Wrdsb.ca

HEALTHY STUDENTS, ENGAGED LEARNERS
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
9:00 am – Keynote Speaker: Ron Morrish on The Teenage Brain
Whether you already have a teen or soon will, Ron will help you understand the neurological changes in the mysterious teenage brain. For parents/guardians, teenagers can be hard to fathom. If you find yourself asking, “why on earth did you do that” on a regular basis, this session will give you tips to ease tension and improve communication. Ron is a behaviour specialist and former teacher. Ron helps families learn how to build rapport, avoid “face offs”, and find growth techniques that work.
EARLY BIRD SESSIONS-10:20 am-11:20 am:

HELP WITH ASPERGER’S: Amanda Bel , Autism Ontario (local chapter)
Comprehending the definitions on the autism spectrum can be daunting for many parents. Amanda will cut through the jargon, explain the symptoms of Asperger’s as well as the ramifications, FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD: Heather Wdoniak, Public Health Nutritionist, Region of Waterloo Putting together nutritious school lunches every day can be chal enging. Heather wil provide interesting and healthy meal ideas that your children will actually eat, as well as talking about the importance of good nutrition for children involved in minor sports. I DON’T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL: Yasmin McNeil y, WRDSB Social Worker What can you do if your child or teen does not want to go to school? Perhaps they say they are sick, or that other kids tease them, or they hate school. Yasmin will show you how to analyze the situation and figure out ways to encourage regular school attendance. There are many different reasons children avoid school, and the solutions are varied. BUILDING RESILIENCY IN YOUR CHILD: Michelle Clifford, Lutherwood Community Mental Health Being resilient is the ability to adapt well to adversity, trauma, or significant stressors. Resiliency can help our children manage stress and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. Michelle will share resources with you to help further build your children’s strategies. MID-DAY SESSIONS-12:30 pm-1:30 pm:
GAMING ADDICTIONS: Michel e Nogueira, Homewood Centre Larger than the Hollywood movie industry, video games are the fastest growing form of media entertainment. With this in mind, 12% of students (grade 7 - 12) indicate a video gaming problem. Delve into the fascinating world of video games as Michelle explores games of the past and present, facts, warning signs, popular games, parenting tips, pros and cons of gaming, and helpful resources. If you have children, this will be an interactive session you won't want to miss. EXAM STRESS FOR TEENAGERS: Virginia Nusca, WRDSB Psychologist Do you freeze when you have to speak in front of a group of people? For many teens, exams cause the same reaction. They know the material but have difficulty being calm enough to produce the answers they know. Anne wil help you and your teen figure out how to reduce stress in these HELP AT HOME - LIBRARY RESOURCES: Anita Kirkland, WRDSB Librarian Join this session to learn about the many library services that are available to WRDSB students at home… from streaming videos to information databases to digital audio and ebooks! Everything from health information to homework research will be demonstrated. GETTING UNSTUCK - MENTAL HEALTH, STRESS, ANXIETY & DEPRESSION: Kevin O’Reil y, WRDSB Vice Kevin wil chal enge us to understand that depression does not equal sadness and that talking about our brain il nesses is a key step on the road to recovery. He wil provide us with an understanding of how our brains can get stuck and how we can get them unstuck. With personal examples, Kevin wil encourage you and your child to talk about issues and learn where to go for help on a subject often
AFTERNOON SESSIONS-1:45 pm-2:45 pm:
Are you interested in improving your parenting skills? Develop common language between home, school, and child care? Spend more time enjoying your children? If you do come out and hear about a program that is in many of our schools and child cares and can be a resource for you. Tools for Life Relationship- building Solutions focuses on developing the strengths within each of us to have healthy, meaningful relationships. KEY QUESTIONS YOU AND YOUR DOCTOR NEED TO ASK, WHEN YOUR CHILD IS STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH/ADDICTIONS: Ginny Bateman and Melanie Stothard CCAC, Mental Health and As parents of children and youth there are key questions you can ask to help get valuable answers and aid in an open discussion with your physician regarding behaviours, medication and access to community resources. COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING: Delreen Hiscock, Lutherwood Family Counselling Services Clinician Parenting is the most chal enging job in the world; just when we think we have made some headway in parenting our kids, they change! Looking for some strategies for collaborative problem solving with your child? Learn about some practical, hands-on, how to parenting tips - or the very least, some encouragement in your role as parent. Recommended for parents of children 6 and over. TIMES HAVE CHANGED: PROMOTING STUDENT WELLBEING THROUGH HEALTHY SCHOOLS: Julie Anderson, Education Officer in the Ministry of Education Healthy Schools Unit Julie will speak about encouraging physical activity in schools, and initiatives school councils can pursue to promote healthy schools. Resources wil be presented, and there wil be time to discuss

Source: http://www.wrdsb.ca/pic/files/2012/03/Healthy-Students-Engaged-Learners-Workshop-Program.pdf