Forney ISD Teachers Welcome Students with Home Visits

Forney ISD teachers can’t wait to meet their new students. In fact, they couldn’t even wait until the official Meet the Teacher Night on Tuesday, August 14, so they loaded up and hit the streets to meet students at their homes

“This is the second year that all of our teachers and administrators here at Blackburn Elementary have gone on Welcome Walks to the homes of every one of our students to share our excitement about the upcoming school year, welcome new students and let our families know how thrilled we are to partner with them this year,” Blackburn Elementary Principal Courtney Parker said. “Seeing students peeking through the blinds in anticipation of catching a glimpse of their teacher walking up to their front door is absolutely magical. I’m honestly not sure who loves the meeting more, the students or teachers. After we hugged the first student on their doorstep last year, there was no doubt Welcome Walks were a new Blackburn tradition.”

The Blackburn Elementary teachers completed their home visits on Thursday, Aug. 9. They began at 5 p.m. and continued until they had the opportunity to meet each student and their parents.

Teachers and administrators from Henderson Elementary School also visited students at their homes on Wednesday, Aug. 8. Teachers visited students from all grade levels to deliver a bag with back to school goodies, welcome each child to a new school year and build relationships with students they may not know yet.

“It was so much fun seeing all of our returning students and getting to know all of our new students this year as well,” Henderson Elementary School Principal Laurie Branch said. “It’s such a great thrill to see their faces when they open the door. They certainly weren’t expecting to see their teachers on their doorstep! And the teachers love it too! It’s a great opportunity to get to know the students before they walk through the doors in the upcoming weeks. This is definitely something we will continue doing in the future!”

The home visits lasted about five minutes and were very informal. Teachers just wanted to introduce themselves, say hello to students and let them know that they are excited and looking forward to seeing them on the first day of school. In addition, teams worked together to have some fun with the students while completing a scavenger hunt that required the staff to engage in "random acts of kindness."

Social media posts from the day showed teachers in dance-offs, playing on a slip-n-slide, and drawing chalk art on driveways as they greeted students.

“We are a family here in Forney ISD, and we wanted to let our students and their parents know that we love them like family and that they mean the world to us,” Branch added.

In addition to the home visits, every elementary school in Forney ISD will host a Meet the Teacher Night on Tuesday, Aug. 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Students and their parents can come to the school on that day, meet their teachers and find out more about processes and procedures as well as find out about upcoming events and activities. The first day of school for all students in Forney ISD is Monday, Aug. 20.