We are pleased to have hosted the following sessions as past of our Parent Education series:
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AT SAINT MARK’S
Tuesday, October 1, 2019 | 6-7:30 pm, Community Hall
Come learn about the importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and hear about our approach at Saint Mark’s with our dynamic SEL staff:
Ann D’Angelo, Mindfulness Coach
Janel Umfress, Learning Specialist
Alisson Witten, Social Emotional Wellness Coach
Mark Munoz, 2nd grade teacher with advanced Responsive Classroom training
GRADE LEVEL COFFEE CHATS
KINDERGARTEN
Thursday, October 10, 2019 | 8:45-9:30 am, Innovation + Design Studio
PRESCHOOL
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 | 8:45-9:30 am, Innovation + Design Studio
Join the Academic Program Team and other special guests for coffee and dialogue about your child’s growth and development, curriculum updates, and a time for questions.
FOSTERING SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: HELPING CHILDREN BUILD RESILIENCE, HAPPINESS, AND COMPASSION WITH DR. MELISSA JOHNSON
Wednesday, November 13 | 6-7:30 pm, Community Hall
We want our children to be resilient, happy, and compassionate. Dr. Melissa Johnson shares practical parenting tools in the context of healthy brain development. Come learn ways to support your child’s skills for navigating friendships and big feelings in this engaging presentation!
Dr. Tina Bryson & Georgie Wisen-Vincent
Raising Innovators: Encouraging Creativity, Emotional Resilience, and Big Picture Thinking for Successful Kids in a Modern Age
Wednesday, January 16 | 6:30 pm | Community Hall
Did you know that nurturing your child’s drive to innovate creates a life-long template for emotional resilience? It’s how we playfully collaborate with our kids that give children a natural advantage as confident, competent, creative thinkers who are better prepared to step up to life’s curveballs – calm in the storm, able to observe and describe their emotions, try on flexible perspectives, act on their own initiative, work well with others, and experiment with new solutions until problems are solved. From curious preschool-age to the storm and stress of middle and high school, modern kids will need fresh, innovative skills to grow and thrive in this fast-paced generation.
DR. MELISSA JOHNSON
CLIQUES, CONFLICTS, & CONNECTIONS
Tuesday, October 16 | 6:30 pm, Community Hall
Dr. Melissa Johnson, psychologist and founder and CEO of the Institute for Girls’ Development, will offer practical strategies to help you empower your daughter. Dr. Johnson’s popular parent presentations provide tools for helping girls navigate their social and emotional worlds with connection and zest.
LORI GETZ
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH TECHNOLOGY
(5th & 6th Grade Students & Parents)
Tuesday, December 4 | 8:30-10:30 am, Community Hall
Lori Getz returns to Saint Mark’s for a second year. In this session, she will help facilitate more meaningful conversations between students and their parents regarding stranger awareness, personal safety, screen time, gaming, texting, and social networking interactions.
MATH WITH COACH MAGGIE (2nd Grade)
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Second grade parents joined our Math Coach Maggie Young for a morning of hands-on learning. Parents had the chance to practice the Singapore approach to learning addition and subtraction with and without regrouping.
AGES AND STAGES: KINDERGARTEN & 1ST GRADE
SHARON LEE & JANEL UMFRESS
Wednesday, October 3 | 8:30-9:30 am, Innovation + Design Studio
Our student support team of learning specialists will present developmental stages for your child’s emotional, cognitive, and educational development. There will be time for Q&A.
MATH WITH COACH MAGGIE (3rd Grade)
Tuesday, October 9 | 8:30-9:30 am, Innovation + Design Studio
Third grade parents are invited to join our Math Coach Maggie Young for a morning of hands-on learning. We will explore the Singapore approach to learning multiplication and division. We will use manipulatives to show concrete examples of problems and discuss best practices for learning multiplication and division tables.
ROGER BRIDGES
MAKING THE CASE FOR BOYS IN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS: AN EQUITY (AND INCLUSION) ISSUE
Wednesday, October 10 | 6:30 pm, Community Hall
Roger Bridges, Assistant Head of School and Director of Counseling at Echo Horizon School in Culver City, will invite us to engage in a conversation about the ways in which we could and should support boys to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. He will provide practical examples of effective programming and supports for boys and lead us in discussions about self-regulation and discipline as they relate to best practices and positive outcomes for boys.
RSVPs requested. Child care will be provided for Saint Mark’s students.
Strategies for Family Fun & Connection During Challenging Times
Wednesday, October 7 | 6 pm
Audrey Monke knows from over three decades working with campers that some of the most memorable and life-changing growth comes out of experiences that seem negative or scary at the moment. Whether huddling together soaking wet under a tree waiting for a thunderstorm to pass, hiking uphill under the hot sun on a backpacking trip, or facing a fear of heights to master a ropes course challenge, these challenging, unexpected, or uncomfortable moments forge important growth. Parents will be encouraged and reassured to learn that the challenges and negative events of this year can lead to character growth and closer family connections. Audrey will share actionable tips for helping your child practice friendship skills even when face-to-face contact with friends is limited. During a moderated Q&A discussion with Head of School Jenn Tolbert, Audrey will also share ideas and resources for dealing with your current parenting challenges.
About the Speaker
Audrey Monke, author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults, is the owner and director of Gold Arrow Camp in Lakeshore, California. She is among the nation’s most well-respected experts on the topics of summer camp, family connection, and friendship skills. For more than 30 years, Audrey has researched and improved practices at her camp to promote belonging, friendships, and character growth. She shares resources for raising kids who become thriving adults on her parenting website and podcast. Audrey is the mother of five kids (ages sixteen to twenty-six) and lives with her husband, Steve, in Clovis, California.
Teaching Anti-Racism through Reading (and Thinking) Aloud
Wednesday, October 28 | 6:30 pm
In this session, Christina will demonstrate how to use everyday multimodal texts, such as storybooks and comic books, to support children of all ages in their understanding of race and commitment to anti-racism. Christina will share how to identify differences, point out stereotypes, question authors and illustrators’ choices, name emotions, recognize structural impact, and more. Parents will be provided with opportunities to brainstorm their own approaches to sample texts and to practice skills that Christina presents.
About the Speaker
Christina Hale-Elliott has extensive experience providing professional development, parent education, and technical assistance within educational settings. She has facilitated training sessions nation-wide for varied stakeholders, focused on educational equity and culturally responsive education, including within teacher education programs, Pre-K through 12 public schools, independent schools, etc. Currently, she serves as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant for La Cañada Unified School District and her children attend Saint Mark’s.
