Jacy Good and Steve Johnson visit GPS to share their message: "Hang Up and Drive"

May 18, 2008 was meant to be one of the best days of Jacy Good’s life. It was the day of her college graduation,when suddenly everything changed. A young man distracted by his mobile phone conversation drove through a red light, collided with an 18-wheeler which hit Jacy’s car head-on. Jacy’s parents were killed instantly and Jacy was left with a permanent brain injury and partial paralysis. Determined to use her family’s tragedy to change minds, behaviors and laws, Jacy’s advocacy for cell-free roads brought her to the Oprah Winfey Show, and the United Nations.

Parent: All have "power to prevent a tragedy"GPS

Rita Crotinger (left) and Jacy Good

On Thursday, September 21, the Glenbard Parent Series hosted Jacy Good and Steve Johnson at a presentation called Hang Up and Drive. Glenbard West parent Rita Crotinger shared the following takeaway:
"Jacy Good miraculously recovered from a car crash caused by a distracted driver that claimed the lives of both her parents and left her partially paralyzed. She shares the tragedy with others to remind us of the obligation we all have, both as drivers and passengers, to look out for each other every time we get into a car. Texting, email and social media are devastating distractions to drivers.  Talking to someone you don't see (handheld or hands-free) is a main cognitive distraction while driving because your mind focuses on what you are saying rather than paying attention to what you are seeing on the road. Each one of us has the power to prevent a tragedy - put your phone away while driving.  You never know how many lives you save by your actions, but you definitely know when one or more are lost."

Resource Links

• Hang up and Drive web site
• PSA:  Wait for it… this could save your life (YouTube video)
• Jacy Good shares her unbelievable story of survival on WGN TV, Sept. 19, 2017
• Glenbard East Speaker Experince –  Hang Up and Drive: Jacy Good and Steve Johnson

Take aways and resources from our event "A Day with Dr. Deborah Gilboa MD" on September 13

Police representative appreciates GPS program

Dr. Gilboa (left) with Tanya Macko

At noon yesterday, the Glenbard Parent Series hosted Deborah Gilboa, MD ("Dr. G") at a presentation called Get the Behavior You Want Without Being the Parent You Hate: Raising Respectful, Resilient and Responsible Kids. Tanya Macko, community outreach specialist with the Glendale Heights Police Department, shared this takeaway: "If you want to change your child's behavior, you need to change your reaction. Pick one behavior and be consistent in reinforcing it. And try to make your no's into something more positive, so that you are not constantly just saying no."

Parent likes message about balanced approach to parenting balance

Anita Gaikis

Last night, the Glenbard Parent Series hosted Deborah Gilboa MD in a program called Start the Year Off Right: Raising, Responsible and Resilient Teens. Glenbard South parent Anita Gaikis shared this takeaway: "Today's focus on resume building undermines character development, autonomy and may leave our kids frozen when faced with adversity. We need a balanced approach to parenting that encourages kids to try new things, take measured risks and navigate/problem solve on their own - all in the hopes of letting them learn from challenging experiences to develop the confidence that is a major factor in adult contentment. Show empathy, show them that we have faith in them, but let your children know they are capable of fixing problems themselves - empathy without intervention.  Parents need to step back so our children can step up."

GPS message for parents of young children resonates

Deb Gilboa (left) and Erin White

At the early program on September 13, the Glenbard Parent Series hosted Deborah Gilboa MD in a program called Raising, Resilient Young Children. Erin White, senior director of youth development at the BR Ryall YMCA of DuPage County, shared this takeaway: "Our job as parents is to allow our children new opportunities to grow and make mistakes so they can build resilience. Resilience is holding two emotions at once; angry and sad, happy and sad, etc. And as problems arise, do seek help with counseling. If we reduce the stigma now, they will be more likely to seek help at college and beyond.

