Hundreds of parents showed up Monday evening to take a look at how their children spend most of their days — going from class to class at Demopolis High School.

The open house put parents and teachers together face-to-face, something both groups said was important.

“As parents, we need to be involved in our children’s education and know what’s going on at their school,” said Cherri Leys, whose daughter is a freshman at the high school.

And teachers viewed the open house the same way, welcoming parents and students to their classrooms.

“The parents see in a very short time what the students’ day is like,” chemistry and physics teacher Deborah Boykin said. “And it also helps teachers and parents to put faces with names, which is always a good thing.”

Indeed, that might have been the best part of the evening — the teachers and parents getting on the same page with one another.

And DHS principal Dr. Isaac Espy was serious about having parents see what a day at school is like for their children. The students and parents went from homeroom through each of the classes of the day, changing classes every five minutes.

And some parents found the exercise very practical.

“Well, for one thing, I know where I can find my child if I need to,” Virginia Strong Smith said. “Plus I get to know the teachers and get to know what my child is doing in school, and that is very important.”

And Smith should know. She’s the daughter of a teacher, and her own daughter is a freshman at Demopolis High School.