FROM STAFF REPORTS

HOOVER—Close to 200 Hoover City Schools parents turned out to hear a wide range of topics related to the district’s student intervention efforts for the “Let’s Keep Talking” parent night on Oct. 20.

Substance abuse, anxiety, bullying, digital ethics and college readiness were some of the topics discussed at the forum, which featured expert panelists from a variety of backgrounds.

The event was a parent-driven effort. District counselors and interventionists, which for the district’s Student Assistance Program, surveyed Hoover parents and received more than 1,500 responses. These responses were used to devise the topics of interest for the Let’s Keep Talking night.

The evening guided parents on a variety of sensitive topics. Angela Camp, the national coordinator of adolescent marketing for Bradford Health Services, was the event’s keynote speaker, delivering a presentation titled “Parenting with purpose: Building resilient families.” Camp brought drug paraphernalia and concealment items to show parents the latest drug trends.

Other panelists included Hoover High School College and Career Specialist Cindy Bond, HCS Career Coach Natalie Noble, HCS Instructional Technology Coach Jeff Richardson, Covenant Counseling Center licensed counselor Alice Churnock, HHS Student Assistance Counselor Katie Smith and Berry Middle School Assistant Principal Margaret Kneisley.

“We were pleased to offer such valuable information from speakers who are dynamic and experts in their fields,” Hoover City Schools District Intervention Counselor Marion Kellough said. “The information equipped parents with just what they need in order to talk with their children about some very timely topics. We hope this was an educational night for parents.”

Parents are urged to contact their Student Assistance Program or Intervention counselor, housed at each middle and high school, if they have questions regarding any of the topics discussed during the parent night.

The Student Assistance Program hopes to offer similar events in the spring.