Resources

Dr. G’s web site here
Dr. G’s Free Resources here
Dr. G’s Chore Chart by Age here
Dr. G’s Parenting Blog
Dr. G’s Twitter and Facebook
Dr. G’s YouTube here

– or text to 412-212-7679 to subscribe to Dr. G's Resources

Take away and resource links from our event with Sonia Nazario, author of Enrique's Journey

Parent:  book talk shed light on everyday issues

The Glenbard Parent Series kicked off this year's programming by hosting Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Sonia Nazario, the author of "Enrique's Journey." The book was selected as this year's community read.

Sonia Nazario (left) and Tanya Czapiewski

Glenbard North parent Tanya Czapiewski shared the following takeaway from last night's program: "I felt that Sonia hit all the key points around the complexity of children fleeing from a violent situation. In today's society, we have to protect children no matter where they are from. Let's examine the laws; let's look at innovative ways to improve their lives in their native lands as well. I felt that Sonia's message was very powerful, and I understand why the book was a suggested summer read. It is important for students to understand these real-life issues - issues that children face every day.

Resources

Web site for Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario HERE

Solving Illegal Immigration [For Real] | Sonia Nazario | TEDx (YouTube) HERE

Sonia Nazario Twitter page HERE

2003 Pulitzer Prize Sonia Nazario of Los Angeles Times article HERE

It is 10:00 and Snap Chat knows Where Your Children Are: Geotagging Issues

There has been a huge change in our culture--we didn’t used to expect to know where our friends, spouses and children were all the time. Maybe if we thought about our kids we could picture them at school, walking home, playing outside, etc., but when we were 11, 12, 13 our parents did NOT know our whereabouts constantly.

I still remember having a police officer ask if I was Devorah Heitner when I was 13 and walking around with a friend in NYC. Turns out, his parents were holding a surprise 13th birthday party for him, but he wasn’t there. We had gone into the city to celebrate his birthday and were wandering around the village like the suburban kids we were trying on sunglasses and eating 1 dollar slices of pizza. They were annoyed but also amused. They did call the police to find us, but this scenario is unthinkable today--the parents would have just texted their child-in the unlikely event their kid was in an unknown location in the first place!

The problem with geotagging is that you are leaving a trail which could be used to threaten you or to bother other people. Perhaps your child has a simple carefree life like many kids, but their good friend has parents in a bitter custody battle. The geotags from your kid’s photographs could lead the wrong person to your child and her friends.

What Can I do? 
You may want to know where your kids are, but do you want everyone to know where they are?

● Learn how to turn it off in specific apps--look for a youtube video about how to do it or challenge your child to figure it out and then to teach you. You could even have your kid mentor you and a few friends and pay them a small fee! In Snapchat, Ghost Mode offers a way out of geo-tracking.
● You can talk with your child and see how they feel, see if they can come up with some reasons it might not be great to let everyone know where you are at every share. Have they considered the hurt feelings possibilities? Sometimes sharing not in real time is a strategy that kids use to diffuse some of the intensity of being excluded from things...but with geo-tagging, even knowing where you were yesterday or an hour ago can be problematic or at least unnecessary.

We really don’t need to geotrack our kids. When I spoke at a high school recently, I had a dad who confessed that he still geotracks his oldest kids, who are presently in college. He knows when they’ve missed class, for instance, as he can geotrack their phones to their dorms. I get worried about such behavior. Another dad said, “my kid would be in jail if I didn’t geotrack him.” To me, this seems not too far away from making the child wear a “house arrest” ankle bracelets—I don’t think that this is the way to go. Someone else doesn’t need to know where your child is all the time, while a true stalker or bad guy is unlikely, it is not a good idea for any of us to post our whereabouts all the time. WE want to cultivate in our kids an appreciation for the right to privacy.

