Superintendent says parents are needed on APSD ‘team’

Every year the Avoyelles Parish School District sponsors its Parent/Family Engagement Fair. It is often called by a former name: Parental Involvement Fair.

More than 500 hundred people attended the 10th annual event held on Jan. 23 in the Paragon Casino Resort’s Mari Center.

The event is an opportunity for the schools to tell parents what the schools “are doing right.”

It is also a time when parents can see what clubs and activities are available in the high schools for their children being promoted out of elementary school.

“It was nice,” Superintendent Blaine Dauzat said. “We were able to be more spread out. We had a good attendance.”

The Mari Center was a bit more spacious than last year’s site, the Cochon de Lait Pavilion in Mansura.

Prior to last year, the event was held in the Avoyelles Plaza in Mansura.

The theme this year was “2020 All Stars,” and focused on the public school district’s recent successes -- including its overall improvement in the state School District Performance Score and in several schools’ individual performance scores.

‘BRAGGED A LOT’

Dauzat told the crowd that district officials “have bragged a lot in the past two year about our successes.

We have talked about the great work our teachers have done and the great job our students have done in improving our academic performance scores.”

There is one other important member of the team responsible for the district’s recent success, Dauzat continued.

“It has been proven that students are more successful when their parents and the schools are on the same team,” he said. “I believe the parents in this parish believe they are on our team now. They haven’t always felt that way.

“We are all working for the success of their kids.”

In addition to informational booths from each of the 10 Avoyelles School District schools, there were also booths from Central Louisiana Technical Community College, the parish Adult Education program and agencies participating in the parish’s Early Child Care Network educational program for pre-school children.

For parents of older students, the National Guard manned a booth to provide information for those interested in enlisting.

The private non-profit Orchard Foundation also had a booth.

The organization works with school districts, businesses and communities in Central Louisiana to improve educational opportunities and enhance education in this area.

The Marksville High and Avoyelles High bands provided musical entertainment during the event.