Model rockets were taking off from their tiny platforms, the Rome High School drum line showed off some mighty fine stick work, Rome Cheerleaders tumbled to upbeat tunes, show choir students showed their skills on stage, those invested in our community passed on helpful information, and all of Rome City Schools welcomed their parents and students with open arms during the 2019 Super Showcase.
And if you ask any of the over 3,500 attendees who visited the Forum River Center about this event, they can tell you that it was a time to be remembered.
Ginger Rowston, Parent and Family Engagement Coordinator for RCS, and her Parent Advisory Council have been hard at work over the past few months planning the first ever Super Showcase, and she was ecstatic about the turnout.
“Today we are giving out lots of free schools supplies, connecting our families to resources, we have some master barbers giving haircuts, and performances by our students to showcase what we offer in the Rome City Schools system,” said Rowston. “We also have our older students here giving autographs and taking photos with our younger students, and all of our schools are giving out goodies to our guests. This is a really great chance to introduce ourselves to new students and get our current students excited about starting a new year.”
Rowston was also thrilled about the free books and literacy backpacks families were able to take home and get a jump start on their reading goals. “I am overjoyed by the response and the support we are seeing in our system.”
Rome’s Career Technical Agricultural Education (CTAE) programs were on full display. Visitors stopped by tables and tinkered with all of the neat things they will be able to learn about and create this year. From non profits that can lend a hand when needed to medical services and banking representatives, Rowston and her group of involved parents were able to cover most of the bases for families who wanted to be in-the-know.
Tika Aker-Lewis, a parent who works closely with the Main Elementary PTO and serves on the system’s Parent Advisory Council, was also happy with the amount of her neighbors and friends who visited the Super Showcase.
“As a parent, this event gives me an opportunity to engage with other parents and let them know that we are here for them,” Lewis said. “The partnerships we are developing today, and we will continue to develop, will allow our children to win. I am here representing Main Elementary as the PTO president and the Parent Advisory Council, but as a mother I am so excited about what I see in Rome City Schools.”
From little tykes to teenagers, the students were the Wolves who had the most to howl about.
“My favorite part of the Super Showcase was seeing the gymnastics,” said Jal’Lyah Wedgeworth about the cheerleaders she had just watched perform a routine. Wedgeworth is a kindergarten student who will start classes in the fall. “I am looking forward to being smart when I start kindergarten classes.” She then whipped out a lollipop from her bag of goodies and rushed off to visit a young lady holding a snake at the next booth.
“I love seeing all of these kids so excited about being here and excited about school,” said Justyce Moore, a rising senior at Rome High School. Moore is also one of the leaders of the Rome High School Lady Wolves Basketball team and she is ready to hit the hardwood and help her team to victory. “I am here today to autograph basketballs for the younger students and I am looking for future players who I can let my coach know about. I am ready to get back on the court after last year’s injury. I have always been really close to my team and our coaches, so I want to take advantage of the time I have left at Rome.”
“It takes all of us to support our children,” Rowston said as she looked out on the sea of red and gold covering the Forum floor. “The old saying is right. It takes a village to raise a child. The way everyone has shown up to support our students and their families says a lot about our village. I am so grateful to everyone who helped to make this event a success.”