Devorah Heitner, PhD founded Raising Digital Natives to inspire parents and teachers to mentor children thrive in a world of digital connectedness. She is the author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive and Survive in Their Digital World



RESOURCES (click on text)

The Scary New SnapChat Feature All Parents MUST Know About from For Every Mom

NBC 5 News: Geotagging Allows for Real-Time Surveillance  (Nov. 2012)

Suggestions from The Family Institute at Northwestern University on helping kids manage emotions

We always enjoy the clinical insights that come our way from the Family Institute at Northwestern University. Check out the article and link below, "Supporting Children in Distress", for suggestions on how to help our kids manage their emotions in healthy ways.

The Family Institute at Northwestern University
Clinical Science Insights | May 2017
Supporting Children in Distress: The Power of Parental Emotion Coaching
- By Allen Sabey, PhD, Postdoctoral Clinical Fellow


Clinical Science Insights allows TFI's clinical and research staff members to share their expert knowledge on a variety of topics facing families today, from child development and innovative treatments for depression and anxiety, to best parenting practices and the latest research on what works in couples therapy, and many more.

Imagine the following scenarios:

A 3-year-old girl begins yelling in a grocery store because her mother said she cannot have the cereal she wants. An 8-year-old boy comes home from school crying about how a friend said he did not want to be the boy's friend anymore. A 14-year-old girl's grandmother just passed away and she hasn't come out of her room for three days. A 16-year-old boy argues with his parents about not letting him stay out later with his friends.

These types of emotional moments in children's lives shape their ongoing development and future well-being. More specifically, it is in the accumulation of these moments that children learn about their emotions and how to deal with them (Sroufe, 2000). What children learn from these experiences will either support constructive ways of dealing with their emotions, or hinder their ability to manage their emotions in healthy ways. The experiences children have in this regard are largely influenced by how their parents or caregivers respond to them in such moments of distress (Cunningham, Kliewer, & Garner, 2009).

Read the entire Clinical Science Insights article here.

GPS presented screening of the documentary "Screeenagers" on May 3 2017

The Glenbard Parent Series presented a screening of the documentary "Screenagers," followed by a discussion with physician Delaney Ruston the film's author/producer/director. Glenbard West parent MJ Buendia-Kuntz attended the program on May 3 and shared the following takeaway:

Delaney Ruston and MJ Buendia-Kuntz

"The film "Screenagers" essentially outlined the tech struggles our family encounters on a near-daily basis and it was an eye-opener to learn the physiological and mental side effects that were outlined in the film. Dr. Ruston recommended to choose one thing to work on; for example, family time is no screen time. Include your child inthe discussion of setting limits around technology. Kids need to be heard and feel things will be fair. Embrace the technology in a way that opens communication about its usage. Model good habits. Good sleep is critical, so no screens in the bedroom. I will certainly be reviewing her site screenagersmovie.com for additional resources and ways to implement and improve our tech use, not only for our kids but for my husband and myself."

Resources

Screenagers Movie web site (with resource tab)
Screenagers Educator Guide

Screenagers Moderator Guide

Screenagers Parenting Guide

What's all the buzz about Netflix "13 Reasons Why"? Check out these resources.

The following are resources that will assist teens, parents and caregivers who have watched or are considering watching the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why".  This information may prove helpful in processing the powerful, graphic and polarizing messages from the series in a safe and healthy manner. It is recommended for parents to view the series with their children if possible and have an ongoing conversation about the serious issues raised in the series.

National Association of School Psychologists
"13 Reasons Why" Netflix Series: Considerations for Educators here

13 Reasons Why: Talking Points for Viewing and Discussing the Netflix Series
JED and SAVE developed talking points to assist parents, teachers, and other gatekeepers in talking to youth about suicide as it relates to the situational drama that unfolds in 13RY. here

Washington Post article, May 2, 2017
Educators and school psychologists raise alarms about '13 Reasons Why' here

Wisconsin Public Radio/NPR - Joy Cardin Show.  April 25, 2017
'13 Reasons Why' Gets Mixed Reviews From Suicide Prevention Leaders here

Amita Health Behavioral Medicine Institute, May 10, 2017
Popular TV Series Puts Spotlight on Suicide - Are Kids Prepared for What They’re Seeing?  here

