Folks from around the community gathered for an evening of food, fun, and fellowship. Photo by Jacob Clavijo. 
Robert S. Payne Elementary School is celebrating 100 years since its founding. Photo by Jacob Clavijo. 
Over 400 hamburgers were passed out on Friday evening. Photo by Jacob Clavijo. 
In addition to a free meal, clothing and school supplies were also provided to students. Photo by Jacob Clavijo. 
This was the second year in a row that Payne Elementary School hosted a back to school block party. Photo by Jacob Clavijo.
Back-to-school season can be a tough time for everyone involved in a child’s education. For parents, it means their children are one year closer to adulthood. For teachers, it marks the beginning of a long school year that is sure to l be full of surprises and challenges to overcome. And for children, it marks the end of a three-month vacation with no homework and staying up past their bedtime.
But at Robert S. Payne Elementary School, teachers and administrators help ease everyone back into school by throwing a community block party that puts students first and builds trust in the surrounding community.
On Friday, Payne Elementary School threw their second annual community block party, with food, activities and resources to welcome back students and parents for another school year.
“It’s very important not only to build relationships with the kids, but with the families as well,” said Principal Kary Wills, who is beginning her first year in the position after working at Dunbar Middle School for many years. “When you have a good relationship with the parents, then they trust you.”
The event, which was created in partnership with Gospel Community Church College Hill, provides a free and fun event for students and members of the community.
“We want to continue to create spaces of blessings for people in the neighborhood,” noted Pastor Preston Burling, who has worked with the church since 2017. “If we can build some relationships out of it and just continue to bring about flourishing in this community, that’s our ultimate goal.”
Through community donations, the church was able to provide free food, face painting, bounce houses and raffled prizes for those in attendance. Multiple non-profit organizations, such as Five18 Family Services and Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia, were also in attendance, providing resources and information for parents.
Payne Elementary School has been a fixture in the Lynchburg community since the school’s founding in 1925. For the last 100 years, the school has dedicated itself to educating the next generation of leaders. This school year, teachers and students are wearing red t-shirts that celebrate the milestone. At the block party, a table with scattered photos highlighted some of the school’s history, including previous students, administrators and teachers.
Megan Huffman, president of the school’s Parent Teacher Organization, spoke about the event’s significance in continuing the community outreach that Payne is known for.
“The elementary school is a real hub and gathering point for this community,” said Huffman, whose child attends Payne Elementary School. “It’s just a wonderful chance for kids and families to also fellowship with the people who live around here.”
As part of the school’s effort to create a welcoming community, the school employs a family liaison, who communicates with parents and informs them of important resources and information that the school has to offer. Dianne Stratton, who serves as Payne’s family liaison, is proud of the work the school has done in partnering with the local community to help put students first.
“We kind of feed off of each other to help make sure that the children in the community are safe,” Stratton noted. “It’s nice to be able to say that we have something where we can come together and be a big family.”
For more information on Payne’s community events and ways to get involved, contact Dianne Stratton at strattondf@lcsedu.net.
