Men on the Move visit Parkview Learning Center

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Men on the Move tour made a stop Friday morning at Parkview Learning Center to greet students walking into school.

“This is a special school here that we have to make sure we get our support to,” Jackson City Councilman Johnny Dodd said. “These kids have made mistakes, but regardless of their past, or things they’ve went to, I think they can become productive citizens when they become older.”

Students were greeted as they hopped out of the buses and cars.

The Parkview principal says a simple “good morning!” before the students open the door can change their entire perspective on the day.

“Build a change in attitude with students so that they want to do better and be better as students and overall as citizens beyond the school setting,” Principal Roderick Payne said.

One of the volunteers, Marshall Brooks, says he helps the kids because someone helped him. “Someone helped me long ago, and we should pay that forward. I remember when I was going to school and I was a terrible little child, but someone reached out and helped me. So I can only pay that debt back,” Brooks said.

He looks forward to the future of these children. “We have a possibility of having really great, great kids, great people, great leaders,” he said.

The Men on the Move plan to go to East Elementary School and Rose Hill Middle School next.