental involvement is a cornerstone of a great education, and we were honored to recognize the contributions of many of our parents at our Parent Appreciation Event. School leaders, students, and parents alike gathered inside the Anacostia Arts Center for a night of fellowship and gratitude. “KIPP DC is nothing without our parents engaging us, telling us what we are doing good and telling us where we can get better. We aren’t always perfect, but we’re always striving towards it for our students and parents,” said chief community engagement and growth officer Jacque Patterson.
Families enjoyed food, music, and games throughout the night before each school’s principal took the stage to hand out awards recognizing the work our parents do to help us in delivering a world-class education to our students. “When I look out into the audience, it truly reminds me why we’re here, and that’s for our families and our children. This year family we wanted to emphasize family engagement and celebrate you because without our parents there is no KIPP DC,” remarked director of family engagement Brandon Best.
AQuia Bratcher, mom at KIPP DC Connect Academy, was among the honorees that night and described the importance of shining a spotlight on the work our parents do every day. “It felt great to be honored. With anything in life, you want to feel appreciated and recognized. I have a lot of personal relationships with parents and know how important something like this is. It makes them feel a part of KIPP DC.”
After awards were passed out, families mingled among each other and were also able to converse with school leaders and members of the community engagement team. The importance of our Parent Appreciation Night can’t be overstated but is encapsulated best in remarks made by Jacque Patterson earlier in the night. “You entrust us with your children, and nothing is more important than that responsibility.”
KIPP DC has grown and enjoyed much success throughout the years, none of which is possible without the outstanding contributions of our parents. To all of our parents, thank you for everything you do!
