In an effort to include parents in school life and at the same time keep them up-to-date, faculty members at Greenville Middle School stayed late Thursday for "Open house."

"We want to make every effort possible to keep the parents of our students informed," said Dr. Kathy Murphy, principal of Greenville Middle School. "There have been some changes in faculty, and this gives the parents an opportunity to meet with their students' teachers."

Murphy said when parents and their children arrived at the school, their travel began by signing in at the front door, and going to their child's homeroom, just as the student would during their day at school.

"The homeroom teachers play an important role in the student's school day," Murphy said. "It is in homeroom that the first attendance role is taken, and important issues and announcements are discussed."

For the open house program, each student was required to write his or her daily schedule on a sheet of paper and leave it with their homeroom teachers.

This schedule was then given to the student's parents as they entered the homeroom, and served as a guide for them to go to all the student's classrooms, meeting with each teacher.

"We get a good response from both the parents and teachers about these open house nights," Murphy said.

Throughout the school, parents could be seen, walking from class to class with their children, and meeting the teachers - some for the first time, and some for the first time in the new year.

"We have many students here with siblings that have had some of the same teachers," Murphy said. "Parents have the opportunity to ask particular questions they might have for a particular teacher, and teachers likewise can do the same."

Murphy said a new program would soon be starting at Greenville Middle School, one that she is very excited about.

"Nourishment plays an important part of a student's learning experience," she said. "Beginning with a good nutritious breakfast, students will be better armed for the learning day at school."

To that end, Murphy said a breakfast program would begin on Aug. 27.

"We have a wonderful new cafeteria, and we will be serving breakfast to the students before school each morning," she said. "If anyone has any questions about the breakfast program, or any other matter, they can call us at 382-3450."