National PTA has recognized Loftis Middle School and Loftis Middle PTA as a 2019-2021 School of Excellence for their accomplishments in "building a strong, effective family-school partnership that is enriching the educational experience and overall well-being for all students."
“When families and schools work together, students do better in school and schools improve,” said Leslie Boggs, president of National PTA. “ Loftis Middle School and Loftis Middle PTA have worked hard to strengthen their family-school partnership and their efforts are making a positive impact on student success and school improvement.
We are pleased to recognize them as a 2019-2021 School of Excellence.”
National PTA’s School of Excellence program supports and celebrates schools and PTAs that make a year-long commitment to improving family-school partnerships. Throughout the year, the schools and PTAs collect feedback from their school communities and create and implement plans of action to make a difference for every child. Through the School of Excellence program, PTAs and families become key partners in decision-making and school improvement efforts.
Loftis Middle School and Loftis Middle PTA are one of only 326 PTAs and schools nationwide to be designated a 2019-2021 School of Excellence. Loftis Middle School and Loftis Middle PTA are also the only school in the state of Tennessee to maintain the designation for concurrent enrollment periods, with the school and PTA first being designated a School of Excellence for 2017-2019 and opting to continue the School of Excellence program and maintain that designation.
“As we enter our 25th year at Loftis Middle School, we have a vision for a powerfully engaged community. The community support in the North River Learning Community is second to none. Through this collaborative relationship, we will continue to prepare students to be Future Ready and families to support students through involvement in the curriculum and in the school community. We appreciate our partnership with PTA and the North River community at large,” said Principal Dr. Mary Catherine Gatlin.
The school and PTA partnered together to speak up for every child. The PTA worked closely with the school to create a clothing closet and food pantry in the school to ensure the needs of every student in the school were met as well as create a snack pack program to ensure that all students had access to food over weekends. Then, they obtained a community partner to continue the program the next school year. Together, they also created a welcoming environment for parents with the Cougar Coffeehouse. The last Friday of every month the PTA sets up a coffee breakfast for parents to come into the school, have coffee with the principal, and have an open forum to discuss current events in the school as well as ask questions they may have.
To celebrate their achievements, National PTA presented Loftis Middle School and Loftis Middle PTA with a certificate and a National PTA School of Excellence banner to hang in their school. The PTA will present the banner to the school on Friday at 1 p.m. and they invite the public to be a part of their celebration.