On Saturday, Aug. 22, the desks and classrooms of Mississippi School for Math & Science will be filled with an “older” class than the usual 200-plus teenagers who learn, experiment, and sometimes sleep in Hooper’s halls. Parents’ Day is an annual MSMS tradition held instead of traditional school’s parents night, allowing the families of current students to familiarize themselves with daily MSMS life.

Parents will breeze through their respective student’s day with an abbreviated schedule. While tardies will not be enforced for late arrivals, parents will meet teachers in a period-based pattern, shaking hands and learning about class syllabi.

The 30 MSMS Emissaries will also be working behind the scenes in their first full-scale operation since the school year beginning activities. From giving directions to helping with registration, the hot pink-clad emissaries will be racing about Hogarth, Hopper, and Shackleford throughout the day.

“I feel like we can give the parents very useful information and show the parents what MSMS is actually like,” said senior Vasu Srevatsan. While the emissaries are more focused on sharing the rigorous daily MSMS life with parents, some students are mostly excited to introduce their parents to the instructors they have been describing over the phone.

“I don’t look forward to my mom meeting any of my teachers specifically because I like them all,” said junior Reagan Poston. “I think she looks forward to meeting them.”

The countless over-the-phone descriptions will have the opportunity to materialize for parents during the abbreviated Saturday classes. Students will also be able to fully introduce their parents to the world of MSMS, from class activities to cafeteria food.

“I call my Mom every day and say ‘I’ve had five hours of homework and I just need a little piece of home now,’” said Poston.  This Saturday, the eager 11th grader will have the chance to giver her mother “a little piece” of MSMS.

Between meeting teachers and spending time with their respective students, parents will also be able to further familiarize themselves with Power School, the parent organization Parents Lending United Support, and many other facets of MSMS. Scott and Candace McNamee, parents of senior Connor McNamee, are leading PLUS this year and plan to “be organized and focus on the regions that don’t have a lot of people” according to student McNamee.

“The Parents’ Day meeting is not really for people who are already in PLUS; it’s for people who aren’t in PLUS to try to convince them,” said McNamee. “We need more people from the Central and Coastal regions.”

PLUS is responsible for funding several school-wide extracurriculars ranging from dances to exam snacks. After a two-themed Winter Formal and slightly crowded Prom last year, PLUS intends to make both dances more memorable.

“They plan on giving a lot of money to winter formal and prom; especially prom because of the venue issues last year,” said student McNamee. “They want to make up for the cut funding so we can increase it and actually have fun at prom.”

This year Parents’ Day will serve as an educational and bonding experience for the MSMS family. New student parents and soon-to-be alumni parents will get the chance to become further involved and more knowledgeable about the talented faculty, crowded schedule and inner workings of MSMS.