“The Resilience Formula” Parent Workshop April 18 at 7PM The Parent Association at Portledge School  presents “The Resilience Formula” Parent Workshop on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. The lecture will be given in Bahnik Hall. Everyone faces challenges. Our resilience is how we respond to those challenges.   The guest speaker will be Dr. Donna Volpitta of UR Resillient LLC. Dr. Volpitta is an educator, author and parenting expert who offers practical strategies to build resilience in children. She believes that when we face a challenge our reaction will be guided by our understanding of the 4 S's: Self, Situation, Support and Strategies. Children develop resilience from their everyday interactions with others. Through these interactions, they learn answers to important questions such as: Who am I? Am I competent? Can I handle this situation? The answers to these questions will help determine their resilience. Given this framework, Dr. Volpitta believes we CAN teach resilience. Everyday, children face hundreds of “challenges” through which they can learn the 4 S's; and adults can actively teach these lessons.    Dr. Volpitta’s book, The Resilience Formula: PROACTIVE (not REACTIVE) Parenting, written with bullying expert, Joel Haber, Ph.D., available soon, provides parents with a formula for proactive parenting. The authors provide specific strategies so that parents can use every day parenting challenges in order to build resilience in their children.   Please join us for an interactive presentation. Bring your questions. This event is open to the public and is free of charge. For questions or more information, please contact Christina Villecco '00 at 516-750-3244 or cvillecco@portledge.org. Visit http://www.urresilient.com/to learn more.

Parents Association Sponsors Lecture on "Raising Socially Successful Children" The Parents Association Programming Committee of Portledge School hosted a very informative speaker, Dr. Carolyn Rassiger from SCOPE on February 15, 2012. Dr. Rassiger spoke to an audience of over 50 parents (both Portledge and non-Portledge) about “Raising Socially Successful Children.” First, she talked about five crucial social competencies (in order to be self-aware) which include: 1) self-understanding (identifying feelings); 2) mood management (the ability to control feelings); 3) empathy skills (understanding the feelings of others); 4) self-motivation (ability to set goals and know how to praise others); and 5) managing relationships (ability to make friends and learn how to be thoughtful and considerate). She also introduced the characteristics of resilience (control the impulse, strong self-esteem, set personal goals, sense of meaningfulness, how to view stress – as a change or way to get stronger). The next topic of discussion was the social learning theory and the importance of parents modeling a life that’s worthwhile and meaningful to their children, and lastly she touched upon the “me” vs. the “we” generation and the importance for children to give back. At the end there was a lengthy Q&A discussion. Thank you to committee chairs, Lori Souther and Amorita Snow, and PA President, Marla Wolfson. The next Portledge PA Program, which is free of charge and open to the public, will be on Wednesday, April 18th at 7:00 p.m. in Bahnik Hall. The topic will be “The Resilience Formula” by Dr. Donna Volpitta of UR Resilient LLC (www.urresilient.com).

How to Pay "Wholesale" for College . . . In This Economy The Parent Program Committee of Portledge School presented an informative presentation about “How to Pay ‘Wholesale” for College…In This Economy”  on Tuesday, October 25, 2011.  Certified College Funding Advisor, Andrew Lockwood, J.D., discussed the following: •        The Biggest College Funding Mistake Parents Make in the Midst of Our Recession . . . And How to Avoid It! •        5 Tips for Parents Facing Huge, Immediate College Bills...But Who Haven’t Saved Nearly Enough! •        The Strange Reason Why Expensive, Private, “Elite” Colleges Could Cost You Less Than a “Cheap” Public University! •        Why the Advice From Your CPA or Stock Broker About WHERE to Save Could Have Cost You Tens of Thousands of Dollars in Lost Grants and Other Financial Aid •        How “Forgotten” Middle Class Families Can Slash College Costs by 37% or more…Even if Told “You won’t qualify for financial aid!” •        Legal “Loopholes” That Homeowners, Business Owners and Divorced/Separated Families Can Exploit to Save Thousands Mr. Lockwood is the author of the book How to Pay “Wholesale” for College and is owner of Lockwood College Consulting.  Portledge parents and non-Portledge parents of college-bound teens who are “stressed and confused” about how they’ll pay for college as well as parents of middle school students attended as it’s never too early to start planning.

