FERRIDAY, La. &045; Motivational speaker Dr. Fairest Hill sang to an energetic crowd of parents and students and challenged them to &uot;Not settle for the crumbs in life when you can have the whole loaf&uot; at the Concordia Parish School Board’s 10th annual Parentfest in the Ferriday High School gymnasium Saturday.

During the presentation, Hill, a native of Tampa Bay, Fla., said he had gone from a special education student to a Ph.D. with help from home and teachers who cared.

&uot;Success is not only about what you have accomplished, it is about what you have overcome. The best thing you can give young people is a vision,&uot; he said.

A parent who had brought her fifth grade daughter to the event said that Hill’s words were very inspirational.

&uot;I really like the things that Dr. Hill is saying. I want my daughter to be more than I was. I want her to know that I will always be there for her,&uot; Kwanda Sanders said.

Concordia Parish Title 1 Supervisor Beatrice Williams, who created Parentfest in 1994, said the event served to educate parents on things going on in the parish’s schools and to give them tools to make sure their children succeed.

&uot;It’s a way to get parents involved and let them see what we are doing in the different schools. When parents leave here, we really want them to take things home to help their children’s achievements,&uot; she said.

Around the gym, there were displays to show parents some of the things that were being done in the parish schools to educate students. Monterey High School Principal Neeva Sibley was proud to show her school’s &uot;Virtual School&uot; display.

She said the virtual school is a new program featuring computer-based classes that students can work at school or at home on the Internet.

&uot;I think its important to get parents involved and let them know what’s going on in the various schools. At Parentfest, each school gets a chance to show what its doing with all the different displays,&uot; she said.

The program included Hill’s presentation, songs by Ferriday Lower students and mini-sessions focused on getting parents more involved.

Ronald Williams said he enjoyed Parentfest and had a special reason for coming.

&uot;I just wanted to come because I think it is important to let the kids know that you are behind them and want them to do well in school and in life,&uot; he said.