Neil Cummins Parent Education

The Neil Cummins PTA sponsors a fantastic Parent Education program for all parents and faculty of the school to enjoy. The program consists of three main components:


1. Speaker Series: Each year the PTA designs a speaker series for the parent community on relevant and helpful topics. These speaker events are held 4-5 times per year, typically in the morning and evenings following General PTA meetings. Past topics have included: nutrition, sibling rivalry, components of a healthy marriage, discipline principals, and how to help children become better learners.

The 2008-09 school year speaker series is being formalized over the summer and will be posted on the school calendar as well as promoted throughout the year. Keep an eye on the Pink Pages, too, for upcoming dates.


2. The Parent Lending Library: Over the years the Parent Education committee has built a parent resource center located in the Neil Cummins library. The resource section is extensive and also includes books written by speakers we have hosted in the past. The librarians will be happy to point you in the right direction. Feel free to browse or check out the books as needed.


3. Monthly Newsletter: Firm Fair and Consistent: Each month, via email, you will receive a two page reference tool called "Firm, Fair, and Consistent". In each publication you will receive practical, immediately useful ideas to help build good discipline habits in your children.


Your questions, comments and suggestions can be directed to our Parent Ed. Chairs, Andrea Pierpont and Paige Rodgers, at parented@nc-pta.org

SPEAKER SERIES

2008-2009 PTA Calendar - please check the calendar regularly for possible changes


October 16, 2008; 7:00 pm, following General PTA meeting (Music Room): Presentation by Victoria Zenoff, Career Strategist and Life Balance Coach. Feeling frustrated by the changes in your life since you've had children? Feeling that you've lost the "old you" or are having trouble defining the "new you" as a parent, former business worker, someone looking to get back into the work world or just trying to make it all balance out? Victoria will speak on the challenges of balancing who you are with what you do and provide helpful exploration tools. (Click here for notes from this presentation)

November 13, 2008: 8:20 am, following PTA General Meeting (Staff Room): Presentation by Common Sense Media Is Media the Other Parent? Raising Media Savvy Kids in the Digital Age. This interactive, multi-media presentation will address the impact of media on kids, including school performance issues, violent behavior, body image, commercialism, and others. Parents will leave with simple tips and tools to help learn how to set a healthy media diet for their family.


January 15, 2009: 7:00 pm, following the PTA General Meeting (Music Room). Presentation by Doctor Beth Grosshans on Imbalance of Family Power An Epidemic Problem Parents Don't Know They Have. Dr. Beth Grosshans, child Psychologist and author of the recently released book Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm, concludes that the troubling behaviors children so often exhibit - from oppostion to anxiety and troubles with sleeping, eating and toileting - are often the result of how much power their parents have turned over to them. In a most lively and provocative talk, Dr. Grosshans challenges the current parenting culture and provides a new lens through which to view parent- child relationships. First she will discuss the ABC's of power between kids and parents, then she will introduce four parenting styles that most often result in an imbalance of family power (IFP). Finally, she will present her new discipline strategy The Ladder - an easy to follow five step program that can be used at home or in public places, that literally takes parents beyond the limitations of time-out, all the way to effectiveness. While children suffering from IFP will never be able to tell you what is wrong or ask you directly for more leadership, they certainly know when you are getting it right. Don't miss this exciting and important evening where you will learn how to free your children from the burden of too much power.


March 12, 2009: 7:00 pm Speaker TBD

Links for the 2008-2009 Speaker Series:

www.victoriazenoff.com
www.commonsensemedia.org
www.drbethgrosshans.com

Link for Firm, Fair & Consistent Archives:

- Go To Archive


Other Helpful Information

Links from the 2007-2008 Speaker Series

Todd Sarner - www.transformativeparenting.com
Joshua Coleman - www.drjoshuacoleman.com
Hall Middle School's Parent Ed page - www.hall-school.org