Kaiserslautern High School parents, teachers meet during open house

By Lt. Col. Jefferson Wolfe, 7th Civil Support Command Public Affairs OfficerSeptember 11, 2015

Kaiserslautern High School parents, teachers meet during open house
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Kaiserslautern High School parents, teachers meet during open house
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – VOGELWEH KASERNE, Kaiserslautern, Germany — Matt Johnson, who teaches English and Video Communication at Kaiserslautern High School hands out the class syllabus to parents and teachers Wednesday Sept. 10, 2015 at Kaiserslautern High School's op... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Kaiserslautern High School parents, teachers meet during open house
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – VOGELWEH KASERNE, Kaiserslautern, Germany — Jennifer Arnold, who teaches Biology and Advanced Placement Biology at Kaiserslautern High School, speaks to parents and students Wednesday Sept. 10, 2015 at Kaiserslautern High School's open house. B... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Kaiserslautern High School parents, teachers meet during open house
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – VOGELWEH KASERNE, Kaiserslautern, Germany — Kaiserslautern High School principal Dr. Barriett Smith speaks to parents and students Wednesday Sept. 10, 2015 at the beginning of Kaiserslautern High School's open house event. Brig. Gen. Arlan DeBl... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

VOGELWEH KASERNE, Kaiserslautern, Germany -- Academic success starts with parental involvement, the commanding general of the 7th Civil Support Command told a group of high school parents and students.

Brig. Gen. Arlan DeBlieck, who also is the deputy commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, spoke Wednesday afternoon during Kaiserslautern High School's open house.

The event started with a meet-and-greet in the stadium next to the school. DeBlieck spoke with football practice going on in the background.

Everyone's goal is to make sure their children get a good education, he said.

"It starts with involvement," he added. "And that's not easy."

Many parents have jobs that require long hours and a lot of travel, making it difficult to stay abreast of what children are doing in school, DeBlieck said. However, parents need to make that extra effort.

"Today is the first day to step off on the right foot," he said.

Parents moved through the classrooms in 10 minute sessions following their children's schedule to meet all their teachers. Also, clubs and community organizations took part in an information fair in the cafeteria so parents could learn about other opportunities.

"The open house is a chance for parents to meet teachers and find out what's going on in the classrooms," said Dr. Barriett Smith, the high school's principal. "It's an opportunity for people to look at things at the school."

Smith also stressed the importance of parents continuing to stay engaged by attending the two sets parent-teacher conferences scheduled later in the school year.

One tool parents can use to help maintain communication is the website GradeSpeed, DeBlieck said.

GradeSpeed is a web-based program that enables parents to view grade and attendance data online. All teachers have secure access to GradeSpeed through the use of an Internet web browser.

Teachers use the grade book portion of the site to enter assignments, grades, and to maintain grade calculations. Teachers are also able to email progress reports to parents through GradeSpeed.

Parents can register for an account at www.dodea.gradespeed.net.

Kaiserslautern High School was formerly known as Rhine High School and then Kaiserslautern American High School.

In 1952, when Americans took over the western area of Germany from the French, KHS was housed in a converted apartment building across the street from the present location. The school officially opened March 12, 1953 in its present location.

Prior to the construction of Ramstein High School in 1982, KHS was the largest military-operated high school outside the continental US with an enrollment of more than 1,600 students. This year, the school has about 800 students.

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