Preview of GPS 2017-2018 schedule

Back to School Athlete Night
August 14 and 15, 2017

Monday, August 14 Doug Petit:  One Father's Story
6:00 pm - Glenbard North

Monday, August 14 Levar Fisher: Peak Performance: Playing With Dignity and Grace
6:00pm – Glenbard East

Tuesday, August 15 Dr. Greg Dale: Excellence in Sports Performance: Establishing a Winning Culture
6:00pm - Glenbard South
6:30pm - Glenbard West

Wednesday, August 23 Sonia Nazario, MA: “Enrique's Journey: The True Story of a Boy Determined to be Reunited with His Mother"
GPS Community Read
Students are encouraged to read the Young Adult version of this book.
7:00pm – Glenbard East

Wednesday, September 13 A Day with Deborah Gilboa, MD:  Ask Dr. G

How to Teach Resilience to Young Children
^9:30am – Marquardt Administration Center

Get the Behavior You Want … Without Being the
Parent You Hate
12:00pm – Marquardt Administration Center

Health Expo 6:15pm – Glenbard West

Start the Year Off Right: Raising Responsible, Resilient and Successful Teens
7:00pm – Glenbard West

Thursday, September 21 Jacy Good:  Hang Up and Drive:
The Jacy Good Story
7:00 pm - Glenbard North
 
Saturday, September 23 Frank Palmasami:  Conquering the
Challenges of College Costs
10:30am Glenbard West

Tuesday, October 3 Dr. M. Joann Wright: Linden Oaks Behavioral Health
Dousing the Flame: Extinguishing Challenging Behaviors and Anxiety
12:00pm – CCSD 93 Administrative Center

Monday, October 9   *Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman:
Intelligence and Creativity Re-examined: The
Many Paths to Greatness
7:00pm – Glenbard South (pre-meeting Columbus Day Dinner at 6:30pm)

Saturday, October 14 Effie Rouse, College Board Director
The College Admission Test: Tips to Prepare for the New SAT and FAFSA Completion Assistance
 10:30am - Glenbard East

Monday, October 16 Ryan Goble, M.Ed and Dr. Pam Goble:
Study Smart: New Ways to Enhance Learning through Media and Technology/Study Tips and FASFA Completion Assistance
7:00pm Glenbard North

Wednesday, November 1 Liz Repking, Linda Lewaniak LCSW and Teen Panel:
Straight from the Source: Teens Talk Social Media Now
7:00pm – Glenbard South

Tuesday, November 14 Jessica Lahey, JD:
The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed
7:00pm – Glenbard West

Wednesday, November 15 Jessica Lahey, JD:
The Gift of Failure; Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Resilience in Kids
12:00pm – Marquardt Administrative Center

Thursday, November 30 Dr. Brenda Nelson: Mindfulness and Social Emotional Learning: An Approach for Sailing the Rough Seas of Adolescence
12:00pm CCSD93 Administration Center

Wednesday, December 6  Jessica Minahan, M.Ed: Children Who Challenge Us: Effective Behavior Management at Home
7:00pm – Glenbard North

Tuesday, January 16 Jodi Norgaard: Founder of Dream Big Toy Company
Moving Beyond Stereotypes: Empowering Girls and Boys to Develop their Unique Talents.
12:00pm – Marquardt Administrative Center

Wednesday, January 31 *Shimi Kang MD: The Myth of Normal: Understanding Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
12:00pm– Marquardt Administrative Center

Wednesday, January 31 *Shimi Kang  MD: The Dolphin Way: Raising Happy, Healthy, and Self Motivated Children
7:00pm – College of DuPage McAninch Arts Center

Wednesday, February 7 Dr. Mark Reinecke: Taking Care of Ourselves: Lessons for Managing Stress and Worry - Northwestern Medicine
12:00pm – CCSD93 Administration Center

