Scotia-Glenville Central School District is excited to announce another round of informative webinars for our staff, parents, and caregivers. The Building Better Futures – Parents as Partners series aims to foster a culture of connection and understanding.
These webinars are grounded in robust research findings and address various topics pertinent to today’s social issues and discussions. Besides sharing valuable information, they will present practical, actionable steps that can be taken to create a positive impact.
Sign up to watch live or taped webinars
Each live webinar will be presented from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
If you are not available to watch the webinar live, we encourage you to register because you will automatically receive the link to the recording after the live event. Access to the recordings will be available through the school year.
OCTOBER 16 – Co-Parenting: Strategies for Making it Work for the Sake of the Kids
(Target audience is families with children of all ages) Jennifer Bashant
Link to register Webinar 1
This topic was requested by several parents at the end of our last series, which is not surprising given that more than half of parents are divorced. Co-parenting is something many families with school-age children face, yet there is little guidance about how to make it work. During this webinar, Jennifer will share many strategies and tips for co-parenting, while acknowledging that each situation is unique and not every strategy will work for every family.
OCTOBER 20 – Ways to Encourage a Love of Reading and Strengthen Your Early Reader’s Literacy Skills
(Target audience: families with elementary students) Renee Beaulieu
Link to register Webinar 2
During this webinar, the presenter will introduce various strategies to engage your child in developing vocabulary, background knowledge and verbal reasoning to enhance your child’s reading skills. We will discuss the skills that are foundational to the science of reading and how you can use these comprehension skills to reinforce your child’s learning. We will look at several ways to engage your child during outings, while engaging in daily activities and creating word games you can play throughout the day.
NOVEMBER 3 – Strategies for Developing Executive Function Skills at Every Developmental Stage
(Target audience is families with children of all ages) Jennifer Bashant
Link to register Webinar 3
Executive function and self-regulation skills provide critical supports for learning and development. These skills allow us to retain and work with information in our brains, focus our attention, filter distractions, and switch mental gears. For various reasons, some children and teens need explicit instruction and many opportunities to practice these skills. During this webinar, participants will learn strategies to help their children develop and use these critical skills.
NOVEMBER 20 – How to Talk with Your Teen About Depression and Suicide (and how to let your boys know it’s OK to ask for help!)
(Target audience is families with a teen) Jennifer Bashant
Link to register Webinar 4
The teenage years are defined by changes, sometimes dramatic changes, in behavior. These are often difficult years for families, even when mental health challenges are not present. So, how do you know what are considered normal changes, and when the changes in mood, isolating behavior and loss of interest in certain activities is clinical depression? This is not an easy question to answer, but we will tackle it during this webinar. We will look at the symptoms of depression and warning signs for suicide, and you will learn ways that you can support your teen and get them professional help if needed. It can be
overwhelming and difficult to find a therapist who is also accepting new patients, so we will look at tips for finding a therapist who will be a good fit for your teen.
DECEMBER 4 – Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Building on Strengths and Developing Skills for Success
(Target audience is for families with children of all ages) Renee Beaulieu
Link to register Webinar 5
The completion of daily tasks and routines that many parents take for granted can be a real challenge for parents with a child with ASD. Many parents also feel alone in the struggle because it can be hard to find someone who understands. During this webinar, Renee will introduce strategies for establishing a positive environment at home and building the social and emotional skills needed for flexibility, emotion regulation, and communication. Renee is a special educator with many years of experience working with students with Autism.
DECEMBER 16 – Navigating Loss: A Guide to Bereavement for Families
(Target audience is families of all ages) Kim Perone
Link to register Webinar 6
Kim Perone, Certified Life Coach and Grief Educator, shares her own story of loss and information for families on the stages of grief and how to be with others in grief. This is a difficult topic that Kim shares with heart and humor to help us handle loss, which is universally felt and shared, yet uncomfortable to talk about.
JANUARY 8 – Five Practices to Train Your Nervous System for Calm
(Target Audience is families with children of all ages) Jennifer Bashant
Link to register Webinar 7
There are endless ways that we are stretched as parents raising children and teens. It can be difficult to remain calm when stressors are adding up and we feel pressure to do it all and keep everything running smoothly in the household. During this webinar, Jennifer will introduce five practices you can incorporate that will help you regulate your stress response and remain calm, even when the pressure is on!
JANUARY 27 – Parenting a Child with ADHD and/or Oppositional Behaviors
(Target audience: families with mid-elementary through middle school children) Jennifer Bashant
Link to register Webinar 8
Parenting a child with ADHD and/or oppositional behavior can be very challenging, often leaving caregivers exhausted and at a loss for what to try next. This webinar will be based on a research- based process developed by a psychologist for improving behavior and reducing stress in the home. The focus will be on how to give a command, how to use a time-out as a break from positive reinforcement, and how to effectively use praise and reprimands. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions of the presenter, to share resources and to provide support to other parents and caregivers in attendance.
FEBRUARY 12 – FOR STUDENTS: Nature in Your Own Home: A Guide to Building and Maintaining a Custom Bioactive Terrarium
(This webinar is intended for children and teens to watch with their caregivers) Bennett Beaulieu
Link to register Webinar 9
With the aquarium business now valued at over $3.6 billion and the exotic pet business not far behind, an animal husbandry hobby offers something for everyone. One of the fastest growing trends is the demand for ultra-realistic, enriched enclosures that mimic natural habitats and provide vital stimulation for the animals. During this webinar, you’ll learn how to create living ecosystems that are not only visually stunning but also beneficial for the health and wellbeing of your pets.
MARCH 3 – Using a Strengths Perspective to Navigate Life with Your Adolescent
(Target audience: families with middle and high school children) Jennifer Bashant
Link to register Webinar 10
The teen years can be challenging in a lot of ways, but there are many things to celebrate as well.
Focusing on your teen’s strengths and interests can be a powerful way to enhance your relationship and foster motivation. During this webinar, Jennifer will share some strategies and tools for discovering strengths and building upon them, as well as ways to look for and focus on the good in (almost) every situation.
MARCH 19 – FOR STUDENTS: How to Start and Maintain a Correspondence with Your Favorite Celebrity or Athlete
(This webinar is intended for children and teens to watch with their caregivers) Bennett Beaulieu
Link to register Bonus Webinar
Since the late 19th century, sports and media fans alike have sought after their favorite celebrity signatures. Though the autograph hobby has changed considerably, a love for collecting unique memorabilia has remained. In this webinar, you will learn how to contact your favorite celebrity/athlete, begin and maintain a correspondence with them through the mail, and properly store the memorabilia. In addition to being introduced to a rewarding hobby, you will enhance your investigative and writing skills to increase your chances of success.