Adult Ed Programs at Mountain School

Coming up events for Winter/Spring Semester 2008:

• General Meeting: Raising Resilient Children in the Dawn of the 21^st Century (with Christopher Glover) – February 7^th
• How to Parent for Integrity – February 12^th
• The Importance of Early Experiences:  How Playing IS Kindergarten readiness! - February 26th
• OOEY GOOEY® Sensory Play for Every Day! – February 27^th Circle Meeting
• Self Esteem: The Differences between Boys and Girls – March 27^th
• KidPower: Self-Protection Skills for Young People – May 1^st

Program Descriptions:

The following are descriptions of our second semester mini-courses and General Meeting. Parents are required to attend at least one mini-course and the General Meeting per semester. All attendees should register as early as possible and must register at least seven days in advance to ensure available seating. To register, simply click “Register Online” below each course. Please include your Name, Class, Telephone Number and the number of people attending in your registration email. It is not necessary to register for the General Meeting. Please note that the Ooey Gooey® workshop will take place as your February Circle Meeting.

v Thursday, Feb 7^th: 6:45 arrival, 7-9 pm  Location: Fisher Middle School Library, Los Gatos. General Meeting: Raising Resilient Children in the Dawn of the 21^st Century Speaker: Christopher Glover, M.S., Licensed Educational Psychologist

• Why do some children strive toward independence while others depend on adults to manage the simplest of needs?

• Why do some children proceed with confidence in their daily activities while others respond with self-doubt and worry?

• Why do some children manage unexpected changes in daily routines so well while others become unraveled when the slightest change occurs?

• Why do some children keep trying, despite initial failure with a task, while others give-up trying immediately?

The answers to these, and similar, questions are often related to the individual's development of "protective factors" or resiliency characteristics.

Resiliency is a term that was first used to describe children, mired in circumstances that threatened their physical and emotional well-being, but who were able to thrive in spite of life's hardships.

The Resiliency research has led to the development of a simple model that adults can use to enhance the positive development of children in meaningful ways. This presentation will provide an overview of Resiliency and expose parents/educators to an inspirational way of viewing the adult-child relationship!

v Tuesday, February 12^th: 7-9pm Location: Saint Andrew’s School, 13601 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga, Room “The Center”; located behind the church. How to Parent for Integrity Speaker: Michael Riera

St Andrews School STAR Speaker program has offered to partner with LGSONS and allow our parents to attend one of their talks by Dr. Mike Riera. The topics in "How to Parent for Integrity" are appropriate for both lower and middle school children, K-8. We are limited to 30 parents attending so registration is very important.

Michael is a nationally recognized expert on issues of children, adolescents, families, and parenting. He will discuss how parents do make a difference in child and adolescent development. His presentation will include a discussion of academic performance, relationship development, discipline, and basic integrity. Michael will present the different developmental stages and how they affect your child.

Michael’s most recent book, Staying Connected to Your Teenager, was launched on the Oprah Winfrey Show. You may submit questions in advance and Michael will include your specific parenting issues in his presentation. There will also be time for plenty of questions and answers. Website: http://www.mikeriera.com/

Register Online

v Tuesday, February 26th:  7-9 pm  Location:   Campbell Community Center, Bldg F – Orchard City Banquet Hall, 1 West Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008.  The Importance of Early Experiences - How playing IS Kindergarten readiness!   Speaker:  Lisa Murphy, the OOEY GOOEY® Lady    As this is a Las Madres sponsored event, there will be a $5 fee.

This workshop is designed to reinforce the importance of hands-on, play-based learning in the early years and discusses how play is "getting them ready." During this session Lisa will identify the seven things we need to do with children each day in order to encourage a love of life long learning and create the foundation which will support future school success.   www.ooeygooey.com

Register Online

v Wednesday, Feb 27^th: 6:45 arrival OOEY GOOEY® Sensory Play for Every Day! Location: Louise Van Meter Elementary School, Cafeteria/Multi-Purpose Room, Los Gatos.

This event counts toward your Circle Meeting attendance only. No registration required.

In addition to being a dynamic presentation of Lisa’s signature high-energy workshop, this one-of-a-kind workshop will supply you with oodles and oodles of hands-on art and science ideas. Wear your play clothes! There will also be an opportunity to make purchases of Lisa’s products following the program.

Lisa Murphy, B.S., is the ooey gooey lady®! Involved with early childhood education for nearly 20 years, Lisa has taught and worked with children in various environments including Head Start programs, kindergarten, private preschools, family childcare, park and rec centers, group homes and both the St. Vincent DePaul children’s center and the Julia Laythrop housing projects while a student at DePaul University in Chicago.

Lisa has been featured in various publications including Child Care Business Exchange, Parents and Pre-K Today. Lisa has authored four books and has created dozens of teacher training DVD’s. Lisa’s current project is assisting educators with linking all aspects of a hands-on, play-based, Ooey Gooey® philosophy to state mandated educational standards. She is dedicated to proving that playing is, in fact, “getting them ready” for school!

v Thursday, March 27^th: 7-9pm Location: The Kitchen, Los Gatos High School, Room 100 Self Esteem: The Differences between Boys and Girls Speaker: Sheila Dubin

Self esteem is a core key ingredient for a thriving child. It emerges from how they react to the world, and how they experience themselves as active agents in these experiences.  However, girls and boys have different challenges in developing self esteem and the knowledge of their own empowerment.   As parents it’s important to understand these differences and how we can create environments that support and encourage this process for both our sons and daughters.  This talk will explore the essential ingredients of emerging self esteem, the differences between girls and boys, and what we can do as parents to help our sons and daughters in this process.

Sheila Dubin, M.S., Mountain School parent alum, is a parenting coach and consultant, with thirty years of experience in the field.  She has developed and taught parenting classes at Children’s Health Council and Jewish Family and Children’s' Services in Palo Alto.  She also works with parents on an individual basis. She specializes in classes and consultations for parents raising daughters, as well as issues relating to parenting adolescents and school-age children. She was a contributing writer and the editor of Bay Area Parent of Teens magazine.  Sheila currently practices in Los Gatos and Palo Alto.  She and her husband have two adult daughters.

Register Online

v Thursday, May 1^st: 7-9 pm Location: Louise Van Meter Elementary School. Cafeteria/Multi-Purpose Room, Los Gatos. Self-Protection Skills for Young People by KIDPOWER.

This entertaining, active program gives parents and other caregivers the opportunity to learn the KIDPOWER approach for introducing and practicing self-protection skills with young people.  For parents and caregivers of younger children, the program answers the question, “How can we teach our children to be safe without scaring them?”  For parents of older children, the program answers the question, “How can we balance our children’s drive for increasing independence with the need to keep them safe?”  Participants will learn methods to improve both the safety and the quality of their children's interactions with strangers and with people they know.

KIDPOWER Everyday Safety Skills

· How to be and act aware and confident

· How to move away and check first

· How to get help

· Safety with strangers

· Safety in emergencies

· Dealing with hurtful words

· Setting clear boundaries

KIDPOWER is a non-profit organization founded in California in 1989.  Our mission is to empower people of all ages and abilities by helping them learn how to stay safe, act wisely and believe in themselves.  In KIDPOWER workshops we explain concepts through examples that are meaningful to our participants, practice skills through relevant activities and adapt teaching techniques to the individual needs and life situations of our students.  KIDPOWER focuses on teaching simple, effective skills in short interactive workshops and training educators how to integrate KIDPOWER safety lessons into their curriculum.

Register Online