•  

    COFFEE AND CONVERSATION 2019-2020

    • Consistent first Tuesday of the month
    • 3 sessions in the Fall and 3 sessions in the Spring
    • 8:30 - 9:30am at Toro Park School 
    • An opportunity to discuss topics related to promoting healthy youth development and success at school 
    •  

    Parent involvement and collaboration is a crucial part of our educational community at WUSD. Thank you for all that you do to support student success! This year we will host Coffee and Conversation on the first Tuesday of the month to discuss a variety of topics aimed at promoting healthy youth development and success at school.  We will meet at 8:30am-9:30 at Toro Park School in room 22.

     

    October 1st - Growth Mindset

    On October 1st we discussed Growth Mindset, a term coined by Dr. Carol Dweck. According to Dr. Dweck, “A growth mindset is the underlying belief that abilities can be developed through effort and practice. Children with a growth mindset persist in the face of challenges because they understand that effort and hard work can change ability and intelligence. A fixed mindset is the belief that intelligence is static, and cannot be changed. When children are in a fixed mindset, they tend to give up easily when they encounter obstacles, because they believe that they don’t have what it takes to learn hard things.  As parents, you play a huge role in influencing the mindset of your children, so it’s important for you to model a growth mindset for your children. Showing your children that you are excited by challenges, see mistakes as learning opportunities, and understand the value of practice and trying different strategies will go a long way in cultivating their growth mindsets!” (Continue reading at: www.mindsetworks.com/parents/)

    We welcomed guest presenter, Jennifer Frazier, math teacher at San Benancio Middle School who shared helpful tips and insight about how to promote a growth mindset in math. 

     

    November 5th - Youth Mental Health and AIM

    On November 5th we welcomed guest presenter Lindsey Knight from AIM, a local nonprofit that is dedicated to raising awareness, providing education, and improving access to effective treatments to improve youth mental health.  You can learn more about AIM at aimformentalhealth.org 

     

    We had many students at San Benancio participate in AIM’s recent Ad Contest promoting awareness and hope regarding youth mental health. Congratulations to 8th grade student Alexandra Barouty for her award winning digital art submission.

     

    December 3rd - Promoting Positive Communication and Effective Limit Setting

    We welcomed guest presenter, Kim Biggio, a credentialed Parent Educator with a certification in Positive Discipline. Kim has three children of her own and has been teaching Parent Education on the Monterey Peninsula for over 20 years. Kim specializes in Positive Discipline and regularly offers comprehensive parent workshops, along with many other services. In these workshops, Kim delves deeply into the specific areas of communication, effective limit setting and emotional regulation.


    In the presentation on December 3rd, Kim gave an overview of her program and then presented specific communication tools for families. This conversation provided a valuable opportunity for conversation and connection as we discussed ideas for promoting positive growth within your family and our community.

    For more information about Kim:
    Kim Biggio Parent Educator, Inc
    1900 Garden Road Suite 240A
    Monterey, CA 93940
    831-236-7210
    www.kimbiggioparenteducator.com

     

    February 4 - Supporting Language and Social Communication Development

    Linley Stover, MA. CCC-SLP, has extensively worked with students, educators and families from all walks of life as a school based and clinical
    SLP. For many years, Linley's focus has been on developing and implementing effective techniques and strategies to help students with language 
    learning disabilities succeed in school. Linley is passionate about sharing the research based, highly practical interventions that address articulation, language and social communication development. She will be sharing some ideas of tools to use at home to foster growth in these areas. Come join us!


    March 3 -  Stress Management, Calming Strategies and CAASPP testing!!

    Young people, like adults, experience a great deal of stress. Please come join the conversation as we talk about childhood stress, ways to recognize signs of stress, and its impact on development.  We will review basic calming strategies and how you as a parent can help your child develop healthy ways to manage stress and solve everyday problems.  This event will take place at a crucial time as students are preparing for their annual CAASPP testing. Whitney Meyer, Curriculum Director and Principal at Washington Union Elementary, will be sharing helpful information regarding CAASPP testing and tools for preparation. 


    April 7 – Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship

    Our students are growing up in a time when technology is a huge part of their everyday lives; helping them learn how to use it appropriately is essential to keeping them happy and healthy. Please come join the conversation as we review research about best practices regarding internet safety and digital citizenship.  

    Thank you to Parent's Club for providing coffee and delicious pastries for these events. Your support of staff, students, and families is greatly appreciated!

     

    Parent Education Nights (From 2016-2017)