Parents urged to get involved in Avoyelles Parish schools

Ever see a dancing panther? Ever wonder what that rabbit looks like before the magician pulls him out of the hat?
Well, those attending the Avoyelles Parish Parental Involvement Fair can check those two items off their bucket list -- and also add a more complete understanding of what their children’s schools are doing and how they can be a more active partner in the education process.
“Good things are happening in our schools, and they are getting better,” Superintendent Blaine Dauzat said in his welcoming remarks.
The crowd at Avoyelles Plaza -- the old LJ’s Casino building -- numbered over 600 at 6 p.m. and there was still a line of people at the door.
Federal Programs Director Irma Andress said it was the best turnout in awhile, thanks to friendly weather.
“Two years ago we had sleet and ice and schools were closed the next day,” Andress said with a laugh. “Last year we had heavy rain. Our first year, six years ago, we had a storm. Tonight, the weather is beautiful and we have a great turnout.”
The 2016 edition of the Parental Involvement Fair didn’t set a new attendance record -- one previous fair topped 1,000 visitors -- but it did attract more than 750 visitors.
“Every year the federal programs have to have an evaluation of its programs,” Andress said. “In the past, each school would have a meeting at its school, invite parents, provide a supper and hardly anybody ever came.”
The decision was made to try a combined event with a lot of information provided, but in a more festive and fun atmosphere.
In short, the Parental Involvement Fair is not a PTA meeting with cold cut sandwiches. A meal was catered by Kyrle’s and, by all accounts, was well worth standing in another line.
Andress said the fair allows the schools to get the students involved in creating the booths and decorations.

A little extra
Some students do a little extra.
Remember that dancing panther? He’s also known as Evalis Hayes, a sophomore at Bunkie New Tech High who gave up his Thursday night “to come out to support my school.”
Evalis was popular with the young children, who wanted to dance with the life-sized stuffed animal.
“The children love you,” someone said. “I love the children,” he replied.
Evalis said the parental involvement fair “is a great thing. People get to experience a lot.”
Another popular attraction was the Marksville Magician, Marksville High freshman Joshua Bourgeois.
Joshua didn’t have to pull Timmy the Rabbit out of the hat to please the crowd. In fact, the children preferred the rascally rabbit just sit right there in the hat so they could pet him.
Joshua also said the Parental Involvement Fair is a good idea and “very family friendly.” He said he didn’t mind at all coming out to do his part for MHS.
One of the fascinated fans was 7-year-old Peyton Dupont of Marksville, who liked to watch Timmy’s ears twitch when he stroked them.
His mother, Sarah Dupont, was pulling double-duty at the fair -- as Peyton’s mom and as a Marksville High teacher.
“I love the Parental Involvement Fair,” Dupont said. “The attendance is better this year and it is really something that parents will come out for.”
She said that as a teacher and a parent, she is a big believer in the positive effect of parental involvement in a child’s education.
Andress said one of the most important aspects of the fair is to give 6th graders and their parents an opportunity to visit the high school booths “and get information about what to expect when they change schools next year.
"We also have non-public school students who may be attending a public school next year,” she continued. “We also invited the early childhood education centers to participate and provide information on their programs.”
Bunkie Elementary Principal Amy Volentine said the parishwide event “is a great way to get parent’s involved with their children and help with their education.
She said BELA is like other schools, with varying levels of parental support based on the grade-level of the child.
“Parents of the younger children tend to be more involved,” she said. “That level of involvement drops off in the upper grades.”

From pre-school to graduation
Andress said a major theme of the fair is to stress the importance of parental involvement in the student’s education from the first tear-filled day of pre-school to that final proud handshake on the stage at graduation.
“If you don’t have parents involved in the schools, students don’t do as well,” she said. “If parents aren’t involved and informed about what is going on with their child, there can be problems that they don’t know about until it is too late.
“I often hear parents say, ‘If I’d only known, I would have done something about it,’” she continued. “We are trying to keep parents informed. We have online lesson plans and a Student Progress Center where parents can log in and see their child’s grades and important messages -- like their child was absent in a particular class.
“It is important to stay involved so they can stay on top of things.”
Dauzat said he was very pleased with this year’s fair.
“A school is only as good as the support it gets from the parents,” he said. “We can’t do it alone.”
The superintendent said it is a well-known fact that “the parents make the schools better if they are better parents to their children and the schools will make them better parents by the way we teach their children. We have to work together to make each other better.”
Dauzat acknowledged the school district has its problems, as evidenced by performance declines in most schools and an overall drop from a “C” to a “D” for the district.
“We are making progress, slowly and surely,” Dauzat said. “Events like this allow us to promote the good things that are happening in the schools and to help make the parents understand how important they are to the success of the schools.
“We want the parents involved in the schools,” he continued. “We want them to visit the schools. We want them to be a partner with us in educating their children. We want to be a team with them.”