Kempsville’s 2nd-annual “Love Our Tribe Day,” took place on Wednesday, February 13, 2019. Parents were able to come to the school and follow their kids around to all their classes through the day. There were 166 pre-registered parents, and 150 showed up.

Due to parent feedback, this year, unlike the last, had an adjusted schedule, a ‘C’ day where students attended both A-day and B-day classes.

I had both of my parents attend, one accompanying my sister and one with me, and they switched half-way through the day in order to experience both of our schedules. Many of the parents seemed extremely excited to be there, but also a little surprised at the early start and the number of kids circulating through the hallways.  

My father, Steven Coley, got to see an entirely different experience than his in high school. He was thrown into two AP classes with me, and one with my sister, and also got to experience Chemistry for the first time.

My mother, Pam Coley, a long-time singer, was very happy to attend Ms. Landas’ Madrigal (Honors Chorus) class with me. Ms. Landas was super interactive with the parents, asking them to sing louder and join us in our piece for the day. My mom also had the joy of attending French and Spanish. Having taken French in high school, she said, “I could keep up a little and kind of understand what she was saying.”

For lunch, Mom met up with some band parents and ran a flower table outside the cafeteria while my sister, dad, and I ate in the auditorium with other parents and their students. We then went on to our final classes for the day, and all the parents were dismissed at 1:40. They had the option to take their students home with them at that time.

I enjoyed the day because I got the chance to show my dad my History and English classes, taught by Mr. Brinton and Mrs. Golden, respectively. We both share a love for those subjects, and I really wanted him to meet the teachers that were helping me grow that love. I also liked having Algebra II with my mom because she was just as clueless as me, and we were able to learn what to do together.

Last year, “Love Our Tribe Day” was just another B day. The hour-and-forty-minute classes were extremely hard on the parents and they wanted to see all of their kids’ classes, not just four. I really enjoyed the C day this year. The only complaint I have about it being a C day is having to carry the materials for all eight of my classes.

In all, Love Our Tribe Day was very successful with both parents and students, and lots of fun. My parents liked the experience and seeing what I do in the classroom on a daily basis. They loved getting a glimpse into how our teachers teach and seeing the impact that they have on our lives. My dad had nothing but positive things to say about the experience.

“It was a lot of fun and the teachers and staff were great,” he said. “I’m really happy with this school.”