Over 150 people filled the Hickman Mills Jr. High School gym for the October 10 Parent University event supported by LINC as an opportunity for families to connect with resources in their school.

Keynote speaker Dr. Bernard Franklin Jr., Junior Achievement president, spoke about the importance of parents acting as agents for children, attending their activities, and emphasizing the necessity of attending school in order for them to be reliable, responsible adults. 

Dr. Dennis Carpenter, Hickman Mills School District superintendent, also spoke about the importance of school attendance in relation to school success, and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Carl Skinner reported on the new attendance protocols, including police citations for children missing an excessive number of school days.

"We have a lot of good things going on in all the schools right now," said Skinner. "We have a lot of work to do in the district and we want the children to be with us everyday."

Also present to share resources were representatives from AARP, COMBAT, Fire and Ice Mad Science, First Call Alcohol/Drug Prevention & Recovery, Mid-Continent Public Library,The Family Conservancy and the school PTA.

Door prizes including alarm clocks, flashlights and family tickets to Coco Keys were raffled off to parents.