Wednesday, February 21 Chris Herren: Unguarded - My Message to Parents
a Conversation with NBA Star Chris Herren
A community conversation will follow this program.
7:00pm – Glenbard East

Thursday, March 1 *Dr. Ruha Benjamin:  Using Science for Good:
Innovation, Inequality, and Imagination in the 21st Century
7:00pm – Glenbard South

Thursday, March 8 A Day with Dr. Laura Kastner
^Getting to Calm: Cool Headed Strategies for Raising Independent 3-7 Year Olds
9:30am – Marquardt Administration Center

Getting to Calm: Cool Headed Strategies for Parenting Tweens and Teens
12:00pm – Marquardt Administration Center

Calm Parenting for Tough Teen Topics: Healthy Relationships, Substance Use, Media Management and Worry
A community conversation will follow this program.
7:00pm – Glenbard West

Tuesday, April 10 Journalist Christine VanDeVelde and Robin Mamlet, former Stanford University Director of Admissions: From Application to Acceptance Step by Step – The College Admission Process
7:00pm – College of DuPage McAninch Arts Center

Tuesday, April 24 *Dr. Eugenia Cheng: Concert Pianist/Scientist in Residence at the Art Institute Chicago: Logically Speaking Math, Music and the Mind
7:00pm – Glenbard South

Tuesday, May 1 Dr. Lisa Damour
The Essential Guide to Navigating Adolescence: The Seven Stages to Adulthood for Girls and Boys
12:00pm – Marquardt Administration Center

Dr. Lisa D'Amour:  The Essential Guide to Navigating Adolescence: The Seven Stages to Adulthood for Girls and Boys
7:00pm – Glenbard West

* Thought Innovator

^These programs are directed at parents of younger students. 

FUSE Families United for Student Excellence - for parents of African American Children

Saturday, September 16 Tony Cicero: Goals Today/Success Tomorrow and Academic Recognition Program
11:30am Glenbard North

Thursday December 7   Dr. Raquel Wilson & a Distinguished Panel
Find Your Future at College Night
6:00pm – Marquardt Administration Center

Saturday March 17 Ray McElroy: The Secrets to High School Victory
And Leadership Recognition Ceremony
11:30am – Glenbard South

Wednesday, August 23 Julián Lazalde, Latino Policy Forum:
Navigating the American Educational System: An Update and the Challenge and Back to School Picnic
6:00pm – Glenbard East Cafeteria

Saturday, September 23 Ercilia Jonas: Conquering the Challenges of College Costs
10:30am to noon Glenbard West

Saturday, October 14 Ercilia Jonas: The College Admission Process and FAFSA Completion Assistance
10:30am - Glenbard East

Friday, November 3 Dr. Lourdes Ferrer: Parents in the Driver’s Seat Academy
7:00pm – Glenbard East

Thursday, January 25 Marian Proske, MA: From Use to Abuse: What Parents Need to Know
7:00pm – Glenbard East

Friday, February 2 Dr. Lourdes Ferrer: Parents in the Driver’s Seat Academy
7:00 pm – Glenbard East
 
Saturday, February 3    Dr. Lourdes Ferrer: Grooming for Excellence Academy and SAT Math Review for Students (English)
11:00-2:30 – Glenbard East

Saturday, April 21           Dr. Ferney Ramirez: 10 Keys to School Success
11:30am – Glenbard East

Childcare will be provided.
Translation headsets are available for all GPS programing upon request.

