Dalton/Whitfield Family Connection collaborated with local churches and organizations for the third annual Christmas in July Block Party Event on July 30th. Held at the Dalton Green Park and First Baptist Church Dalton for the past three summers, this event celebrates Kid City Summer program participants, a DPS 21st Century Community Learning Center summer program for K-5th grade students. This year, it was expanded to include rising Pk and K students from the DPS Summer Transition Program. Participants from both programs enjoyed various attractions at the free event, such as inflatables, Kona Ice, cotton candy, popcorn, free books, and a Chick-fil-A dinner. Parents who completed parent classes received an extra incentive of gift cards to TJ Maxx and/or Academy Sports for back-to-school clothes and shoes based on their level of participation in the parent engagement activities offered for each program.
The idea for Christmas in July stemmed from the lead Social Worker at Dalton Public Schools, Jackie Taylor, as a companion event to Sharing is Caring for DPS students during the Back-to-School season. This initiative aims to assist parents with the financial burden of purchasing school supplies, backpacks, shoes, and clothes at the start of the school year. By offering support through events like Christmas in July, parents receive help to offset some of these costs. Various parent engagement opportunities were available to the parents of the summer program participants, including educational classes on the Basic Principles, early language and literacy strategies, a Resilient Parenting Workshop, as well as a Family Night and STEM Day activities. Research has consistently shown the positive impact of parent involvement on students’ academic achievements, highlighting the importance of such engagement activities.
Christmas in July and Sharing is Caring Christmas Store are examples of projects that emphasize parent education and involvement while providing financial assistance to families during critical times like back-to-school and Christmas. Jackie Taylor’s passion for these projects is spurred on by the support of the community. Jackie stated, “I feel incredibly fortunate to work in a community that supports our children and families. The generosity of our partners makes it possible for programs like this to exist. Being a parent is hard, which is why I advocate so strongly for programs designed to build parent capacity and strengthen families.”
This event was made possible by the generous support of many community partners such as Crosspointe Dalton, the Early Childhood Initiative, First Baptist Dalton, First Presbyterian Church Dalton, and Rock Bridge Community Church. Thank you to all the partners for their contributions in making this event successful for the students and families!
