Early arrival

PORT BYRON - Leslie B. Lehn Middle School didn't wait until Wednesday to usher in the new school year.

Tuesday evening, the middle school in the Port Byron Central School District opened its doors to students and especially parents for the first Welcome Back to School Night, a social gathering to facilitate parent involvement in children's educational lives and increase and strengthen communication between the school and homes while making students from fifth to eighth grade more comfortable with their school year, from meeting their teachers to getting their locker combinations.

“Middle school students need family involvement as much as when they were in elementary school but in a different way,” said Principal Sally Feinburg to a packed gymnasium. “Our goal is to create a culture where parents have opportunities to engage in school activities so they feel more comfortable working together with the staff to make sound educational decisions for our children. With more parental involvement, teachers have more resources and everyone has more information to make informed decisions.”