Glenbard Parent Series announces 2017-2018 Glenbard Common Read and Parent Reading List

Our students have their summer reading and here are summer reading suggestions for parents. Please join us in the next school year when we welcome these authors  (and many others) as part of GPS 2017-18.     Our 2017-2018 speaker lineup is posted under Upcoming Speakers at glenbardgps.org

Glenbard Common Read: Enrique's Journey  
with Sonia Nazario  August 23, 2017 at 7pm Glenbard East

The Glenbard Parent Series has selected Enrique's Journey as its Common Read for 2017. Enrique's Journey first appeared  in the Los Angeles Times as a Pulitzer Prize winning series written by reporter Sonia Nazario. Nazario expanded the article into a book which has won numerous awards and is on the  required reading list of many colleges and high schools across the country. Many Glenbard students will be reading the middle school version of this book. This national best seller is the story of a Honduran boy's search for his mother in the US, the struggle of a family to unite and their fight to heal deep
wounds. In the book Nazario asks questions about the economic, social and human factors in the debate about America's newcomers. Please join us when we welcome Sonia Nazario to Glenbard East at 7pm on Wednesday, August 23 as part of the Glenbard Parent Series.

Susan Engel, PhD, speaks to GPS on The Hungry Mind: Keeping Kids Inspired, Curious and Motivated

Susan Engel (left) & Deborah Meyer

The Glenbard Parent Series hosted Susan Engel in a presentation based on her book "The Hungry Mind" last night.  Glenbard East parent Deborah Meyer shared the following takeaway: "Dr. Engel presented a fascinating discussion on the need to foster curiosity to cultivate our children's love of learning, enhance their intrinsic motivation and create lifelong learners.  After the early years, ages 1-3, adolescence is the second most powerful time of developmental change filled with passion, mastery and natural intellectual interest.  If that interest is piqued, they will learn at a deeper level and then memory and happiness are enhanced. Parents can help by serving as good role models - ask questions as an opening for further inquiry and use meal time as a relaxed and informal time to cultivate curiosity."

Resource Links

Web site for Susan Engel here

You Tube:  The Hungry Mind: The Origins of Curiosity here

Susan Engel's blog:  Young Minds/Psychology Today here

By George! Curiosity is Really Necessary (summary of the Susan Engel event)

Why do children love that little monkey still? Because, the creator of the beloved Curious George, has always let that little monkey follow his curiosity. No matter where it might lead him, no matter what funny, outlandish or awful situations might occur, children have wanted to accompany George to find out, “what will happen if…”

Apparently, we all have much in common with George. Susan Engel, PhD, a developmental psychologist, and author of the best-selling book, The Hungry Mind, believes that curiosity is essential when it comes to children learning. Her evening,  April 27th, Glenbard Parent Series presentation, held at Glenbard East High School, provided parents and educators with data-based evidence that while children come into the world with an intrinsic, natural curiosity, once they enter school, their curiosity steadily diminishes. Why?

Engel explains, that starting in infancy, as Jerome Kagan, a noted early childhood developmental psychologist observed, “Children use their curiosity because they have a need to resolve uncertainty or to explain the unexplainable.”

“Infants follow patterns and absorb familiar routines. If something doesn’t fit into their known pattern, infants have a ‘novelty detector’ and try to figure out why the anomaly exists.”

Citing the 1984 data of researchers, Tizzard & Hughes, Engel says that when children are two to three years old, they ask, on average, between 27 to 100 questions per hour. By the time they are old enough to be in a classroom situation, their questions drop to an average of just 4 per hour.

According to Engel, “Curiosity is the single most important tool to get students to want to learn something. Curiosity helps students to: 1) learn information quicker; 2) retain information longer; and 3) learn information at a deeper level.”

Sadly, students’ curiosity diminishes the longer they are in school. Engel explains that  teachers don’t foster curiosity in students because they are fearful of getting off track with planned classroom activities and won’t be able to cover the course material required.

Finally, Engel believes that the greatest influences on a child’s curiosity, at any age, are the following:

1) Role-models - parents and teachers need to express curiosity regularly.
2) Encouragement - parents and teachers need to encourage children; and
3) Security - parents and teachers need to create an environment where a child will feel secure enough to express curiosity, even if it requires risk-taking or results in failure.

So maybe when it comes to your student’s academic environment, it’s okay to “monkey around.”


Suzanne Burdett is a freelance writer and a former Glenbard parent