Poplarville Lower Elementary is working with community members and businesses to centralize available local resources for a night at Parent University.
On Feb. 21 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., parents and students can gather at the school to hear a variety of presentations and visit booths to gather relevant information for their individual needs, PLE Principal Candace Henderson said.
The event will include 20-minute breakout sessions covering dyslexia, ADHD, the 3rd grade reading assessment, family fitness, healthy snacks and a cooking demonstration. Other topics will include weight loss 101 and an overview of the responsibilities of a school resource officer, Henderson said.
“These are all things that affect a lot of children,” she said. “We tried to shift the focus from a lecture standpoint to actually being a resource center for the parents.”
With so many resources available in Poplarville, Henderson said many are underutilized because parents just don’t know they’re there.
She said the event came about from a series of health council meetings where parents and the administration put their heads together to find new ways to disseminate the information in the most practical and efficient way possible.
The event will offer a unique opportunity for parents to gather and get the help they need to further their child’s education and well being, Henderson said.
The event is free and open to all parents, though it will be geared toward lower elementary families, she said.
“We’re really excited about it; the staff at our lower elementary has worked really hard, especially our school nurse,” Henderson said.
The school’s staff plans to expand and improve the event every year, she said.
Event partners include Pearl River County Hospital and Nursing Home, Crossfit 534, Pearl River Community College, Poplarville Excel By 5, Dr. Delvie Culpepper and more.
Parent University will open its doors at 6 p.m. at the main building of Poplarville Lower Elementary, located at 804 S. Julia Street. For more information, call the school at 601-795-4736.