A Program Just for Parents on “Weathering the Storm of Adolescence” The Parent Program Committee of Portledge School presented an informative presentation about “Weathering the Storm of Adolescence: Our Challenges as Parents of Teenagers”  on May 12, 2011.  Clinical psychologist, Dr. Beth Feldman, discussed: -- Parenting strategies which foster character and individuality -- Understanding teens’ developmental challenges -- Helping teens cope with social, family and academic pressures -- Developing successful coping strategies for parents Dr. Feldman is a clinical psychologist with over fifteen years experience in private practice. She has worked in inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment programs with children and adolescents and understands the developmental challenges and pressures faced by our children today.

Parent Program Focused on "Sexting & Cyberbullying" The Parent Program Committee of Portledge School presented an interactive presentation about the hot topics of “sexting and cyberbullying” on Tuesday, February 1, 2011.  Nassau County Police Officer John Dockswell spoke about sexting, the newly minted word for teens sending or posting sexually explicit photos, and cyberbullying. Topics discussed included: - Why teens are sexting - Statistics showing how many teens are actively involved - Legal and practical ramifications - Tips for teens and parents on how to deal with sexting - What is cyberbullying and why teens engage in this practice - Tips on dealing with cyberbullying Officer Dockswell is part of the Community Affairs Unit of the Nassau County Police Department. He has given over 300 talks on this topic and has been covered in Newsday, News 12, Channel 55, The Long Island Press and Patch.com. Before becoming a police officer, he was a teacher for BOCES.

Tips from Officer Dockswell on Cyberbullying Signs that your child may be cyberbullied: ·         Nightmares ·         Poor grades ·         Poor self image ·         Trouble trusting others ·         Aggressiveness ·         Acting out in class ·         Withdrawal or depression   You're supposed to be at least 13 yrs old before using Facebook. Don't allow your child to have an account if they're not old enough or mature enough.   Set all your privacy settings.   Don't post any inappropriate pictures.   What you do today can have consequences later on (college, employment).  There is a digital imprint of everything you do and images are called digital tattoos that can haunt you forever. Stop, Block & Tell an Adult Simply ignore the cyberbully Use "block" functions Have e-mail filtered to a folder for evidence. Send "ONE" message to bully "Don't contact me or I'll notify authorities" (Save the message for evidence). Contact Internet Service Provider to report abuse (Have their account TERMINATED)   Change your screen name/e-mail address   Change your phone number   Text-Trace the number/Contact phone company   Don't share your password with friends   Suggested Websites: www.mymobilewatchdog.com www.cyberangels.org www.webwisekids.org www.netsmartz.org www.kidshield.com www.protectkids.com

Author Dr. Shefali Tsabary Spoke at Portledge About Parenting The Parent Program Committee of Portledge School, chaired by Amorita Snow, sponsored a stimulating evening discussion on November 9, 2010 with Dr. Shefali Tsabary, internationally renowned author of “The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children.”   Dr. Tsabary emphasized the emotional and spiritual healing of the parent, which she sees as a prerequisite to raising healthy, happy children.  Her innovative parenting style recognizes the child’s potential to spark transformation in parents. Once parents begin to learn with their children, a mutual kinship will develop and the “parent-child journey” can begin. Power, control and dominance are finally put aside.   She noted that the parents who are willing to look in the mirror have an opportunity to establish a relationship with their own inner state of wholeness.   Dr. Tsabary said, “Once a parent finds their way back to their essence, they enter into communion with their children. The pillars of the parental ego crumble as the parent awakens to the ability of their children to transport them into a state of presence.” The event was well attended by visitors from the local community as well as many Portledge parents. Dr. Tsabary signed books before and after the presentation. For more information on Dr. Tsabary and her book, go to www.globalid.com.