Woodstock District 200 is proud to present the 2021 Parent Speaker Series

These programs are dedicated to providing information on critical issues that impact the health, safety, and well-being of families and our community, from experts in positive youth development, respect-based relationships, and social and emotional learning.   

We will hear from authors, clinicians and educators who will share practical research-based knowledge, wisdom, and relevant personal experience.

Programs are offered free of charge; no registration is required and all are welcome. All public, private, parochial, homeschooling parents, caregivers, (elementary and high school) school staff and professionals are welcome to attend, strengthening home and community partnerships in pursuit of our mutual goals to inspire, educate and connect. Join us in conversation as we engage around the opportunities and issues facing families in these unprecedented time.  

Special thanks to the Cebrin Goodman Center for their continued support to ensure these programs are available to all.

Dr. Ken Ginsburg •  Building Resilience in Uncertain Times

Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021  •  7:00-8:30 p.m.   

Dr. Ken Ginsburg
Building Resilience in Uncertain Times

Dr. Ginsburg is a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine at Children's hospital in Philadelphia, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and the co-founder and Director of Programs at the Center for Parent and Teen Communications. 

These are uncertain and complex times. We wish that we could jump into a future in which health and justice has been achieved, and our nation felt unified. We wish that we could take away the disruption and inconvenience young people are experiencing because of the impact of physical distancing on their education, activities, and relationships. And, we wish that there was not human suffering. But there is. The best way to protect our children is to shape the lessons that they draw from these times, and in so doing, build the resilience skills they can draw from throughout their lives and the commitment to build a better world that will enable them to lead us into the future. The starting point is acknowledging that these are hard and unsettling times for us adults and we must first be intentional about building our own fortitude and resolve with self-care and self-compassion. Further, it is the time to model the lesson that as individuals we are vulnerable, but that we gain strength when we seek the support of others. Dr. Ginsburg, a leading expert on building resilience, will discuss how to strengthen your family during these times and prepare your children to gain critical lifelong resilience skills.

Learn more about Dr. Ginsburg's work at: www.fosteringresilience.com and https://parentandteen.com.

Click here to view recorded presentation.

Dr. Ferney Ramírez • Tú, tu hijo y la escuela… Guía para motivar y fortalecer el deseo de estudiar (Presentado en español)

Jueves 4 de marzo, 2021  •  7:00-8: 30 p.m.  

Dr. Ferney Ramírez 

El popular Psicólogo Dr. Ferney Ramírez coordina programas para familias en Chicago y varios distritos de Illinois, es autor de diez publicaciones de salud mental, es Presidente de La Familia Primero Organización, y tiene amplia experiencia en psicología clínica, terapia de pareja, y consejería familiar dentro y fuera de Estados Unidos. Obtuvo sus títulos universitarios avanzados en Filosofía, Psicología Clínica, y Salud Ocupacional en Colombia y ha sido profesor de las Facultades de Psicología y Educación en Universidad san Buenaventura, Colombia.

Hoy más que nunca los padres debemos estar en contacto con los maestros para estar pendientes del desempeño escolar de los hijos. Pues el estar recibiendo una educación remota puede llevar a los estudiantes a perder el interés por ir a la escuela. En este taller, Dr. Ferney Ramírez compartirá algunas estrategias para trabajar la motivación de los estudiantes para que el estudio no deje de ser su mayor prioridad.

Facebook: La familia primero Ferney Ramirez o lafamiliaprimerofrh@hotmail.com 

Click here to read an English synopsis of this program. 

Click here to view recorded presentation.

Dr. Michele Borba •  Seven Teachable Traits that Set Happy High Performing Kids Apart and Help them Thrive

Thursday, March 18, 2021  •  7:00-8:30 p.m. 

Dr. Michele Borba
Seven Teachable Traits that Set Happy High Performing Kids Apart and Help them Thrive

Michele Borba, EdD is an internationally renowned educator, award-winning author, and parenting child expert recognized for her solution-based strategies to strengthen children’s empathy, social-emotional intelligence and character, and reduce peer cruelty. A sought-after motivational speaker, she has spoken in 19 countries, and served as a consultant to hundreds of schools and corporations.  Dr. Borba is a frequent national news contributor who has appeared on countless programs, including Dateline, NBC Nightly News, Anderson Cooper and MSNBC.

Content for this presentation will focus on evidence-based, no-cost ways parents can boost resilience, mental health, and peak performance of the Pandemic Generation. All activities will address the specific ages of K-12 students.

Learn more about Dr. Borba's work, and her book, Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine at: http://micheleborba.com.

Click here to view recorded presentation.

Dr. Ferney Ramírez • Cómo ayudar a los niños a superar el estrés emocional y la ansiedad social en éstos tiempos de caos (Presentado en español)

Miércoles 28 de abril, 2021  •  7:00-8:30 p.m.   

Dr. Ferney Ramírez 

El popular Psicólogo Dr. Ferney Ramírez coordina programas para familias en Chicago y varios distritos de Illinois, es autor de diez publicaciones de salud mental, es Presidente de La Familia Primero Organización, y tiene amplia experiencia en psicología clínica, terapia de pareja, y consejería familiar dentro y fuera de Estados Unidos. Obtuvo sus títulos universitarios avanzados en Filosofía, Psicología Clínica, y Salud Ocupacional en Colombia y ha sido profesor de las Facultades de Psicología y Educación en Universidad san Buenaventura, Colombia.

Cómo ayudar a los niños a superar el estrés emocional y la ansiedad social en éstos tiempos de caos
El encierro, el no regresar a la escuela y escuchar noticias negativas respecto a la situación que está sucediendo, ha llevado a muchos niños y adolescentes a generar ciertos conflictos emocionales que deben tratarse oportuna y efectivamente antes que se conviertan en problemáticas más complejas. En este taller, Dr. Ferney Ramírez haré algunas recomendaciones específicas para poner en práctica en casa y prevenir un daño en su salud mental.

Facebook: La familia primero Ferney Ramirez o lafamiliaprimerofrh@hotmail.com 

Click here to read an English synopsis of this program.

Click here to view recorded presentation.