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Back to School: Building a Bridge of Positive Communication to Create a Positive Learning Process

 

angela woodrowParent, you are your child’s best advocate. Just like painting a room, the more preparation you do the better the result. It may seem like oversimplification when it comes to communicating to your school, especially if it has not always been the most positive process. Separating the facts, emotions, and results can be confusing.

In this program we highlight three free resources that will help you:

  • Gather the facts
  • Organize your information
  • Identify effective ways to communicate with your child’s school /teacher

Knowing your child’s learning style and being able to quantify and collaborate their interest and abilities to what is going on in the classroom is like having cliff notes for accelerated learning. If you are a parent who feels overwhelmed, dealing with the demands of work as well as your child’s school issues this conversation is for you. Angela Woodrow, whom as a coach, provides the opportunity for individuals and the organizations to discover distinctions, maintain focus, and develop and implement action plans. As a life long learner, she advocates for parents and teachers to build the bridge to positive education processes for all.

For more information on this subject check out these sites: Parent Driven Schools, Authentic Happiness, and  Love and Logic

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Addressing the Needs of LGBTQ Youth

 

Stories of attacks on the way home from the bus stop, bullying in the classroom, and assaults in school hallways are all-too-frequent reminders that our community and many others throughout the US are still not safe places for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. Perhaps what is most heartbreaking is that some youth have come to believe that this is normal, that this is just part of growing up, or that this is how life is for LGBTQ individuals. SMYAL is working to change all that by providing an inclusive environment and empowering DC-area LGBTQ youth to be leaders and advocates for themselves and their peers in the broader community. We provide youth with the opportunities, support, and skills they need to de-escalate conflicts as they occur and to work within their community to root out these conflicts from their source.

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New School, New Beginnings – Helping Your Child Navigate Changing Schools

school-bus-600270_1280Moving for both adults and children can be a very exciting time, but it can also be very stressful for a child who is switching schools. Schools will be back in session soon, and students will be flooding the hallways, optimism floating in the air for the new year ahead. If you have recently moved, and you have a child switching schools, this time, can be both thrilling and anxiety ridden.

I had to switch schools twice when I was a kid when my family moved. The first time, I started third grade at a new elementary school. It wasn’t as big of a deal because the school was in the same county as my previous one and in third grade, I adjusted quickly – I say this only because I don’t recall any terrible moments about starting at a new school.  The second time was a very different experience; I started eighth grade at a new middle school in a new county.

My experience the second time was not nearly as smooth as the first. Middle school is an awkward phase for most kids, and I felt unnerved walking through the doors on my first day of eighth grade. I didn’t know anyone, and as I observed the students around me hugging their friends and catching up on their summer vacations, I felt an immense longing for my old friends. I also was behind on the curriculum; I remember the first day of math class, the teacher gave a refresher of what they had learned the previous year and my old school had only briefly touched on the subject. I vividly remember on my first day, I had gotten lost trying to find my class and was late getting to the welcome back assembly. Once I did get there, I had to walk in front of all my new classmates to find a seat on the bleachers; I was so embarrassed about getting lost and being late that once I sat, I just started to cry.

The good news is I survived – it was difficult, but I think moving helped me to become more confident in new situations. So parents what can you do to ensure this transition is a win/win for everyone? Using a list written by GreatSchools Staff, I pulled the tips I thought to be the most helpful.

  1. Take a Trial Run. When you’re in elementary, a lot of schools, have a meet the teacher day before school starting. However, once students get older many schools stop doing this; therefore, speak to the office and see if you can arrange a tour of the school and a meeting with your child’s teacher. By doing this, your child will get a feel for their surroundings and what to expect which can reduce the child’s anxiety.
  2. Encourage School Involvement“. I support this because it wasn’t something I did. When I switched schools the second time, I was deeply unhappy about the move and resentful of my parents. Therefore, I recoiled from student activities and limited my social interactions with my classmates at my new school. Instead, I spent just about every weekend at my best friend’s house where I use to live which restricted my ability to meet and make new friends.
  3. Keep a positive focus“. It is crucial that you have an open dialogue with your child about what they are thinking and feeling about starting at a new school. The more specific, the better, that way you can work with them to generate solutions to ensure they have a positive experience.

My last tip is one I thought of myself that I wish I had had the second time around.

  1. Get a buddy. Reach out to the new school and inquire about a buddy system or a particular student who could show your child the ropes on the first day. Walking into a new school was scary, and I think if I had had a someone to walk with me I wouldn’t have been as scared.

Have a good weekend,

Abigail R.C. McManus

Apprentice

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Back to School Series: No Place for Hate Youth Summit

 No Place for Hate® Youth Summit, a one-day workshop for 8th grade students and educators, works to empower students and faculty to build campuses of respect. During the day, participants will engage in interactive experiential exercises designed to help them recognize bias and the harm it inflicts on individuals, explore the value of diversity and improve inter-group relations.  Students learn the dangers of bigotry and hatred; attendees develop post-Summit strategies to increase tolerance on their campuses, which are implemented with the help of their campus sponsors.

The No Place for Hate® Youth Summit occurs in the Houston and Austin areas, but students and educators can be involved with the No Place for Hate® initiative throughout Texas. The Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate® program was introduced to Houston in 2001, the Austin area in 2004, and now with the Dallas office beginning their first year, is available to all Texan students for the first time. The initiative is designed to provide administrators, educators and students with the necessary resources to make anti-bias education an integral part of the school curriculum. It empowers communities to promote respect for individual differences while challenging bigotry and prejudice. No Place for Hate® initiative is active in all ADL regions of Texas.

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Back to School Series: Cyber Bullying & Sexting

PatriciaCastilloDeAnneCuellarWhat are sexting, cyber-harassment, and online stalking? While families are preparing for the new school year advocates against violence are gearing up to face new threats to our community’s safety. Every day we hear more and more stories about the endless ways young women and men are using technology to harm one another. Parents are terrified by the notion that their teenagers are engaged in sexting, and at the same time, they are anxious to learn how to face this issue head on. How has the prevalence and availability of new technology affected the frequency and ease of perpetrating these abusive behaviors? What can you do if you find yourself the victim of cyber-harassment or sexting?

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Back to School: Advocating without Arguing For Your Student

 School bells will soon be ringing in the new year. In an ideal world, our students will enjoy a wonderful, conflict-free year filled with great academic and social success. This is not always the reality. Join me and my guest Janet Bonnin of Fine Tuned Families as we look at how to effectively advocate for your son or daughter with the school faculty. Listen in to learn great ways to address health, behavioral or academic issues with a minimum of conflict and emotion.

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